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Frankenstein: Theme of Isolation by Mary Shelley

• Author: arsalan
• Posted on: 24 May 2018
• Paper Type: Free Essay
• Subject: English
• Wordcount: 1378 words
• Published: 24th May 2018

This is a novel written by Mary Shelley. The novel title refers to a scientist known as Victor Frankenstein, who learns to treat life and creates a being in the image and likeness of man but more powerful and average (Fleck 250). However, the idea of depicting man as God is wrong. This novel starts with Robert Walton, who sought for a new way through Russia to the Pacific Ocean via the Arctic Ocean. Shelly defines several themes in the novel which are tied to actions performed by characters associated with them.

The themes in the Frankenstein novel are developed through the characters’ actions and personalities, which help in giving insight into the full understanding of the concepts anticipated by Shelley. The novel is full of terror and agony which has made it qualify as science fiction. The book story is written in a concise manner where Shelley allows the main characters to speak as the narrator to pass the main themes to her audience. The theme of isolation is outlined and carried on throughout the context, mainly through Victor.

In Shelley’s gothic novel, isolation is a significant theme attributed to Victor. Family bonding is essential for breaking emotional isolation, and since Victor lacks that family bond, he ends up being alone and devastated.  Victor lived in “his world” with no people to bond with; as his father stated, “once Victor accepts himself and considers them as a family, he will think about the affection of the family and hear from him regularly.” Victor excluded himself from his family while also ignoring their letters, and he rarely responded since he was only focused on his project as he once said: “ he could not tear my thought from my employment.” Victor’s mind was only concentrated on creating another being and did not focus on interactions with family or forming bonds with friends.

In the novel, the theme of isolation is developed around the main character in which victor is portrayed as isolated (Pollin and Burton 100). He has no one to tell about his inventions and creations because he has no one to express his emotions to. This is due to the loss of his lover, friends, and family. Isolation in this context is far more described by portraying characters’ loneliness and the acts that are attributed to the isolated nature of the specific character developed in the setting of the book. The inability to express emotions leads to the growth of hatred, which is channeled and expressed in inappropriate ways and results in harming society, as described in the book.

In the preface, Frankenstein is a novel that provides a clear depiction of isolation. Cases of murder, despair, and tragedy occur due to a lack of connection to society or family. In the novel, Shelley tries to define isolation as being the separation from other people, whether physically or emotionally, leading to the self-destruction of Victor and the creature he had created. This shows that the real evil in Frankenstein is not the monster nor Victor but isolation. The novel is characterized by passion and a tale of deep sorrow as well as misfortunes. Shelley explores the theme of loneliness in different ways and presents it to the readers, accompanied by its reputation. Shelley effectively describes this theme through Victor by examining his actions and how depressed he is.

Victor experiences isolation from society and his family during his studies. He, therefore, faces the worst imaginable fate, and where he views violence, revenge, and hatred as caused by isolation. According to Victor, the monster turns vengeful not because he is evil but because isolation fills it with anger and hatred. The devastation experienced by Victor leads to imprecise and poor judgment and thus ends up with unbearable decisions. As described by Victor, isolation from society leads to emotional disorder, which is implicated through social evils committed by him. The message portrayed by Shelley that isolation is considerably associated with the way people live their lives and also how people interact with each other in society of not limited only to emotional relationships and bonds.

In the Frankenstein novel, the victor is described as the one who brings isolation to himself. Throughout most of his life, Victor had isolated and grounded himself in his chambers trying to solve the math and create a creature (Cole and David 69). Victor had excluded himself from society, and that resulted in implicit implications for the community since, by creating the creature, he unleashed a monster. The misfortune brought about by isolation keeps the book’s ideas alive by making the readers want to know what each action resulted in. To cope with loneliness, Victor finds a way of expressing his emotions through the creature he created. Although isolation is viewed to have negative impacts, Victor found it as an essential factor in his work since he did not experience disruption during his project. This implies that isolation can result in something good if used in the right manner since, through it, the victor was able to achieve his dream and create a powerful being as he had anticipated.

In conclusion, isolation, as portrayed by Shelley, is a dangerous factor in one’s life. Isolation is destructive and makes the affected characters suffer adverse consequences from it. As observed, Victor was aspired by isolation to create a monster whom he could not take responsibility for and whom he could not control and hence led to the self-destruction of Victor’s life. Additionally, by Victor excluding himself from everyone, he ended up losing family affection and bond, and also, the love for his work cost him a family relationship.

