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Analyzing Isolation and Learning in Frankenstein

1. Create a post that explores the connection between the Creature’s isolation and his learning experiences

2. In your post, include:

A specific period of isolation from the text

What the Creature learns during this time

How isolation impacts his learning process

3. Support your analysis with relevant textual evidence

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When the creature was in the shed watching the De Lacys he learned much about society from academic to social knowledge. He sees the family interact kindly with each other and longs for that type of connection to others, but fears that based on his past experience with the villagers he will be outcast based on his looks. Which is what impacts how he spends his isolation, making him learn to fit in so that hopefully the De Lacys would overlook his looks in favor of his actions/behaviors. In chapter 13 he longs to be able to connect with others, specifically his new friends the De Lacys. On page 113 it states, "I looked upon them as superior beings who would be the arbiters of my future destiny...I should first win their favour and afterwards their love." This quote shows how his isolation with only one family around to watch lead him to idolize them and long to be loved by them as he has watched them love one another.

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Frankenstein's creature is observing his beloved cottagers after the arrival of their Arabian confidante. The young lady by the name of Safie, is not familiar with the French language. As Felix works with her, the creature listens and picks up on this language as well. In chapter 12, on page 84, the creature says, "Through this work, I obtained a cursory knowledge of history and a view of the several empires at present existing in the world; it gave me an insight into the manners, governments, and religions of the different nations of the earth. The creature says this in reference to Volney's "Ruins of Empires" which is the book that Felix chose to teach Safie. Not only was the creature picking up on the native language of his friends, but he was also learning the histories of mankind. He goes on to explain how the narrations inspired him with "strange feelings," and how he envied man for their power, and virtue, but he also loathed mankind for it's violence and vice.

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In this part of the novel we get to learn all about how the creature truly feels and the parts of the world that he is exposed to. Even though he is experiencing the ways of life as an outside viewer, he is continuously gaining knowledge. On page 83 the creature starts to discuss how he and Safie are both learning to comprehend language at the same rate; "She and I improved rapidly in the knowledge of language, so that in two months I began to comprehend most of the words uttered by my protectors" (Page 83). When the creature is learning how to speak and comprehend words more thoroughly he becomes more accustomed to human ways each day. The creature feels a connection to Safie due to the fact that they are both learning at the same time. The creature is continuously growing and trying to comprehend who he is and what is happening around him. The creature told Victor, "As I read, however, I applied much personally to my own feelings and condition. I found myself similar, yet at the same time strangely unlike to the beings concerning whom I read" (Page 91). The creature found a passion for reading and acquiring knowledge as he was observing this French family yet he struggled to understand how he is different. Due to his young age, it is hard for the creature to comprehend how he may think similarly to humans but he is not quite the same because of his stature and appearance. The creature wants to feel a connection to others and be valued but he is not able to find that quite yet in the novel which causes internal hurt and confusion.

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Creature watches the family in the cottage and begins to embrace their nature. By watching this family he felt less alone and wanted to eventually reach out to the family. Creature learns to care and look out for the the family, because they are very poor, by doing tasks for them such as giving them firewood. As he watches the family he starts to really care for them. Creature learns their language, history, and how to read from books he found. On page 78 creature says "I learned and applied the words, 'fire', 'milk', 'bread', and 'wood'. When the family has a visitor, Creature becomes even more interested. He even learns a new language from her. Creature is completely destroyed and isolates himself when he attempts to talk to the cottagers and it does not go well, on page 97 after the interaction creature says "from that moment I declared ever-lasting war against the species -- and sent me forth to this insupportable misery".

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One part of the Creature's isolation that stood out to me was in Chapter 12. At this point in his story, the Creature was observing the DeLacey family and he was stealing food from them. Soon after seeing how his stealing affected the family though, the Creature develops a guilty conscience. He feels so bad that he resolves to help out the family. During this time of isolation, the Creature learns guilt and compassion. The Creature falls into a routine; he observes the family by day, and at night he "collected my own food and fuel for the cottage" and "cleared their path from the snow and performed those offices that I had seen done by Felix." (page 80) The Creature is learning how to feel certain emotions, and I believe that his time spent in isolation forces him to really reconcile with how he is feeling. He feels guilt, but then he redeems himself and feels rewarded for his kindness. The Creature says "I afterwards found that these labours, performed by an invisible hand, greatly astonished them." (page 80) His brain is developing to feel more complex emotions, which I find very interesting.

