Isolation and Resentment in Mary Shelleys Frankenstein Essay Example for Free

Isolation and Resentment in bloody shame Shelleys Frankenstein Essaybloody shame Shelleys novel, Frankenstein, deals with two very distinct souls the young-but-foolish professional Frankenstein and his creation, the hulk. sea captain is the main(prenominal) focus of the novel for the beginning chapters, while the relievo of the work focuses more on the education and actions of the titan. The characters of success and the Monster atomic number 18 first brought together during the Monsters creation in Chapter 4 (34).It was superordinates closing off from some(prenominal) his family and his peers that ultimately lead to his creation of the Monster, and it was the Monsters feelings of isolation and saddle sore towards master copy that lead to his violent episodes. While these feelings are unmingled in both characters actions through and throughout the majority of the novel, it was during the Monsters statements to Captain Robert Walton towards the end of the story th at drives home the fact that the Monsters actions were products of his restate rejections when he attempted to be accepted by society and as such are non indicative of his inherent nature.It was these feelings of loneliness and passion that drove both Victor and the Monster to their actions, and it is safe to sweep up that some of Shelleys personal feelings of abandonment and resentment towards her mother bled through into her characters. These feelings are make evident by substance of the diction of the characters, both elements of and deviations from the chivalric stereotype, the development of the characters throughout the story and the lack of both definite closure to the text edition edition.Shelleys use of eloquent and elaborate language by the main characters could be construed as ironic, in that such surface-spoken characters confound sunken into committing the most terrible of sins, namely those of despatch and hubris. It is this irony that makes the isolation a nd resentment that Victor and the Monster feel stand out in the subscribers mind two characters that are so articulate in their speech are reviled for their differences from the rest of society.The sophisticated diction of the Monster in the final pages of the novel helps to lend a feeling of saddle sore and compunction to the text. However, the Monsters eloquent speech does non sway the Captain, as evidenced in the first line I was at first touchedindignation was rekindled within me. (154). This shows that no payoff how well-spoken an individual is and how sympathetic that person might be, normal society tends to shun those that are viewed as different, whether these differences are physical or in the way that they communicate.Such eloquence, as evidenced in the Monsters speech Once I falsely hoped to meetthoughts of honor and devotion (154), is a broadcast product of how a person was raised those that are raised in an environment where they are unploughed isolated, whether by choice or through the influence of society tend to develop such disquisition skills as a way of hopefully being accepted by those around them. However, more frequently than not, such well-defined articulation of ones thoughts leads to such a person being supercharge isolated from society, and as such feeds feelings of isolation and resentment.It was due to realistic depictions of societal reactions like these that helped to solidify Frankensteins place as a Gothic novel. Shelley uses m whatsoever common elements of the Gothic novel in Frankenstein, and the themes of resentment and isolation end be connected to the characters through these elements. Victor is depicted as a weak hero, whose isolation from the world in the development of his creation leads him from an otherwise successful career as a scientist.It could be inferred that Victors resentment towards his creation, whom he subsequently abandons, stems not only from his wickedness with himself and what he has create d, but also from the opportunities denied to him as a result of his irresponsible pursuit of bestowing life upon that which should confront lifeless. Although Victor knew that creating life through artificial means would be considered taboo by his peers, he unyielding to proceed with the project regardless, letting his scientific curiosity overtake his rational intellect.After he brought the Monster to life, he was realized the irresponsibility of his actions. During this time, Victor had severe difficulties connecting to other people, and he gradually worked to further aloofness himself from the rest of society, which lead him into an extremely depressed state (. Although there were points in the novel where Victor was fitting to experience a very temporary reprieve from his mental torments, in his mind he would never be able to fully experience mental peace until one of them was dead.In contrast to Victors rather weak characterization, the Monster could be depicted as the hero of the story, in that up to now while he is committing murders that should sicken the reader, he is still portrayed as a sympathetic character, whose actions are driven by his feelings of abandonment, betrayal and resentment that Victor engenders in him through his various actions, as well of those of humane society in regards to the Monster i. e. The Monsters episode with Felix.It is understandably unclear if any the characters quarter be definitively labeled as a hero or villain, for even though they both have committed acts worthy of abhorrence and disgust, in a sense, they could be considered to be victims of abuse and disrespect as well. Due to this, it can be argued that both Victor and the Monster are accurate