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Isolation is a noun that stands for a physical condition, a feeling, or a societal form of ostracizing in literature, placing characters in a context of isolation serves to demonstrate various arguments and convey various meanings. In the novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, in which a creature develops its intellect and personality in the pure loneliness of the Swiss Alps, the concept of isolation serves as an element to demonstrate the pureness of the human moral when secluded from the harm of collective society.
In the play Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett, an isolated setting of a country road serves as a medium for the development of ideas such as the intrinsic value of life. In both works, despite their different thematics and styles, the element of isolation is key to demonstrating the meaning as a whole of the text as well as for building reflections on human nature. A major reflection which arises for the reader when analyzing the novel Frankenstein is that which Jean Jacques Rousseau so heavily debated in the XVIII century, humans are good by nature, but their essence is damaged by society.
In the novel, the reader gets to see Frankenstein’s monster, a creature with superhuman intelligence, develop its kindness and forbearance in seclusion, only to be marred by the cruelty of society in a few months.
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Isolation is key to the development of this idea in the text, if the character had not been placed in a context of reclusive peace, then it would not have been demonstrated that benevolent feelings surge naturally in the human spirit.
Frankenstein’s monster in abandoned by its creator minutes aiter it has come to life, causing it to seek asylum in the peaceful Swiss country. He learns to speak and read by observing country folk, and he develops feelings of love for the human race. When the creature finally decides to reach out to society, he encounters hatred and violence, and eventually adapts those characteristics. In the novel, it is stated that Frankenstein’s monster “was benevolent; [his] soul glowed with love and humanity; but [was he] not alone, miserably alone?” (114) Perhaps this loneliness that so frustrated the creature was the mere reason why he was, indeed, benevolent.
Only when in contact with society, the “monster” encountered anti values such as materialism, cruelty, rejection, and lack of compassion. Ironically, it was at the moment at which Frankenstein monster was devoid of the isolation that he had been living in that he began to feel truly lonely, and revenge became his major subject of thought. Isolation as a characteristic of the setting for the development of Frankenstein’s creature serves to show the true influence society can have on pure beings. The play Waiting for Godot consists of mostly dialogue between two characters in the setting of a deserted country road. For many»a-member of the play‘s audience, this simple setting and the limited amount of characters make the play seem boring, but when the play is analyzed in depth, it can be seen that the isolation in the play is key to the development of major ideas in the plot. The two major characters in the play, Vladimir (Didi) and Estragon (Gogo), are engaged in the activity of waiting throughout the entirety of the two acts.
Their wait is not only silent, it is lonely, requiring them to fill in the gaps of their time with dialogue and reflection This isolation and the concept of the boredom caused by it serve as symbols for the situation of human life. As Gogo and Didi wait in isolation for someone (a form of savior) who might never come, the typical human waits around in life, isolating himself from his surroundings, in order to be ready for a God, a salvation, that may or may not ever be found Gogo and Didi’s situation serve to Show how, in Didi’s words, "Hope deferred makes the heart sick but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life," (132), waiting is the curse of the human spirit, for life is wasted away during the wait Isolation, aside from being a symbol of the reality of human existence in the play, also serves as an important element for the development of dialogue. The fact that there are only two characters present for the majority of the presentation allows for the development of changing dialogue, for a demonstration of the relationship between the two characters and for a true reflection on various topics.
While Vladimir and Estragon wait in seclusion, they can speak almost uninterruptedly about themes such as religion, morality, and the importance of time Isolation in Waiting for Godot is a fundamental element for the play as a whole. The kind nature of the human spirit (as demonstrated in Frankenstein and the hopeless nature of existence (as demonstrated in Waiting for Godot) seem to be undoubtedly different subjects, but they are related in the fact that the element of isolation was necessary in each text to demonstrate these point. Both of these assertions made in the texts are important reflections about the deepest reality of the human essencet while the secluded development of Frankenstein’s creature makes it kind and selfless at a time, the secluded situation of Vladimir and Estragon makes them reflect on the value of life. Both novels use the symbol of isolation and an isolated setting for the development of either the personality or thought of the major characters. Without the context of isolation, neither one of the two texts would have been successful in portraying their meanings.
Secluded Position Makes Them Think About The Value Of Life. (2023, Jan 19). Retrieved from https://studymoose.com/secluded-position-makes-them-think-about-the-value-of-life-essay
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