The Theme of Alienation in Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
Sometimes, people tend to feel lonely due to neglect by fellow members of society just as the monster created by Victor Frankenstein. This feeling makes people violent and commit acts that are intended to hurt others. The monster in the story by Mary Shelly became violent as a result of feeling lonely and ended up committing multiple murders. The story of Frankenstein can be applied in modern life and used to analyze some of the effects of alienation or being disregarded by the community.
The author uses the situations of both Frankenstein and the monster he creates to show the overwhelming effects of alienation which are the ultimate reasons for the character’s inhumane actions. Frankenstein’s struggle begins after he separates himself from his family and in turn, overlooks the morals he was raised on. He is also affected by the seclusion that he enforces upon himself by keeping the secret of his creation. From the second the creature is born, Frankenstein flees the scene leaving the monster completely alone (Mary, 1998). Though the creature is inherently kindhearted, he is unable to relate to humankind due to his physical appearance. It is evident throughout the novel that this alienation is possessed by both characters to commit such immoral acts (Mary, 1998). When Frankenstein secludes himself from his family and society, his moral compass becomes misaligned and he fails to consider the possible impacts of his actions.
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Inhumanity is a product of neglect and rejection. The novel explores the development of viciousness in Frankenstein’s monster as a repercussion of his rejection by society. As an experimenter, Victor plays the role of God by creating a monster from pieces of human corpses (Mary, 1998). In realizing his great mistake, he is horrified by the monster and decides to desert it. With no one to interact with, the monster is forced to try to interact with society. Out of fear and cruelty, society rejects the monster forcing it to run into hiding. Following the harsh rejection by society even after making attempts to communicate with them, the creature becomes angry at people and his creator. The monster is tortured by the same people whom he thought would form part of its family. However, Frankenstein upset at himself for creating a monster, refuses to listen to the monster. The unloved creation is forced to wreak revenge on both his creator and the entire society (Novotney 2019). Unquestionably individuals form a personality in response to society. Both the individual and the society at large are responsible for the world that they create through their interactions (Bernatchez, 2009). The monster thus resorts to murder as a manner of forcing Frankenstein to acknowledge him and meet his demands. Just like the monster, rejection brings about hatred and anger (Mary, 1998). Frankenstein’s rejection of his creation is obvious. With this constant rejection, the monster results in more inhumane actions including blackmail and murder. The author illustrates how the monster commences innocently but rejection drives it towards being evil with its only resort being to commit murder and extortion.
The novel brings the topic of alienation into the limelight. Victor demonstrates a great example of how continued rejection from people can cause one to draw away from being a virtuous being into a killer and can cause one to be suicidal. According to Jackson (1983), people in the present day are judged on their physical appearance instead of their altruism. Most people particularly babies have been abandoned due to their physical defects. This judgmental conduct from humans has serious repercussions not only on the victim but also on those judging. Novotney (2019) argues that victims who are often exposed to ridicule will finally get even with violent conduct. The monster discussed in Mary Shelley’s novel is a good example of this fact (Mary, 1998). The monster is neglected for his hideous appearance. His creator is unable to look up to what he has created. Though the monster was an adult in his physical being, his emotional state represented that of a child who looked up to his creator for reassurance and acceptance. The pain that the monster feels for this rejection is not only emotional but physical as well. As discussed by Weir (2012), intense social rejection has a lot in common with physical pain. Individuals who go through rejection may at first seek to do good just like the creation in Frankenstein attempted. However, should this not lead to acceptance, these victims may strike out with devastating repercussions. As portrayed in Shelley’s novel, society is always to blame for treating some individuals as outcasts due to their physical appearance (Mary, 1998). The result can be horrific both for the victims and the society at large.
Self-hatred is expressed in the novel resulting from the isolation of various characters. For instance, the monster is forced to seclude himself because of the hate and fear he gets from the people he comes into contact with. Due to this alienation, low self-esteem is inevitable (Jackson 1983). The monster begins to hate himself and feels that he will never fit into the society in question due to his appearance. Hiding out from everyone, the monster is socially isolated from his creator and society, causing solitude and depression.
Powerlessness and hopelessness are common effects of alienation experienced by Frankenstein’s creature. Being born in Frankenstein’s laboratory, the monster was rejected at birth and alienated (Mary, 1998). Poor, miserable, and helpless, the creature could not distinguish anything, but the pain of being left alone (Weir, 2012). The monster experiences the intense pain of being rejected even by Victor who devoted much of his time to creating it. Parental tension is evident in this case as Victor fails to parent his “offspring” in such a manner that it would be able to take part in the community rather than retreat to itself (Claridge, 1985). This being one of the many rejections, Frankenstein is horrified by being identified as the creature’s originator, and after his success, he becomes even more isolated. The monster’s efforts to fit into society fail. The creature is thus beaten and humiliated due to its appearance. Enmity is created between the monster and the people. Thus, the creature declares war against society and more so against the man responsible for creating it and sending it forth to unbearable misery. After all the occurrences, the creature realizes that it will never be accepted or loved back by humans and thus vows to retaliate with violence (Mary, 1998). According to the creature’s view, its act of maliciousness is driven by its miserable state. It simply treats people in the same way they treat it, with violence. This is a horrifying experience that ultimately results in murders. Though the monster is guiltless in the sense that it has not chosen the path of alienation, the effects of isolation have caused the killing of other innocent people. Frankenstein’s younger brother and their maid, Justine, and Frankenstein’s friends Clerval and Elizabeth are murdered by the monster (Mary, 1998). Due to the disaffection treatment of the innocent creature, society is rewarded with the same measure. All the creature wants is to escape from the seclusion, to have a wife, and to experience love. However, Frankenstein and society fail to give the creature the inclusion it so desires.