Cole, David. “Teaching Frankenstein and Wide Sargasso Sea Using Affective Literacy.”  English in Australia  42.2 (2007): 69.

Fleck, P. D. “Mary Shelley’s Notes to Shelley’s Poems and” Frankenstein.”  Studies in Romanticism  (1967): 226-254.

Pollin, Burton R. “Philosophical and Literary Sources of Frankenstein.”  Comparative Literature  17.2 (1965): 97-108.

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Frankenstein

Mary shelley.

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In its preface, Frankenstein claims to be a novel that gives a flattering depiction of "domestic affection." That seems a strange claim in a novel full of murder, tragedy, and despair. But, in fact, all that tragedy, murder, and despair occur because of a lack of connection to either family or society. Put another way, the true evil in Frankenstein is not Victor or the monster , but isolation. When Victor becomes lost in his studies he removes himself from human society, and therefore loses sight of his responsibilities and the consequences of his actions. The monster turns vengeful not because it's evil, but because its isolation fills it with overwhelming hate and anger. And what is the monster's vengeance? To make Victor as isolated as it. Add it all up, and it becomes clear that Frankenstein sees isolation from family and society as the worst imaginable fate, and the cause of hatred, violence, and revenge.

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Frankenstein Isolation

This essay will explore the theme of isolation in Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein.” It will discuss how both Victor Frankenstein and the monster experience physical and emotional isolation, and the impact this has on their actions and psyche. The piece will examine the novel’s commentary on the consequences of isolation and societal rejection. At PapersOwl, you’ll also come across free essay samples that pertain to Frankenstein.

How it works

One theme presented in Marry Shelley’s book Frankenstein is the theme of isolation. Right from the beginning, someone has felt isolated from someone else. The three characters consistently developed the theme of isolation are Victor, the Creature, and Elizabeth. Though the three experience isolation, their isolation experience differs. Unlike the Creature and Elizabeth, Victor chose to isolate himself from people. This is evidenced from right when he was working on his research and when he tries to create a life.

Victor separates himself and loses contact with his friends and even family.

Elizabeth also suffers isolation, her isolation begins when Victor starts to develop the creature, Elizabeth does not experience isolation out of her will, she is willing to visit victor, but she is unable to do so since victor does not reply to her letters. The creature Character suffers isolation throughout the book, with just a look at his appearance; he makes every individual he encounters run away. The behavior makes him shunned and exiled by society and even by victor who created him.

The author through the theme of isolation tries to bring out the idea of how people are isolated and lonely in real life. Through this theme, the author induces some questions that we can ask ourselves, is Isolation a choice that people make or is it an inherent fault? Is isolation imposed on those who are innocent? The author tries to show us that when people are rejected by society, they tend to withdraw themselves and end up suffering isolation.

• 1.1 Embedded Narrative Structure
• 1.2 Structure and content connection
• 3 The process
• 4 Work Cited

The salient formal aspect of the novel

Embedded narrative structure.

Shelley uses embedded narratives in her book. Through this structure, Shelley manages to integrate the main stories within the framing narrative. This is seen right from the beginning where Shelly starts with the framing narrative. These are Walton letter to his sister before she moves to the main story, i.e., Victor’s story, then in Victor’s story, there is the story of the monster, how he survives and how he comes to learn from the De Lacey family.

In the above context, there are three different narrators, as readers, we directly learn more about Walton’s expeditions presented in his own words. Walton after that meets victor. Victor’s narration has been well highlighted through the letter that Walton had written to his sister. The narration points out of the monster’s development through Victor. The development theme is in turn explained by Walton to us the readers and her sister through the letters. This is a complicated but effective narrative structure.

In chapter 24, Shelley breaks off Victor’s direct narration and presents a letter that Walton writes to her sister, the letter turns on Walton’s narration. From the letter, Walton tells Margaret that he sometimes feels curdled and his blood congealed with horror when he reads the story. As it reads,” You have read this strange and terrific story, Margaret; and do you not feel your blood congeal with horror, like that which even now curdles mine? Sometimes, seized with sudden agony, he could not continue his tale; at others, his voice broken, yet piercing, uttered with difficulty ….” (Shelley,360).

