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Loneliness In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

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In Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein, the theme of loneliness is evident through the life of the monster created by Victor Frankenstein. All the monster wants is to be accepted and loved, but after many experiences with humans he learns that what he desires is not possible because of his appearance. From birth, he is rejected by Victor and unsuccessfully tries to find someone who will accept him. Isolation and alienation lead to the creature’s desire for revenge and ultimately his death. The very moment the monster awakes he is afraid and alone. He is isolated and has no one to comfort or understand him. “It was dark when I awoke; I felt cold also, and half frightened, as it were, instinctively, finding myself so desolate” (Shelley 71). The …show more content…

This is the first family the creature encounters, he observes them to learn their ways. The creature decides to hide and watch the way they live their lives. He wants to mimic the lifestyle of humans, so he can fit into society. The creature believes he can be part of the family if the blind father listens to his story but is interrupted by the other family members who become fearful of him. “Felix darted forward, and with supernatural force tore me from his father, to whose knees I clung: in a transport of fury, he dashed me to the ground and struck me violently with a stick” (Shelley 97). When De Lacey’s family sees the horrid-looking creature they fear for their lives. Again, the creature is driven out because of its hideous physical looks. The creature loses the one person who would listen to his sorrows and joys. De Lacey was blind and could not see his physical form so the creature felt comfortable speaking to him. This was his one chance for acceptance, but De Lacey’s family feared the creature and drove him out by beating him like an animal. He is physically abused by the family that he wanted to be part of. This causes the creature to desire a family of his own, someone who will not be afraid of him. This experience lead him to despair once he realizes there are no others like …show more content…

To begin his revenge, he decides to kill his creator’s wife on their wedding night. The creature violently kills his creator's wife so that he will feel the pain of loss and loneliness. “She was there, lifeless and inanimate, thrown across the bed, her head hanging down, and her pale and distorted features half covered by her hair” (Shelley 144). The monster gets revenge on his creator because Victor refuses to create a companion for him and so he wants his creator to feel the loneliness he feels. He kills her while Victor is in the other room and leaves without a trace. Victor is full of sorrow and loneliness just as the creature is. He ruins Victor's life by making him experience the feeling of having nobody to love. The creature’s anger ultimately leads to his own death. The anger he previously felt is now his satisfaction of

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