Frankenstein’s desire to attain knowledge has led him to make certain decisions to be alienated from others. It is in this move that he has realized the adverse impacts this isolation has had on others causing him deep sadness by the situation. He is engaged in his scientific research and fails to think lovingly of Elizabeth and his family. He is involved in such a work that disobeys nature (Mary, 1998). Beyond imagination, he goes beyond the horizons to realize his dream. However, due to his isolation, he is deprived of both his mental and physical health. Frankenstein’s alienation causes him to see himself as an outcast in society. This greatly contributes to his mental suffering and the feeling of loneliness. His actions such as creating a monster result in him secluding himself from others due to the trouble he has caused (Mary, 1998). His mental state is affected by this alienation from his family and lack of human contact (Waite 2009). He suffers greatly from deep loneliness as a result of being separated from his family and friends.
Alienation can be both physical and emotional. Secrets and guilt are some of the common factors that result in emotional isolation (Waite 2009). Throughout his life, Frankenstein brought seclusion to himself. He was so focused on recreating a creature that he isolated himself in his laboratory creating the monster. Frankenstein’s emotional distress began after the creation of the monster. Moving away from everyone seemed to be the best option for Frankenstein as he wanted to keep people safe from the monster that he had created (Mary, 1998). Although he kept the secret to himself, he still was the main problem of all the suffering that the people endured. Frankenstein neglected other people by moving away and this led to the death of some members of the society. While secluded in his laboratory concentrating on creation, Frankenstein ignored his father’s wishes to think about them after completing his work (Mary, 1998). Unfortunately, even after his success, Victor distanced himself even further neglecting all his duties and becoming emotionally disconnected (Bernatchez, 2009). It is through this emotional isolation that Frankenstein feels like an outcast and unworthy of having relations with his friends and family.
Being isolated from the rest of the world could result in emotional distress thus causing harm to themselves and others (Mushtaq, Shoib, Shah, & Mushtaq, 2014). Unlike Frankenstein, the creature’s isolation was not a matter of choice. The monster was forced into emotional isolation since no one could take in the breathless horror that was presented by its appearance (Mary, 1998). This made it impossible for the creature to lose all hopes of ever interacting with humans. From the moment of his creation, he was hated and abandoned thus affecting him emotionally. Everything that the creature does is directly related to its painful isolation. The impact of this terrible burden slowly weakens the outcomes of the monster (Bernatchez, 2009). Its emotional isolation has made him worse slowly until evil is spread out. Frankenstein neglected his creation thus causing him to suffer immensely from the seclusion (Mary, 1998). He wanted to be a part of society but was exposed to judgment due to his monstrous appearance. The monster suffered at every encounter it had with people resulting in hatred. Ultimately, both Frankenstein and the creature seek revenge. They both suffered tremendously from seclusion and this resulted in their death.
Isolation reported in the novel negatively affects Victor’s health. According to Mushtaq, Shoib, Shah, & Mushtaq (2014), social interactions are vital in improving both physical and mental health. Victor’s alienation has caused him to become addicted and obsessed with creating a monster. He could not resist the urge to build a monster and had to shut himself away from the rest of the world. It is the same obsession that led him to forget and shun away all his friends and family keeping the creation a secret. Since he is so much interested in building a new creature, he fails to take care of himself and as a result, he becomes sick.
Seclusion has also caused the monster too much pain in figuring out his self-identity. He has to figure out what life is and who he is on his own, becoming unwanted and hated by the man with no one to care for him. The monster’s seclusion has led to the negative effect of his solitude. In his quest to experience relation, he demands that Frankenstein create a wife for him (Mary, 1998). When Frankenstein refuses, he develops vengeance on Victor Frankenstein.
In light of the above discussion, it is evident that in all, alienation from society does not benefit the members in any way or shape. Instead, isolation hurts characters negatively as illustrated through the thoughts and feelings of both Victor and his creation. Alienation is a dangerous aspect of anyone’s life. As observed, it is out of the isolation that Victor was inspired to create a monster whom he failed to take responsibility for. He created a being that he could not control and hence resulted in the self-destruction of its creator’s life. Also, by Victor secluding himself from everyone he ended up losing his family's affection, affecting his mental state and his emotional well-being. No one wants to be alienated and thus friendship and companionship are important in any society.
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