There is a reason that Shelley embedded narration, by using this structure, she can lead the readers gradually to the central ideas of the book. If these ideas were presented directly or suddenly right from the beginning, the whole concept presented in the novel might be shown as being beyond the brief. Introducing readers gradually to the concepts makes the reader know and believe everything about the monster such that by the time to the Monster narrates the story in its own words, the reader already believes that the monster can speak and argue logically.

Structure and content connection

The frames narration is neither linear nor complete, though this is the case, as readers, we are not taken directly from the start of the narrative to its end, and then to the beginning of the next narrator’s story. The embedded description acts as a source through which readers can judge the validity of the individual narratives and develop a link to the isolation themes expressed in the book. When judging from victor’s story alone, the lines between fiction and reality tend to be blurred. However, when Victor’s body and Walton, mentioned in the as the creature, are embedded and physically presented in the story’s mainframe, it is finally easy to see the real story of Victor in reality as well as the prejudice that makes it. Thus, we get to learn about the isolation experienced by the creature.

One would argue that embedding or nesting frames when discussing or presenting a multilevel novel in, this case, the Frankenstein, is odd enough to propose that reading is a linear process of discovery. It would then appear that the ability of a narrative to make sense and be understood by readers was just a matter of reaching the earlier covered context. This can be countered in a simple statement, depending on the complexity of the ideas presented in a narrative and more in circumstances where the connection between the reality and what is displayed in the context is wide such that the concept presented seem unreal. The author can use the embedded narration structure to introduce users to the ideas presented gradually.

The process

The first task was to read the book; multiple drafts followed this; each draft had its ideas as there are many themes and styles presented in the book. I then analyzed in the drafts that could be combined depending on whether the ideas presented could be were related. It was difficult and time consuming merging the selections as the connection was not obvious. Besides, associating how the salient formal aspect connects to the content was not an easy task. However, this was solved through research and brainstorming. It would be great if we can lean on how to develop mind maps and come up with a flat outline indicating what needs to be covered in a regular college paper.

Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein. City: Broadview Press, 2012.Print.

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Frankenstein by Mary Shelley: Critical Essay

A Critical Essay on Frankenstein by Mary Shelley: A Balance of Spheres

Mary Shelley explores the contrast between isolation and society throughout her novel, Frankenstein. This stark dichotomy revolves around the concept of friendship and how characters treat their friends. By juxtaposing Captain Robert Walton and Victor Frankenstein, Shelley critiques isolationism and promotes companionship as vital to humanity’s prosperity. Her message condemns gender roles within Romantic society and ultimately provides a paradigm for the malign consequences of isolation.

The characters of Walton and Frankenstein are almost entirely alike. Unbeknownst to each other, both men share a strikingly similar childhood. In letters to his sister, Mrs. Saville, Walton recounts, “I am self-educated: for the first fourteen years of my life I ran wild on a common and read nothing but our Uncle Thomas’ books of voyages… I was passionately fond of reading. These volumes were my study day and night” (19, 16). Later in the novel, Frankenstein recalls, “I was, to a great degree, self-taught with regard to my favourite studies… I read and studied the wild fancies of… writers with delight” (41). Almost identical, these self educations gave rise to similar curiosities. While Frankenstein “desire[s] to divine…the secrets of heaven and earth,” Walton desires to “ascertain the secret of the magnet” (38, 16). These ambitions to scientifically probe nature are driven by a common thirst for glory. Walton affirms to Mrs. Saville, “I prefer glory to every enticement that wealth place[s] in my path” (17). Unaware of this statement, Frankenstein later describes his youthful mentality: “Wealth was an inferior object, but what glory would attend the discovery if I could banish disease…” (42). Rather than a monetary reward, zealous curiosity and desire for glory motivate both men to set out on an enterprise; Frankenstein attempts to animate a man while Walton attempts to discover passage routes through the Arctic. It becomes clear , Shelley’s deliberate parallels between both male protagonists characterize them as practically the same man .

