In Frankenstein, novelist Mary Shelley portrays an outward visage of horror and science fiction. However, as we delve into the novel, we see that underlying the monstrous tale are truths which permeate the very essence of man, revealing the bitter realities of the human condition while contradicting the prevalent definition of exile. These truths are exposed through the character of Victor Frankenstein. For a large portion of the novel, Frankenstein lives in metaphorical exile, separating himself from all of humanity. While he finds exile to be alienating, it could be wondered whether Frankenstein’s moments of literal solitude were the only instances when he could truly experience life.

Primarily, we first see how Victor Frankenstein sees seclusion as enriching when he flees his home after the deaths of William and Justine. Although tortured by grief and guilt, the moments spent in “deep, dark, deathlike solitude” were his “only consolation” (Shelley 95) bringing him “a tingling long-lost sense of pleasure.” (Shelley 99) We also see the influence of Frankenstein’s isolation with nature when he states that, “the very winds whispered in soothing accents, and maternal Nature bade me weep no more” (Shelley 99) and that “these sublime and magnificent scenes afforded me the greatest consolation that I was capable of receiving.” (Shelley 101) Furthermore, while initially seeking to enjoy his journey with Henry Clerval, Frankenstein eventually finds that “company was irksome to me; when alone, I could fill my mind with the sights of heaven and earth;” he may thus deceive himself into “a transitionary peace.” (Shelley 171) Additionally, in the twentieth chapter, Frankenstein breaks his promise to make the monster a mate. Despite Frankenstein’s misery and fear of the monster’s threat, he described the air of his secluded rock to have “refreshed me and filled me with such agreeable sensations that I resolved to prolong my stay on the water.” (Shelley 185) Although Frankenstein originally sought the presence of his friends and family members, he has found a brief sense of refuge and enrichment in solitude since the monster’s creation.

Nevertheless, during his exile, Frankenstein frequently experiences a desolation not unlike that of his creation. For example, Frankenstein describes the beach of the sea which borders the barren rock he has used to create a laboratory as “an insuperable barrier between me and my fellow creatures.” (Shelley 183) Here, the beach is but an allusion to the crime that Frankenstein cannot overcome, hence creating a barrier between him and others. Furthermore, Frankenstein often describes himself as “shunned” by his acquaintances, as if he “had been guilty of a crime.” (Shelley 57) Consequently, he is unable to take pleasure in his trip with Clerval, his visits to his professors, or his wedding. Curiously, the greater portion of Frankenstein’s desolations take place where he believes a metaphorical barrier has been placed between him and his brethren, due to his monstrous creation. On the contrary, Frankenstein appears not to view physical distance from his family as an exile, but rather as a place where he may experience rejuvenation, however temporary it may be. Hence, it may be assumed that Frankenstein truly experiences exile not amid the remoteness of the Orkney Islands, but within his family, where he is ever more intensely reminded of the crime he has committed.

Moreover, at the essence of her novel, Shelley impresses upon the reader that man must not cross boundaries set by nature. If he does, much like how Victor Frankenstein sought to create that which must not be, then he will be guilty of a most horrendous crime. Furthermore, through the study of how Frankenstein experiences exile, we may conclude that he who commits the crime is sentenced to live in eternal exile, be it physical or metaphorical, from his brethren. Although Frankenstein is never imprisoned or otherwise charged for his crime, he dwells in constant guilt and remorse as he realizes that he is tainted where others are not. A writer from the Romantic era, Shelley believes that eternal guilt is sufficient and perhaps more effective at causing man to regret his crime than any imprisonment or even execution may be. We notice, throughout the novel, that it is this guilt that becomes the foundation for Frankenstein’s world of solitude where he, apart from his fellow humans, blindly seeks revenge on the creature he had, ironically, blindly brought to life. In other words, Frankenstein, although not realizing it at the time, sentenced himself to eonian exile by crafting a living nightmare. While he finds condolence in his solitude with nature, he is unable to escape the figurative realm of exile he has fashioned, and, as a result, suffers most severe consequences.

In conclusion, Frankenstein is a tale of immense proportions which extends far beyond the stereotypical image of a green scar-peppered monster. By examining the novel, we view life, death, and the human condition through a unique lens. Shelley ties crime, blindness, remorse, monstrosity, and the consequence of exile in a fantastical tragedy which leaves the reader pondering the meaning of exile and wondering whether the true monster is merely a replica of Victor Frankenstein himself.

Ayah Gouda

Works Cited:

Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein. New York: Penguin, 2013. Print.