The Realization of Isolationism
Famous poet and essayist, Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “Columbus discovered no isle or key so lonely as himself” (IZ Quotes). Judging from Emerson’s immense reputation, one would could come to the conclusion that he was a very intelligent man to say the least. Loneliness is the feeling of disconnection from the world. Isolation is the separation from your environment, either forcibly or not. In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, the Creature and Victor are both forced to become an outcast to society, or be publicly named a monster; and essentially both of their fates are sealed from the start and they suffer from isolationism and loneliness. Isolation can play a huge role in affecting an individual’s mind or thoughts. Isolationism is short lived and cannot be maintained. Isolationism and loneliness drives people to become socially unstable, weakens their hearts without the power of companionship, mentally drains their bodies all together, and may even be a leading cause in deaths.
The exclusion factor with people with mental health issues is so severe that they believe that it is worse than the actual illness itself. And that may very well be true, due to the fact that isolationism is not a rare form of “treatment”. According to researcher Ian McMillan who affirms, “We hear, again and again, from people with mental health problems that this exclusion is worse than the illness itself. People start talking about you, rather than to you… you risk losing everything, your job, your college place, your friends” (McMillan 6). For instance, when someone is excluded or pushed away to the point of madness, there isn’t really any form of recovery that will help. Likewise in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Victor kind of isolates himself from society as a whole, even his own family, and continues to remain ill. Victor stresses, “For this I had deprived myself of rest and health. I had desired it with an ardour that far exceeded moderation; but now...