Shelley differentiates Walton and Frankenstein by only one character trait: their treatment of friends. Throughout the novel, Victor Frankenstein increasingly rejects his friendships and isolates himself. The first stage in this process occurs after months of intellectual stimulation at college in Ingolstadt. He recalls “ the unremitting ardour … which made me neglect the scenes around me caused me to forget those friends who were so many miles absent, and whom I had not seen for so long a time” (55 , 56). Frankenstein altogether loses contact with his domestic relationships as he becomes more engrossed in working on his creation: “I wished, as it were, to procrastinate all that related to my feelings of affection… I shunned my fellow-creatures” (56, 57). Upon William’s death, he reaffirms this emotional and geographical detachment: “At first I wished to hurry on, for I longed to console and sympathise with my loved and sorrowing friends; but when I drew near my native town, I slackened my progress” (76). After his incredible inability to seek or provide consolation during William’s funeral and Justine’s death, Frankenstein severely deteriorates all social connections. In their first dialogue, Victor yells at his creature, “Begone! I will not hear you. There can be no community between you and me; we are enemies” (103). Shortly thereafter, he ventures to Scotland with Henry Clerval and delays Elizabeth’s desire for marriage and his father’s desire for his homecoming. Frankenstein’s message to Clerval, “do not interfere with my motions, I entreat you: leave me to peace and solitude,” and his retreat to the remote Orkney Islands represents the final act in his self-extrication from society. This act of isolation precipitates the creation’s murder of Clerval, Frankenstein’s closest friend, and drives him to lament, “on the whole earth there is no comfort which I am capable of receiving” (183). At this point, Frankenstein irrevocably loses the ability to seek consolation in human society, as demonstrated by his secrecy toward Elizabeth before her murder on their wedding night. In rejecting Walton’s hand in friendship, Frankenstein reaffirms this fateful inability for social connection: “you speak of new ties, and fresh affections… such is not my destiny” (215). In these final words, Frankenstein hints that in blindly pursuing his enterprise, he sacrificed his position in society forever.

Walton, on the other hand, seeks friendship, cares for his companions, and finds consolation in human society. After writing to his beloved sister, Mrs. Saville, “I desire the company of a man,” he encounters a gaunt, grotesque Victor Frankenstein (19). Shelley deliberately compares Walton’s revival of Frankenstein to Frankenstein’s own creation of a man:

I never saw a man in so wretched a condition… We… restored him to animation… As soon as he showed signs of life we wrapped him up in blankets and placed him near the chimney of the kitchen stove. By slow degrees he recovered and ate a little soup, which restored him wonderfully… I removed him to my own cabin and attended on him as much as my duty would permit. I never saw a more interesting creature…I would not allow him to be tormented by [the shipmates’] idle curiosity, in a state of body and mind whose restoration evidently depended upon entire repose. (26–27)

Shelley immediately likens Frankenstein to his own creation through the word “wretched,” and, in doing so, present an irony. Frankenstein deserts his “wretched” creation, who then becomes hungry and harassed by society. But when the roles are reversed, and Frankenstein is described as “wretched,” he is given “soup,” shelter, and protection from being “tormented.” Through this uncanny juxtaposition, Shelley presents Walton as far more friendly and empathetic than Frankenstein. In actively “attend[ing] on the man he animates, Walton, unlike Frankenstein, feels emotional attachment: “I begin to love him as a brother; and his constant and deep grief fills me with sympathy and compassion” (29). Another stark juxtaposition lies at the end of the novel when Walton’s ship is frozen into an ice sheet. He often expresses to Mrs. Saville a deep concern for the welfare of others: “Be assured that for my own sake, as well as yours, I will not rashly encounter danger,” and “I shall do nothing rashly: you know me sufficiently to confide in my prudence and considerateness whenever the safety of others is committed to my care” (22, 23). Accordingly, he consents to his crew’s request that the enterprise turn back toward England: “in justice, I could not refuse” (216). Though Frankenstein declares, “Do not return to your families with the stigma of disgrace marked on your brows. Return as heroes,” Walton feels a social duty which overcomes his thirst for glory (217). He reaffirms this value to Mrs. Saville: “I have lost my hopes of utility and glory… I am wafted towards England, and towards you, I will not despond… I may there find consolation” (219, 220). Expressly deeply pained by his failed enterprise, Walton retains the ability to find solace in human communion.

