The Effects Of Isolation In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

Prolonged isolation affects essentially all parts of a person’s existence, compassion through the companionship of other humans is necessary for a person’s development and stability. Incidentally, in Mary Shelley’s novel “Frankenstein,” the creature protagonist is abandoned at the start of his life. The reader then learns of the many struggles the creature faced in his forced isolation and the effect it has had on the creature. The creature yearns for companionship to cure his loneliness. Shelley displays how this isolation shapes the creature and influences his actions. The detrimental effects of prolonged isolation are still seen today in the prison system. Reports on those in solitary confinement convey how solitary confinement is not an appropriate method to detain prisoners. Marginalizing an individual hinders their development in life by damaging their mental and emotional health to the point where they may be more inclined to make risky …show more content…
The creature thinks of confronting his neighbors but is “full of fears, for if I fail there, I am an outcast in the world” (Shelley.127). Thus, highlighting how the creature’s fear takes over him since he does not want to fully come to the point of being a complete outcast in the world. His fear precedes the complete sadness of him realizing his loneliness in the world. The two emotions are felt and expressed often by the creature throughout his story. Moreover, those in prolonged solitary confinement develop “mounting anger, along with fear--terror--that the anger will erupt and get them in further trouble”. (Heffernan and Wood) This further demonstrates the change of emotions those in solitary confinement experience. General anger takes over that anger also inspires fear in those who are in solitary. Prolonged isolation causes deep-rooted emotional changes to those in