Frankenstein Themes

Major Themes of Frankenstein

Isolation, Love, and Creation: proven in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein are human necessities to motivate one to reach their nirvana of happiness. Mary Shelley discusses many important themes in her famous novel Frankenstein. She presents these themes through the characters and their actions, and many of them represent occurrences from her own life. Many of the themes present issues along with Shelley's thoughts on them.

Through the theme of birth and creation, Shelley criticizes Victor not only for creating the new being, but also for abandoning it when it comes to life. Shelley's description of how Victor created his creature closely resembles that of human birth. She calls Victor's lab a "workshop of filthy creation" and describes it as a strange and troubling alternative "womb" in which he toils. Shelley also describes the passage of time as three seasons by explaining. In producing a human, Victor has rendered human reproduction unnecessary and alienates himself and his creature from the basic family structure. However, when the creature is finally brought to life, Victor is disgusted by its appearance and refuses to accept it as his. He seemed to want to create a being which would be his child, as a child loves its parents unconditionally. He likes the idea of this until he realizes how ugly his creation is. Victor does not teach, care for, or love his creation as any normal father would, and in doing so, he not only further alienates himself from society, he alienates the creature as well(Critical Themes 1). The most alienated character in Frankenstein is the creature itself. The most important indication of the creature's alienation from civilization was his denial of a name. He says, "But where were my friends and relations? No father had watched my infant days; no mother blessed me with smiles and caresses. I had never yet seen a being resembling me, or who claimed any intercourse with me. What was I?"(Shelley 108). The lack of a name leaves the monster with no knowledge of who he is, his origins, and any relationship he might have with another human being. The creature is further alienated from society due to his physical appearance. He is so hideous on his face that it is nearly impossible for him to interact with society. The creature realizes this and his only solution would be to have Victor create him a female companion from the same spare body parts as the monster was created.

There are many instances in which the creature tries to help the people he encounters even after being attacked by the villagers. He gathers wood, cleans snow and performs other tasks without requesting anything in exchange. When he realizes he has been stealing food from a poor family he feels guilt and stops from taking more. The creature is naturally good. The turning point of the creature's characteristics is when he discovers the journal of his creator, Victor. In the journal the gruesome details of his creation are written in great detail and the creature realizes,