FRANKENSTEIN

In its preface, Frankenstein claims to be a novel that gives a flattering depiction of "domestic affection." That seems a strange claim in a novel full of murder, tragedy, and despair. But, in fact, all that tragedy, murder, and despair occur because of a lack of connection to either family or society. Put another way, the true evil in Frankenstein is not Victor nor the monster, but isolation. When Victor becomes lost in his studies he removes himself from human society, and therefore, loses sight of his responsibilities and the consequences of his actions.

The monster turns vengeful not because it's evil, but because its isolation fills it with overwhelming hatred and anger. And what is the monster's vengeance? To make Victor as isolated as it is. Add it all up, and it becomes clear that Frankenstein sees isolation from family and society as the worst imaginable fate, and the cause of hatred, violence, and revenge. Frankenstein explores one of mankind's most persistent and destructive flaws: prejudice. Nearly every human character in the novel assumes that the monster must be dangerous based on its outward appearance, when in truth the monster is (originally) warm and open-hearted. Again and again the monster finds himself assaulted and rejected by entire villages and families despite his attempts to convey his benevolent intentions. The violence and prejudice he encounters convinces him of the "barbarity of man." That the only character who accepts the monster is a blind man, De Lacy, suggests that the monster is right: mankind is barbaric, and blinded by its own prejudice.