IX: Monster or victim: Isolation and loneliness in frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Abstract

Mary Shelley's Frankenstein is the story of an ambitious scientist Victor Frankenstein and his creature, who is desperately isolated, frustrated and discriminated. For being found hideous and loathsome, he is deserted and despised even by its creator. It is also apparent that Victor Frankenstein is not very much different from his creature as he also experiences loneliness and isolation in his entire life for he is obsessed with the desire for knowledge and science, whereas the creature is forced to lead an isolated and alienated life due to his creator/father because of the way of its unnatural creation, and the creature only yearns for love. The novel is one of the most notable works in which the idea of monster and victim co- exist, and the border between monstrosity and victimisation is blurred because it is not possible to decide who the actual monster is; is it the creator or his creation? Due to being exposed to discrimination and lovelessness, the created/monster becomes violent, and is ready to take revenge; however, he is also doomed to be victimised. The text puts emphasis on isolation and loneliness concerning both the creator who reanimates a dead body and his creation who is born out of death. Since the creator dedicates his whole energy and life to scientific research, he simply neglects familial and social relations. Thus, the two are both isolated. The aim of this essay is to investigate the theme of isolation and loneliness which definitely goes beyond psychological and/or physical breakdown and also leads to darkness, disaster, destruction, and eventually to death with reference to Kristeva's theory of abject. © Peter Lang AG 2021.