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The Central Theme Of Responsibility In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

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The concept of responsibility is a central theme held between the creator and the created in every creation story. Newton stated that “For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.” This not only applies in physics, but also in the actions of others. A creator holds many responsibilities over it's creation. In other words, all actions from the created fallback on the creator due to perception of the audience and any negative action is observed that the creator was negligent to it's creation. In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, the reader can perceive how a creator like Victor is held culpable for his creatures actions, and in effect reveals that all creators carry responsibilities that must be met for their creation to thrive in a …show more content…

With this in mind, isolation and companionship is a very important motif in the story of Frankenstein. Shelley utilizes this theme, in correspondence with the knowledge and ignorance motif, throughout the entire novel which emphasizes the importance of a companion. In the novel whenever a companion is involved there are no problems, until isolation occurs. Hence why when Victor left his creation isolated it resulted in the murders of his loved ones. To clarify, Victor's creation went down a dark path of destruction, even though he learned the difference between right and wrong on his own. To illustrate the importance of the companionship motif, Shelley employs the central theme of responsibility and also isolation. For instance, the creature remarked, “I am alone and miserable: man will not associate with me; but one as deformed and horrible as myself would not deny herself to me. My companion must be of the same species and have the same defects. This being you must create.” As a result, Victor debates whether he should create another creature for him. In this instance, Shelley wanted to reveal to the reader how upset the creature was and to investigate the thought of whether it is Victor's responsibility as his

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