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The creature notices one day that a lady on horseback has come to the cottage. Her presence, from what the creature understands, is welcomed. On page 82, it states, "I soon perceived, that although the stranger uttered articulate sounds, and appeared to have a language of her own, she was neither understood by, nor herself understood, the cottagers." The creature notices that Safie and the family don't speak the same language. The creature learns that people can live in peace and happiness even if they can't speak to each other. The family is keen on teaching Safie how to speak French. The creature deduces that this would be a perfect time to take the same instructions they give Safie to help improve his own learning. Based on the creature's negative past experiences with humans, the creature's isolation causes him to rely more on observation and listening to others rather than interaction with others.

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"Spring advanced rapidly" the weather became fine and the skies cloudless. It surprised me, that what before was desert and gloomy should now bloom with the most beautiful flowers and verdure. My senses were gratified and refreshed by a thousand scents of delight, and a thousand sights of beauty." (chap. 13, pg. 81+82)

The Creature learnings during this time that things can change, from bad and dull to more positive. Up to this point he feels lonely and sad since he has no one, but he seems connected to nature. In this scene, he gets to witness Spring advance and watch nature change, which can be connected to his own life. This gives him hope that his life will become bright and things will progress. Him witnessing this change in season alone in isolation impacted him more deeply, and forced him to connect this experience to his own life.

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A period of isolation in the novel occurs when the Creature is observing the DeLacey family from his hovel. When Safie arrives, the Creature takes advantage of Felix's teaching. The Creature learns how to speak and read alongside Safie. The Creature paid close attention to Felix's teachings of history and philosophy, and used the information to form his own opinions on humanity. On page 85, the Creature states, "I admired virtue and good feelings and loved the gentle manners and amiable qualities of my cottages, but I was shut out from intercourse with them . . . which rather increased than satisfied the desire I had of becoming one among my fellows". This quote shows how the Creature was discovering what goodness and love were, but his loneliness made him want to experience it, not just learn about it. The Creature's state of isolation also impacted him by causing his newfound knowledge to spark him into a state of introspection. With rich knowledge and morals, the Creature begins to question his own identity and purpose. The Creature states on page 86, "I had never yet seen a being resembling me, or who claimed any intercourse with me. What was I?". Therefore, through the Creature's isolation, he gleans much knowledge but has an increased desire to experience love and discover his identity.

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The creature had learned french for the cottagers, and he thought he had a relationship with them. He waited for the perfect time to introduce himself to them, and as page 95 states "My heart beat quick; this was the hour and moment of trial, which would decide my hopes, or realize my fears." only for them to shun him and beat him. The text states that Felix "darted forward, and with supernatural force tore me from his father." The creature learns here that no matter what he does to please humans, no matter how humane he is, they won't treat him as one. He really thought it was possible for him to be integrated into society, but now he realizes that was wrong. Page 97 states "No: from that moment I declared ever-lasting war against the species, and, more than all, against him who had formed me, and sent me forth to this insupportable misery." not only is this the moment that ultimately pushes the creature to seek revenge on Frankenstein, but it is also the moment that the Creature recognizes how dark human nature can be.

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As the creature watched the De Lacy's in their cottage, he learned about many new things, but especially family. He observes them through the window for days, gathering information about how a household functions and new words. He also learned empathy. When the De Lacy's were sad, he was sad. When they were happy, he was happy. On page 101, the creature says "I thought of the occurrences of the day. What chiefly struck me was the gentle manners of those people; and I longed to join them, but dared not." The way he was treated previously when he walked into town has greatly impacted him, and he now fears what would happen if he were to enter the De Lacy's home. He isolates himself from them, even as he falls in love with them. On page 111, the creature says "I was, besides, endued with a figure hideously deformed and loathsome; I was not even of the same nature of a man." This represents his reflection on himself, as he realizes he is so different from everyone else. This thought further isolates the creature from his new "companions", and shapes how he views himself.

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Chapter 11 begins the creature's account of his life. He seems lonely and frightened, and vastly aware of his surroundings. His curiosity is what sparked his learning process. Returning to Chapter 5; Victor gave us his account of the creature being brought to life. When the creature came to life, his fascination changed drastically to fear and disgust for what he had created. Although this was a normal reaction, that was the creature's first interaction of its life. His creator was appalled and horrified by him. Going back to Chapter 11, we see that isolationism grows. He ventures out by himself and in Chapter 12 he learns basic "human" skills from random people he watches from afar. I can imagine that having to learn these mannerisms from a distance could greatly detriment his social skills and views on his character. He feels as though he cannot interact with them because of the previous interaction with Victor. He says on page 93, "and I longed to join them, but dared not. I remembered too well the treatment I had suffered the night before from the barbarous villagers." He tells us that not only does he not want to approach the couple but also was hurt more by the reactions of villagers beforehand. These reactions he continues to witness create a bubble of loneliness that is hard for him to escape due to his appearance and stature. However, this causes him not to develop social normality and a proper education. So he is left to "fend for himself" which makes him more independent.