Though both men are similar in identity and enterprise, their treatment of friends precipitates starkly different fates; Walton survives to reconnect with society while Frankenstein meets a lonely demise. This pattern can be symbolized by yin-yang, ancient symbols which depict the relationship of opposing forces. In the context of Shelley’s novel, black represents isolation while white represents companionship. Frankenstein is consumed by isolation; his companionship with society is all but obliterated by the close of the story. Walton, on the other hand, represents the perfect balance of isolation and companionship. Though he does pursue an enterprise, he does not become wholly consumed by his isolationist ambition. Indeed, he strikes a compromise between isolation and society which ultimately forfeits his enterprise. This, Shelley contends, is necessary to humanity. For if enterprise goes unchecked and man isolates himself, both become an all consuming and destructive force — almost like the black hole of Frankenstein’s yin yang. The rationale behind her proposition is expressed by Walton in an early letter to Mrs. Saville: “I bitterly feel the want of a friend. I have no one near me… to approve or amend my plans. How would such a friend repair the faults of your poor brother!” (19). The Captain desires companionship to counterbalance the “faults” of his zealous, isolationist ambition. Ironically, he seeks to become friends with Frankenstein, a man who has cast away all of his friends in favor of his enterprise. Forced together by chance, the sole communion between these two men leaves an indelible mark on Walton, teaching him the potential catastrophe of his unchecked ambition. This recognition is focal to Shelley’s ultimate message that isolation elicits humanity’s vices and social connection is humanity’s best protection against itself.

Elegantly woven into Frankenstein ’s story, this critique of isolationism is a diatribe against Shelley’s contemporary society. At the height of the Romantic Era, she lived in a climate of stark gender separation. Often only joining for breakfast and dinner, man and woman were isolated in different social spheres. The “woman sphere” consisted of domestic life — cleaning, cooking, and child rearing. The “man sphere” consisted of professional life — studies, politics, and business. This separation was apparent in her own household: “Not once did [Percy Shelley] help with domestic obligations. As the resident genius, he wandered in and out of the house at any time of day or night” ( Gordon) . Though Mary Shelley was a working author, a rare and unusual position for a woman, she felt this divide between herself and her husband. Through the guise of Victor Frankenstein, Shelley professed the danger of such gender isolation:

“I am now convinced that… if no man allowed any pursuit whatsoever to interfere with the tranquility of his domestic affections, Greece had not been enslaved, Caesar would have spared his country, Americavwould have been discovered more gradually, and the empires of Mexico and Peru had not been destroyed” (5 6 ).

In other words, Shelley conveyed that isolation from “domestic affections,” or the sphere of woman, inevitably leads to violence and destruction . Just as Frankenstein professes this understanding to Walton, a man whose fate could potentially mirror his own, Shelley attempts to warn her peers and the younger generation to learn from the errors of earlier societies. In this respect, Frankenstein “provid[ed] a cultural warning… [as it] subvert[ed] the exclusivity of the masculine voice, revealing it to be monstrously destructive”( Davis). Shelley affirmed that like the ambition of Victor Frankenstein, man’s sphere becomes dangerous when isolated from that of woman’s sphere. Like Walton’s yin yang, an intertwining balance was necessary between the two entities. Indeed, Shelley contended, the spheres must merge to achieve a harmonious society. Shelley’s Frankenstein is truly a monstrous tale as it holds up a mirror to humanity and calls attention to our own foibles. In this moment of national anxiety, our fate lies in our ability to learn from monsters.

Works Cited

Davis, James P. “Frankenstein and the Subversion of the Masculine Voice.” Women’s Studies ,

vol. 21, Routledge, June 1992, pp. 307–322, Academic Search Complete , search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=19604089&site=ehost-live.

Gordon, Charlotte. “Mary Shelley: Marlow and London [1817–1818].” Romantic Outlaws: the Extraordinary Lives of Mary Wollstonecraft and Her Daughter Mary Shelley , Random House, New York, 2015, p. 247.

“Too Much Yin.” Redbubble , ih1.redbubble.net/image.11132141.7775/fc,800x800,white.jpg. “Yin Yang.” All Free Download , Clipart, images.all-free-download.com/images/graphiclarge/yin_yang_clip_art_26469.jpg.

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Frankenstein: an Exploration of Isolation and Guilt

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Frankenstein: Essay Samples

Welcome to Frankenstein Essay Samples page prepared by our editorial team! Here you’ll find a number of great ideas for your Frankenstein essay! Absolutely free essays & research papers on Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. Examples of all topics and paper genres.

