The Wretch’s Struggle Leads To His Enlightenment in "Frankenstein" Anonymous 12th Grade

Suffering is a major thematic element in Mary Shelly’s novel Frankenstein. The Wretch constantly struggles mentally with negative experiences of rejection. The psychological suffering endured illustrates self-realization through a new found understanding of one’s identity and flaws.

Throughout the course of the novel, the Wretch desperately attempts to establish a bond with human beings, only to be repeatedly rejected because of his abnormal appearance. As soon as he experiences life, Victor Frankenstein, his creator, abandons him. The event that transpired from the perspective of Victor was as follows, “I beheld the wretch—the miserable monster whom I had created…His jaws opened, and he muttered some inarticulate sounds, while a grin wrinkled his cheeks. He might have spoken, but I did not hear…I escaped”. He is deprived of a loving childhood and parental link. This bond—or lack thereof is ingrained within the fabric of the Wretch. All his thoughts, actions and feelings, is interconnected with knowing that a loving figure is absent. Tamar Granot explains, “Rejection and abandonment have traumatic effects that extend beyond the loss…He is given the devastating message that he is not loved and does not deserve to be loved”. His...