Revenge And Isolation In Frankenstein

In the novel Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus, written by Mary Shelley in 1818 there are many central themes. I will focus on the themes of revenge and isolation which are highlighted not only in the passage from chapter twenty-three, but also throughout the novel. This passage comes from the scene in the novel where Victor and Elizabeth have just been married and are now starting their honeymoon. But when they arrive at their destination Victor is very nervous and upset because he remembers that his Creature vowed to get his revenge with him on his wedding night (Shelly 140). The themes of the novel and the themes present in the passage are very similar in how isolation affects the characters. Throughout the novel The Creature is alone, …show more content…
For example, while Victor is in Inglostadt working on his creature, he does not try his best to keep in touch with his family (Shelly 33). When Henry comes to Inglostadt to see Victor he mentions this when Victor asks how his family is, “Very well, and very happy, only a little uneasy that they hear from you so seldom.” (Shelly 42). I think that out of his whole family,Elizabeth feels the most isolated by Victor. While Victor goes to school in Inglostadt (Shelly 26) and then he travels to England (Shelly 128), Elizabeth stays home and waits for their wedding day. “Elizabeth . . . only regretted that she had not the same opportunities of enlarging her experience, and cultivating her understanding” (Shelly 127). Victor isolates his family throughout the novel and does not try very hard to keep in …show more content…
I have expressed my belief of this throughout the essay. After the death of Elizabeth, which the passage refers to, Victor feels isolated (Shelly 166). But he also isolated people in his life many times before that, including his family, the creature, and Elizabeth. We can tell by the way the passage was written that the creature has gotten his revenge, which was to make Victor as isolated as himself. We can also guess that Victor is very sad and regrets the time he did not spend with Elizabeth. The creature grants himself his revenge when he says “. . . I shall be with you on your wedding night” (Shelly 140) , and Victor is now as alone as he is without Elizabeth “What then became of me? I know not; I lost sensation, and chains and darkness were the only objects that pressed upon me” (Shelly 168). The passage describes Elizabeth’s death and Victor’s feelings towards it, which show that the passage highlights two bigger themes in the novel, revenge and