📝 Frankenstein: Essay Samples List

Frankenstein , by Mary Shelley, is famous all over the world. School and college students are often asked to write about the novel. On this page, you can find a collection of free sample essays and research papers that focus on Frankenstein . Literary analysis , compare & contrast essays, papers devoted to Frankenstein ’s characters & themes, and much more. You are welcome to use these texts for inspiration while you work on your own Frankenstein essay.

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1. IvyPanda . "Frankenstein: Essay Samples." May 24, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/lit/study-guide-on-frankenstein/essay-samples/.

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IvyPanda . "Frankenstein: Essay Samples." May 24, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/lit/study-guide-on-frankenstein/essay-samples/.

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Isolation and Loneliness in Shelley’s “Frankenstein”

The feeling of loneliness is one of the worst inner states. It makes people weak and helpless. Everyone tries to spend most of his time in communication and movement. The novel Frankenstein reflects the characters who got used to living in loneliness during their whole life. Their life is constant resistance to isolation and fights with abandonment and loneliness. The novel Frankenstein written by Mary Shelley combines different elements from various periods of art development; it reflects features from the Romantic Movement and Gothic period.

The author managed to illustrate the deepest feelings and emotions reflected in the main characters. It is important to stress that the basic theme of the novel is considered to be the illustration of loneliness and desolation following the main characters’ lives during the whole story. Mary Shelley wanted to highlight the atmosphere of complete isolation from society, the pain of loneliness living in the hearts of the main characters.

The author provides the reader with the complete description of every character and allows sympathizing with them to evaluate their behavior and actions. Mary Shelly describes the inner state of every character underlining all the details of their worrying and despair. It should be stressed that the main idea of the novel was to show the theme of loneliness and the problem of a real friendship observed in the text. Walton, Victor, and the Creature wanted to make a real friendship. Walton strived to make a friend from Victor’s body while Victor wanted to create a friend from dead parts.

“Begone!… There can be no community between you and me; we are enemies” (Shelly, 1995)

This shows the isolation of the Creature from society, his loneliness, and social misunderstanding. The author wanted to underline the fact that the Monster has never felt like belonging to anyone in the whole world.

Mary Shelly managed to show the gradation from loneliness to violence; the contradiction of these two feelings inside the main characters of the novel. She illustrated how relations between Victor and the Monster resulted in destruction and violence in their mutual interrelations. The Monster’s desire to destroy everything and bring only harm to society helped the doctor to understand his mistake of creation. His desire to avoid loneliness and make a real friend resulted in a huge mistake created by Victor. It should be noted that the novel reflects the feeling of isolation throughout the whole story. Thus at the very beginning, the author showed Robert Walton who had no one in the world; only letters from his sister helped him to resist the cruelty of the world, the painful feeling of loneliness and abandonment.

Robert Walton is a typical embodiment of a lonely person who has no one in the world, whose life runs in vain, and does not belong to anyone.

“ I have no friend. Even when I am glowing with the enthusiasm

of success, there will be none to participate my joy;

if I am assailed by disappointment, no one will endeavor

to sustain to me dejection.” (Shelly, 1995)

The author illustrates that this character is not abundant by society and has a lot of people to communicate with, but his soul feels lonely. Walton realizes that he has no real friend and cannot share his troubles and happiness with anyone. He strives to see this only friend in Victor but failed… (Bennett, 2000)

Isolation is also demonstrated in the description of the Monster’s life and that of Victor. These two characters contradict each other. The Monster who was created to fight loneliness brings more troubles and misunderstandings. Victor created one more personality that was destroyed by loneliness. The author managed to stress the fact that very often people strive to belong to someone and depend on a real friend. Thus, Victor wanted to create a person for the real friendship but instead of this, he made the Monster who felt isolated as Victor did.

The analysis of the novel provides the idea that the story is completely associated with the author’s life. Three narrators who felt loneliness and lived in their small worlds are the embodiment of the writer’s heritage, personality, and future. The novel Frankenstein is based on the author’s vision of the society and interrelation between the people. She tried to depict all the life mistakes resulting in isolation, destruction, and loneliness. The author wanted to avoid such actions in her own life; she always wanted to save herself and her family from the state of being lonely whatever the cost and this novel is the reflection of her mind and fear of isolation and abandonment. (King, 1999)

The novel Frankenstein is considered to be autobiographical by many critics. The theme of loneliness was the central one not only in the novel but in the life of the author. Mary Shelly contributed to her work all the efforts, feelings, and emotions; she managed to transfer her family life episodes and sufferings in the story underlining the pain of abandonment.

