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Character Foils In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

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Mary Shelley’s horrifying tale of a monster and man of science is known far and wide for its captivating story, complex characters and surprising relatability. However this is where most knowledge commonly ends.. Frankenstein’s t underlying themes of isolation, human connection and balance of nature become evident through Shelley’s use of character foils throughout her infamous tale. In her 1818 novel, the monster serves as a foil to Victor Frankenstein, emphasizing Victor’s greed, poor judgement and lack of true understanding in regards to human emotion. Throughout the novel the audience is allowed to follow both the monster and Victor’s story through firsthand accounts from each, inviting the audience to make observations about the characters, …show more content…

The audience is able to identify the shortcomings in both characters logic while simultaneously understanding their predicament. This format makes the idea of foiling characters seem inevitable; as the monster quickly becomes more intelligent and aware of his situation he feels forced into isolation. “I was dependent on none and related to none. The path of my departure was free, and there was none to lament my annihilation. My person was hideous and my stature gigantic. What did this mean? Who was I? What was I? Whence did I come? What was my destination? These questions continually recurred, but I was unable to solve them.” (Shelley, 138) As the audience witnesses the monster’s isolation they are subsequently led to question Victor’s isolation. “I saw plainly that he was surprised, but he never attempted to draw my secret from me; and although I loved him with a mixture of affection and reverence that knew no bounds, yet I could never persuade myself to confide in him that event which was so often present to my recollection, but which I feared the detail to another would only impress more deeply.” (Shelley, 70) Throughout the novel the monster finds himself isolated for the fact that he lacks meaningful connections with anyone and is unable to find anyone open to him, yet in contrast Victor

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