Theme of Connection in Frankenstein Literary Analysis Essay Sample

Shelley shows in her book that life is easier on an individual and on a society when humans are connected to one another. This human connection is what keeps the characters in line throughout the story. Each character shows this differently and their connection plays a big role in their development throughout the whole story. We see the importance of this through the guidance and the emotions of the characters. Victor starts out with the fulfilling love from his family, but as time goes on, he becomes more thoroughly involved with science and he slowly lets go of that connection. Through showing the positive effects of having a loving family, Shelley shows how human connections can change/affect the emotions of oneself and others. Guidance from family and friends is what helps create who the characters are presented and how they are towards the other characters in the book.

By having guidance from a family member or a friend, connections help the characters get a better understanding of their feelings and the situations they are in. A good example of this is Victor’s connection with Henry Clerval and Elizabeth Lavenza and how they are healing Victor through his darkest times. Victor became so obsessed with the idea of “infus[ing] life into an inanimate body” and he eventually cut off all contact with the people closest to him (Shelley). He loses those connections and his mental and physical health decrease greatly. Victor lost a lot of sleep and wasn’t eating and drinking enough food for him to be in proper health due to the lost time spent creating the monster. When Henry Clerval re-enters Victor’s life, however, Victor couldn’t have imagined having a “more kind and attentive nurse then [Henry],” who additionally helped Victor regain his mental health, which he had lost during his experiment (48). Nevertheless, the creature never had the paternal love/guidance that he needed to understand his life and what to do with it. With the guidance he would have needed, the monster would have lived a more peaceful life without committing any hate crimes directed towards Victor. The monster's lost connection with Victor led him down a path of deep resentment and the need for revenge. Victor, on the other hand, is surrounded by the fulfilling love of his family and friends, who help him no matter how bad of a condition he is in. This demonstrates how having the connection with a family full of love and support can affect the emotions of oneself and others.

From the solid connections Victor has with his family, he is able to stay sane and healthy. His creation, however, doesn’t have the desired human connections and was an outcast from the moment he was created. Victor never knew how affected the monster was after he left, but it eventually led the monster down a dark path full of hatred and more desire for a companion. Really all the monster desires is people who love him for who he is and not what he looks like. He thought the DeLacey family would be the solution to this problem; they were “[his] protectors” and “his friends,” but once he finally decided to meet them, he faced injustice and gained more resentment towards humans (106, 102). He sought Victor and told him he wanted “a creature of another sex” to share his experiences with (Shelley). Victor agreed and started the process of making the female creature, but creating the connection for the monster only broke Victor's connections to the world, his family, and himself even more. Victor decided to stop the project before it got too out of hand and it led to the monster’s larger need for revenge. After the monster kills Elizabeth and his father dies, Victor is left with no one and with guilt and remorse for their deaths. He recognizes the loneliness he is feeling and instead of taking it and grieving, he chases after the monster with a desire to kill him.