representatives of the Gothic hero/villain. A final example of Gothic elements that Shelley incorporates into her novel is that of the heroine in distress, in this case Elizabeth.Elizabeth is a good example of a heroine because she is a strong female character who is independent and dedicated, especially to the Frankenstein family aft(prenominal) Victors mother dies. However, she breaks the classic Gothic mold of a heroine by the fact that she is a patient woman who almost never takes action for herself, and it is for this reason as well as Victors negligence on their wedding night that she ends up being killed by the Monster in the novel.Victors neglect towards Elizabeth on their wedding night could be due to his isolation during his developmental years, and as such was not comfortable in being tied d make to Elizabeth. Victor appeared to have developed in a fairly normal manner, due to the fact that he had experienced a childhood that would be considered normal for the noble class in that time. This continues to be the case until he takes it upon himself hold the power of God and attempt to bestow life.From this point, his experiments and eventual creation become his only obsession, and he can no longer interact with other people, even th ose that he sees on a daily root word while at the college. Victor is ineffective to communicate with other in any meaningful way during this time, as his mind is always preoccupied with thoughts regarding the monster he is responsible for giving life to. ground on this behavior, it gives credence to the question if Victor ever matured any further as an individual once he arrived at the college.In contrast, the Monsters experiences during the period of his mental and emotional development were always abrupt and sometimes violent. This occurred when he realized that he would forever be rejected by the human race, as his physical appearance was so ghastly that all those that came in his presence were flat stricken with fear as evidenced by Even his creator, Victor, who to the Monsters understanding should acknowledge him even if others refused to, was so terrified of the Monster that he refused to fulfill his romise in making the Monster a companion. It is understandable that fro m that point on, all joy was but a mockery (116) to the Monster, and he decided that the fix purpose in his life was to destroy any and all the things that brought pleasure or comfort to his creator. These events are similar because they both represent periods in which these characters no longer are able to have monumental social interactions with those around them. During his development, the monster was able to have many of the same experiences as a human would.For example, he was able to feel a wide range of emotions, from pleasure to hate, even pride and remorse he developed intellectually through both his learning from books and his unpleasant interactions with society he learned much in the way that a child does to use his physical senses to tell him about his environment. However, because of his grotesque appearance, he was made to feel that he would never accepted as a member of human society, and many of his interactions with humankind gave no reason to dissuade him from such a belief.In Captain Waltons final earn to his sister (154), he recounts the words that the monster speaks to him over Victors dead body. The eruption of barbaric self-pity the Monster displays brings into question the injustice of how he has been treated and compellingly captures and portrays the feelings of isolation and resentment he has experienced in regards to his interactions with society, providing both Walton and the reader a glimpse into the suffering that has motivated his actions.It was these feelings that lead the Monster to disappear with Victors corpse, presumably to avoid contact with any others of mankind until he eventually dies however, the ending of the text is rather ambiguous, so it is possible that the Monster decided to return to revenge himself upon mankind. At the closure of Frankenstein, Shelley does not provide a well-defined ending. The last line, reading He sprung from the cabin-windowlost in darkness and outstrip (156), leaves the reader respon sible for deciding how they believe the story concluded.The ending can be regarded as having been odd open because although the story does provide a conclusion in that it may be assumed that the creature took his own life after departing Waltons ship, there is not enough concrete evidence provided in the text to prove beyond a doubt that this is indeed what occurred. It is entirely possible that the Monster would be unable to let go of his hatred of Victor, and by extension, mankind due to his isolation.Just because his creator died does not inevitably mean that he could let his emotions go, and it is this possibility that shows just how differently people view things the reader can make of the ending what they will, but they will never know for sure how Shelley would have ended it otherwise. finished the speech of the characters, the Gothic elements applied in the text, the characters developments and the rather obscure ending of Frankenstein, it is evidently clear that Mary She lley believes that isolation and resentment play key roles in how people relate to others, and how they develop their own behaviors.It is through the medium of her novel that allows her to express these beliefs, and she provides plenty of evidence in her text to back up these beliefs. The feelings of isolation and resentment that Victor and the Monster both felt towards society were key aspects of their personalities, and were the main driving forces rear their various actions made through the course of the text.