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The connection between the Creature's isolation and learning experiences forces the Creature to be observant of his surroundings to gain knowledge. Furthermore, the isolation during his learning experiences caused him to fall into despair because he had no one to accompany or comfort him while discovering things about the world and himself. A specific period of isolation in the text that encompasses the feeling of despair that the creature feels is on page 128, "where were my friends and relations? No father had watched my infant days, no mother had blessed me with smiles and caresses." The creature learns about the sciences, the English language, society, and what he truly looks like compared to normal "humans". Through these experiences, the Creature longs for human contact and to feel a part of the world. For example, when the creature was watching the De Lacys from afar he had seen the family interact with kindness which he had longed for since Victor had abandoned him.

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when the creature is observing the family in chapter 12

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when the creature is observing the family in chapter 12

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A Period of Isolation

The Creature’s isolation in chapter 12 is caused by his inability to talk or engage with society due to his appearance and the lack of being able to talk. Observing a family from a distance, he experiences loneliness/ depression but he gains knowledge of human emotions and human life.

What He Learns During Isolation

Through observation, the Creature learns about emotions and language. The creature says himself, “I improved rapidly in the knowledge of language, so that in two months I began to comprehend most of the words uttered by my protectors.” When the creature sees the family’s struggles, he develops empathy, he stops stealing their food and starts to cut wood for them instead. This action shows how his moral compass begins to grow.

The Impact of Isolation on Learning

Isolation shapes the Creature’s learning process by making him more intellectual adept in emotions, Learning about human relationships heightens his awareness of his own desolation, which fuels his depression. He says, “What was I?… I was not even of the same nature as man.” This drives his longing for companionship and recognition.

Textual Evidence

“I found that these people possessed a method of communicating their experience and feelings to one another by articulate sounds.”

“When I found that in doing this I inflicted pain on the cottagers, I abstained and satisfied myself with berries, nuts, and roots.”

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A key period of isolation occurs when the Creature secretly observes the De Lacey family from a hidden position near their cottage. For months, he watches their daily interactions without engaging with the family, Remaining lonely. During this time, the Creature learns some of the language by listening to the family’s conversations. He gradually picks up words and their meanings. He also understands moral concepts more like love and justice from the books he finds which expand his understanding of human emotions and society. Isolation expands the Creature's intellectual development since he is able learns at his own pace but this still limits his knowledge of emotions. Without interaction or feedback, his understanding of love and family remain superficial from real-world experience leading to him having more resentment and anger.

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I believe that the Creature's isolation after Chapter 15 and into Chapter 16 really brings to light an aspect of the Creature that forms the famous stereotype of said monster as we now know it. The Creature spends many months of his life trying his best to learn how humans interact and how they behave. It tries to develop humanoid emotions and practices compassion and curiosity to the world around it. It develops languages, behaviors, and instincts, all for the sole purpose of trying to fit in with the rest of society. It is trying so hard to build the confidence to reveal himself to the Felix, Agatha, De Lacey, and Safie, that it is ultimately more crushing once the rejection happens. The climax to its' reveal is meant to sadden the reader once they realize that all of the Creature's hard work is ultimately discredited due to the lack of compassion in the cottage-folk. The Creature learns that humans will most likely never accept him, no matter how hard it tries to behave, due to it's off-putting appearance. Everyone is scared of it, and the isolation that later accompanies it only serves to leave the Creature in a state without comfort and therefore proving his point even further: it is truly alone. This is further proven by the first page of Chapter 16, page 97. when the Creature proclaims: "There was none among the myriads of men that existed who would pity me or assist me; and should I feel any kindness towards my enemies? No: from that moment I declared ever-lasting war against the species, and, more than all, against him who had formed me, and sent me forth to this insupportable misery." This quote only works to show that the Creature learns that mankind is not on his side, and his isolation only works to show that nobody would ever come to his rescue to show him otherwise.

