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Depression And Isolation In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

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Frankenstein exhibits the negative effects of what isolation can do to a person or character. There is three characters who contribute to Frankenstein’s overall theme of depression and isolation. More specifically, the three characters who appear as narrator's experience the greatest distress and isolation. Robert Walton, Victor Frankenstein, and Frankenstein’s creation. Each of the three characters experience their heartache in different ways and for differing reasons, but they can all relate because of the problems they go through in the novel. In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, three of the main characters experience isolation, which causes them emotional instability and depression that leads to their awful and distressful lives.
Frankenstein’s …show more content…
Robert and Victor inflict the isolation onto themselves. The creature wants nothing more but to be a part of society, but unfortunately is shunned by everyone because of his looks and demeaning physical nature. The creature had no choice but to blame his creator for this ostracization. The creature is forced to be lonely and this deeply saddens him, as he has no intention to be alone all his life. He proclaims that “I am malicious because I am miserable” (106). He also asks his creator, “Am I not shunned and hated by all mankind?” (106). The creature is expressing his disappointment with his creator for abandoning him and causing him all this harm, that will no doubt last for his entire life. The creature explains his longing for companionship, “I am alone and miserable; man will not associate with me; but one as deformed and horrible as myself will not deny herself to me” (105). The creature wants his creator to make another creature, a woman, who is just as ugly as him so they have no choice but to associate with each other and bring happiness to each other. The creature didn’t deserve to have to live a horrible, lonely life, which makes his actions slightly justifiable, and some sympathy can be felt for the creature. Later, after Victor dies, Walton comes across the creature crying over Victor’s dead body. Without his creator, the creature is completely alone in the world, and he feels remorse for his …show more content…
Each of these three characters are not able to lead joyful and meaningful lives as a result of their isolation and loneliness. Walton and Victor are similar is the way that their isolation is self-imposed. They both want to experience glory and praise for their work, which leads to obsession, and causes them to isolate themselves physically and mentally from other people. Conversely, Victor’s creation does not purposely isolate himself, he is just ostracized and shunned by society because of his physical nature. Frankenstein illustrates the effects of what isolation and depression can do to a person’s

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