Self Isolation of Frankenstien

Marwan Mansour

Mr. Hall

April 30,2016

Self-isolation of Victor Frankenstein

The novel Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley, raises a question to what extent could a man be isolated for seeking knowledge? What kind of isolation is needed; is it enough to be physical?  Or could it extend to be emotional and social too? The story shows how ambition for seeking knowledge without limits could lead to physical isolation and that may develop to social isolation.  Even more, the person can reach to desire to isolate himself from the surroundings to reach his dream goal. Although goal achievement requires some isolation but still teamwork, sharing ideas, discussing details and consequences, exposing to others’ experiences, and listening to advice from experts may bring more useful results. From the moment Victor Frankenstein aims to discover the secrets of life and change the rules of science in nature, he chooses to be isolated and educate himself how to create a living being from assembling dead body parts and organs. After he succeeds in bringing the creature into life, he becomes horrified of his creature and he chooses to isolate himself from his creature instead of carrying his responsibility in taking care of what he did. Finally, Throughout the rest of his life, Victor isolates himself from the whole world and devotes all his time and effort chasing the monster who kills his brother William, his best friend Henry Clerval, and his wife Elizabeth Lavenza.

  At first he lived with his loving, and caring family. Over time he shows great interest in science and begins to teach himself. “I was, to a great degree, self-taught with regard to my favorite studies. My father was not scientific, and I was left to struggle with a child’s blindness, added to a student’s thirst for knowledge” (Shelly 39). As a result of fascination of the theories of ancient philosophers like, Cornelius Agrippa, he concludes his own ideas by himself and he even blames his father for not explaining why their work was worthless as he finds them wonderful. Later on when Victor decides to leave his family to go and study at a university in a different city, Ingolstadt, to follow his dream quest, this separation does not seem to leave any sense of isolation at all. Even after his mother's death few days before his departure, he still decides to leave. All of Victor’s attention goes to his scientific studies in Ingolstadt. This proves that Victor is not fully satisfied with his life, although he has a wonderful, perfect family, he physically isolates himself from his family.

During his studies at the university, he does not have any contact with his family, not even by a letter as he is totally committed to his scientific studies. He completely ignores all outside connections and devotes all time to his studies. He does not have any friends, and is not tempted to find any "And the same feelings which made me neglect the scenes around me caused me also to forget those friends who were so many miles absent ,and whom I had not seen for so long a time” (Shelly 55 ). The only true friend he has is Henry Clerval, but still he does not tell him about his experiments. He himself has chosen this social isolation from people. No one has forced him to a life in solitude. Victor chooses to set up his laboratory at the top of his apartment “in a solitary chamber, or rather cell, at the top of the house” (Shelly 55) as a replacement for the school’s laboratory. Victor locks himself up in his laboratory, tied up to his desire of creating the creature, and is not concerned about being alone, even though two years have passed without any contact with anyone. Victor chooses both physical and social isolation, he insists that the only reason he is isolated, is because of the creature “I must absent myself from all I loved while thus employed. Once commenced, it would quickly be achieved, and I might be restored to my family in peace and happiness” (Shelly 145). At first Victor is isolated because of the creation of the creature but later because of keeping the secret of his creature.

        For two years of continuous work in his laboratory, Victor dedicates so much effort to create a human life out of assembling dead parts and organs .From the moment it opens its eyes, while Victor worries of being identified as the monster’s creator and realizes the negative consequences of what he did, for that he rejects it and cannot force himself to stay and take care of it. The creature turns into a monster, because all the rejections he had from people. The monster wanted to take revenge on his creator because of his ugly appearance, so he starts by killing Victor’s younger brother William. Victor is the creator of the killer, In fact, he  indirectly killed William. After argument with the monster, Victor agrees to create the female companion for the monster just to keep his revenge away from his family, but later on he changes his mind and takes the decision to destroy what he did. As a revenge on Victor for not keeping his promise, the monster kills Victor’s best friend Henry and his beloved wife Elizabeth on the day of their marriage, and it becomes clear that Victor isolation from society is the main cause of hatred, violence, and revenge.