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Safie (Felix love partner) arrives to the cottage-Brenna Patterson

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Safie (Felix love partner) arrives to the cottage-Brenna Patterson

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During his isolation, the creature develops an understanding of French by observing the family: Agatha, Felix, and De Lacy. The creature watches through the windows and spots a woman in a dark dress and veil asking for Felix. Safie is the woman's name, she is Arabain and understands very little French. Felix takes it upon himself to teach Safie the language, introducing Voley's Ruins of Empires to Safie. The creature from a distance also comprehends the book and learns about history and empires existing in the world, giving the creature an insight into the manners, governments, and religions of the nations. From this, he becomes curious about what is out there and develops the characteristics and ambitions of a human. Watching the family day to day, he realizes in his isolation how alone he truly is, "But where were my friends and relations? No father had watched my infant day, no mother had blessed me with smiles and caresses; or if they had, all my past life was now a blot, a blind vacancy which I distinguished nothing." (page 86). The quote shows the creature's emotional growth and gives us the reader an understanding of his erratic behavior.

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The period of isolation I am analyzing begins in Chapter 11 and flows into Chapter 12. During this isolation period, the Creature is living temporarily in a small hovel he stumbled upon that is adjacent to a cottage that a family lives in. While watching the De Lacy family, the Creature learns a lot about humans during this period. He sees how the family cares for each other with love and kindness, and he also starts to understand how important language is for communication. He also notices that even though the family is poor, they share what they have and stay close. The Creature learns about beauty by seeing the family and realizes how different he looks from them. These observations make him feel lonely and rejected because he knows he doesn't belong and looks nothing like the humans he wants to be a part of.

Towards the beginning of chapter 12, Creature says, "I found that these people possessed a method of communicating their experience and feelings to one another by articulate sounds. I perceived that the words they spoke sometimes produced please or pain, smiles or sadness, in the minds and countenances of the hearers. This was indeed a godlike science, and I ardently desired to become acquainted with it." This quote shows that the Creature feels isolated and is fascinated by how humans use language to share their feelings and experiences. He sees that speaking can make people feel happy or sad, and he thinks it’s a special and powerful skill. Since he can’t talk or connect with anyone, he desperately wants to learn how to speak so he can be part of the world and stop feeling so alone. The more he watches the family, the more he realizes that language is the key to connecting with others, something he doesn’t have.

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Isolation: After the bad experience with villagers from before, he acknowledges that their looks may be holding him back. He longs to join the other villagers but decides not to try again, making him feel like an outcast. Page 77, at the top "What chiefly struck me was the gentle manners of these people; and I longed to join them, but dared not. I remembered too well the treatment I had suffered the night before from the barbarous villagers..."

What the Creature learns: During this time, the creature observes how the villagers communicate and live with each other. The passion and kindness among them can be seen. The creature then wonders if he can ever have the same experiences that the villagers have. They end up with a little more hope for the future and how he can have the same interactions. Page 81, bottom "My spirits were elevated by the enchanting appearance of nature; the past was blotted from my memory, the present was tranquil, and the future gilded by bright rays of hope, and anticipations of joy" The quote describes how the creature in the moment forgets the past and focuses on his future with more hope than before after seeing the villagers. From the isolation, the creature learns more about how he is negatively perceived by others and how important actions and decisions from others are from observing the villagers.

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Creature perceives how humans interact, and how a family interacts in a cottage. Creature observes the De Lacy family in the cottage, and in the book it describes how Creature watches Agatha De Lacy and Felix singing and strumming to a song. The Creature finds this beautiful, sweet, and moving, and continues to observe the family from afar while he is all alone. On page 75 it states "He played a sweet mournful air, which I perceived drew tears from the eyes of his amiable companion, of which the old man took no notice until she sobbed audibly; he then pronounced a few sounds, and the fair creature, leaving her work, knelt at his feet. He raised her and smiled with such kindness and affection that I felt sensations of peculiar and overpowering nature: they were a mixture of pain and pleasure, such as I had never before experienced, either from hunger or cold, warmth or food; and I withdrew from the window, unable to bear these emotions." When Creature witnesses the family interact and the flow of emotions people can feel together it's like he realizes that he doesn't have the privilege of having a family and having someone to express his emotions with. Instead, the Creature cries by himself while pleased to witness the love-filled family from far away, even though he is also in pain because of his realization that he had never experienced those emotions and comfort and how he may never experience it. Creature learns about human emotions, handling human emotions, and how he's missing out on these emotions and sharing them with someone. He starts learning not only by observing but also by reflecting on his observations and experiences. The reflection he learns to do as part of his learning process helps him understand the impact of human emotions and how he sees the world as the novel goes on. Along with that, his understanding of the impact of human emotions influences his interactions (and why he may choose to not interact with others.)