The character of the Monster is very often compared with the biblical first man Adam. It should be noted that the creature made by Victor reflected the same features as one can observe in Adam. The Monster was individual, unique, and alone. One can see a certain level of biblical parallelism between these two characters though there are some differences. Adam was not created to be alone, he was provided with a companion and was supported by God, his creator, and farther. Speaking about the novel Frankenstein, the Monster was to be lonely from the very beginning and the feeling of isolation followed him from the day he was created. Attitude towards Adam and the Monster is quite different.

“ Abhorred monster! Fiend that thou art.” (Shelly, 1995)

Victor shouted at his creature developing feelings of oddness and isolation. But the Monster was not responsible for his loneliness while Adam was punished for his actions and behavior. Victor never took any responsibility for his creature and the Monster felt that he had no place in the heart of his creator. In the case of Adam, God was completely aware of the responsibility he took for his creature; he wanted to make the embodiment of love and respect in the character to avoid selfishness and unfairness of the world.

The creation of the “monster” can be compared with the image of Eve who was aware of the consequences of her actions as well as Victor did. Knowledge of the dangerous events that resulted from the committed actions was underlined in the description of both characters, Eve and Victor. They were the creator of their fate and of those who surrounded them suffering the consequences. (Davidson, 2007)

The author illustrated the cruelty of the world in which her characters lived. She demonstrated that all the three narrators made the atmosphere of loneliness by themselves and only they were responsible for their isolation. The characters of Mary Shelly never gave love and care to each other; they lived in their morality but strived to get usual friendship and somebody’s attention and understanding. The theme of loneliness is closely associated with human moral values in society.

The author wanted to underline the fact that interrelations within any social group should be regarded as something important, as a kind of treasure. Mary Shelly managed to show how ignorance can influence our life and what it can lead to. Three different fates were interwoven by one common problem – the problem of being lonely and abandoned.

It is important to underline the fact that the novel Frankenstein sponged a lot of ideas from different biblical literature works and real acts of life; it can explain why the story is so involving and quite close to life. It allows examining the life of the author and feel her emotions reflected in the story. The narrators strive for happiness during the whole story and are eager to find this happiness in each other. But they only alienate each other by their attitude and moral make-up.

Thus, as it was shown from the analysis of the novel Frankenstein written by Mary Shelly the central problem of her narrators’ lives was the problem of loneliness. Robert Walton, Victor, and the Monster were considered to be strong characters but having a weak inner state. All the three males wanted to reach the only thing in the world – they strived not to be lonely, isolated from the whole world. Mary Shelly drew a line between biblical images of Adam and Eve and her characters underlining vivid similarities between them. The author managed to show that moral values of the society should be concentrated on mutual respect and friendship; otherwise it can lead to violence and cruelty among people.

Bennett, Betty T. and Stuart Curran, eds. Marry Shelly in Her Times. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2000.

Davidson, Chris. Frankenstein’s Monster and Milton’s Satan. Frankenstein. 2007.

King, Linda. Mary Shelly’s Career Decision in Frankenstein. University of British Columbia. 1999.

Shelly, Mary. Frankenstein. Norton Critical Edition. pp. 352. 1995.

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StudyCorgi. (2021, October 8). Isolation and Loneliness in Shelley’s “Frankenstein”. https://studycorgi.com/isolation-and-loneliness-in-shelleys-frankenstein/

"Isolation and Loneliness in Shelley’s “Frankenstein”." StudyCorgi , 8 Oct. 2021, studycorgi.com/isolation-and-loneliness-in-shelleys-frankenstein/.

StudyCorgi . (2021) 'Isolation and Loneliness in Shelley’s “Frankenstein”'. 8 October.

1. StudyCorgi . "Isolation and Loneliness in Shelley’s “Frankenstein”." October 8, 2021. https://studycorgi.com/isolation-and-loneliness-in-shelleys-frankenstein/.

Bibliography

StudyCorgi . "Isolation and Loneliness in Shelley’s “Frankenstein”." October 8, 2021. https://studycorgi.com/isolation-and-loneliness-in-shelleys-frankenstein/.

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