Frankenstein Fiction Essay

Frankenstein

Fiction Essay

Throughout the novels Frankenstein and Oryx and Crake Mary Shelley and Margaret Atwood share many themes in common. Both of the characters created in the novels go through lives of seclusion and confusion. Shelley secludes Victor Frankenstein’s creature by making him wander the lands searching for a purpose in life and also revenge on his creator. The creature is unloved and mistreated by humans bringing him grief as well as loneliness. Atwood isolates Jimmy by providing him with distant parents and leaving him alone with the Crakers in the end of the novel. Jimmy also struggles with maintaining relationships with many individuals particularly women. As the novels continue both characters eventually develop individuality through their isolation. Mary Shelley and Margaret Atwood clearly seclude Victor’s creature and Jimmy in order to develop both characters’ personal qualities.

In both the beginnings of Frankenstein and Oryx and Crake the creature as well as Jimmy are immediately casted into seclusion. In Frankenstein, Victor decided to create a creature in spite of his scientific studies and fascination with the human body. Both horrified and unhappy with his creation, Victor retreats his apartment leaving the creature confused and abandoned. Victor failed to take responsibility for his creation by ignoring the creature. Unloved and ignored, the creature departs into the vast land uneducated and unaware of what the world has to offer. In Oryx and Crake, Jimmy is brought up by a mother suffering depression and a father who is exceptionally dedicated to his work as a Geneticist. Due to his father’s workload and his mother’s disease, Jimmy was left alone without any friends or comfort at an early age. Jimmy eventually meets Crake providing him with a source of friendship that unfortunately does not last.

Similarly, Jimmy struggles with feelings of shame and loneliness during his early years of life. His mother, depressed and unhappy...