Nature, Isolation, and Human Identity in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein: An Ecocritical Reading

Adrina Michael Mascarenhas; Anil Adagale

Nature, Isolation, and Human Identity in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein: An Ecocritical Reading

Author(s)	Ms. Adrina Michael Mascarenhas, Prof. Dr. Anil Adagale
Country	India
Abstract	Mary Shelley's Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus is often seen as a story about hubris in science and the dangers of creation and the horrors of neglect. This essay analyzes Frankenstein in the light of an ecocritical reading, suggesting that nature in Frankenstein is not just a background but an active participant in the psychological and moral development of both Victor Frankenstein and the creature. Victor Frankenstein's attempt to control the dynamics of life and death cuts him off from his family, from society, and from moral duties; he finds solace (and is unable to fully accept it) in the Alpine and Arctic landscapes around him. The creature, on the other hand, makes progress in the realms of sensation, language, sympathy, and self-awareness through contact with cold, hunger, fire, forests, seasonal changes, and through observation of the De Lacey family. But the latter's rejection and lack of companionship divert these powers toward anger and vengeance. This essay argues that in Frankenstein we see an understanding of human identity as relational (not fixed) and constituted through ecological experience, language, sympathy, recognition and responsibility. By reference to Dana Phillips's critique of ecocritical realism and recent work by Shamim/Sahu/Dwivedi, this reading also complicates the simple idea of nature as refuge and frames Frankenstein within current debates on anthropocentrism and environmental ethics.
Keywords	Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, ecocriticism, nature, isolation, human identity, scientific ambition, social rejection
Field	Arts
Published In	Volume 8, Issue 5, September-October 2026
Published On	2026-10-21

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Nature, Isolation, and Human Identity in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein: An Ecocritical Reading

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