Frankenstein Blog 5

While reading Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, I have come to discover the important role that Shelley’s characterization of both Victor Frankenstein and his creation have played in contributing to the thematic topic of solitude and companionship. One on hand, Victor’s character embodies one who accepts and even desires solitude as a way of life, whereas the creature represents those who are forced into solitude as a result of the rejection of society. While Victor may not be a hermit, he certainly expresses little desire or need for companionship throughout his life. In reality, his fervent passion for intellect and discovery and his conviction to create life in inanimate objects took precedence over all the relationships in his life. Frankenstein neglected all communications with his family and loved ones despite their constant entreaties for even the shortest of letters, and he locked himself up within the confines of his small living quarters for days on end in order to dedicate himself more fully to the work of his creation of life. In other words, while Victor may not necessarily reject or dislike companionship, he apparently never deemed it an essential aspect of his life nor expressed a strong desire for relationships. In fact, after being plagued by the intense guilt of the deaths of William Frankenstein and Justine Moritz, Victor even expressed that solitude was often the only form of solace he could seek. He lamented, “Thus not the tenderness of friendship… could redeem my soul from woe. The very accents of love were ineffectual” (Shelley, 64). Despite the fact that his family and loved ones constantly implored Victor to have a greater presence in their lives and communicate with them more frequently, Victor often favored a life of solitude.

In direct contrast to this, Victor’s creation seems to express a strong desire for human companionship; unfortunately, the sheer repulsiveness of his deformities and nature of existence prevent him from obtaining this. Because the creature is a very frightening sight to behold, all humans that he has had direct contact with thus far have actively rejected him. For example, Victor fled him immediately, the shepherd inside his small hut escaped the creature in terror, and the village into which the creature stumbled harmed and terrorized him. Because the creature learned through such experiences that he was unlikely to be blessed with any warm receptions from the human race, he was left with no choice but to live in solitude in the hovel of a poor family and observe them from afar. Despite this, the creature greatly desired to develop a healthy relationship with the family, admitting, “I imagined that they would be disgusted, until, by my gentle demeanor and conciliating words, I should first win their favor, and afterwards their love” (Shelley, 81). Therefore, I believe that through the characterization of both Frankenstein and his creature, Shelley cleverly presents the two realities of solitude: solitude by choice, which is the case of Frankenstein, or undesired solitude as a result of rejection, which is the case of the creature.