Companionship in Frankenstein
How does companionship and friendship play a crucial role?
"No human being could have passed a happier childhood than myself" Pg.10
He is saying that because he was surrounded by friends and family at pretty much all times, no other childhood could have been better. Victor is essentially equating companionship to the ultimate luxury in life.
"I am alone and miserable...this being [another monster] you must create." Pg.129
The creature is threatening Victor, and out of all the things that it could ask for, it asks for a companion. It wants Victor to make another monster with the same wretchedness and defects the first one had. This proves that even the creature understands that having a friend can be the most important aspect of starting to lead a better life.
"I have no friend Margaret:...sustain me in dejection" Pg. 4
Victor is writing in his letter that he is sad that he has no friend because even if he does a great scientific breakthrough, there won't be anyone to share that happiness with. There also consequently wont be anyone to share any sorrow or unhappiness with.
"The companions of our childhood always possess a certain power over our minds..."
Here an example is being given for why Victor claims he had such a great childhood. This connects to the first quote about this subject, because Victor is saying that simply being around loving people like his family when he was young, provides him with a sense of fulfillment and happiness.
"Even Satan has companions to admire and encourage him, but I am solitary and detested."
Frankenstein is so lonely and friendless that he has actually resorted to envy the devil simply because the devil has companions, or "fellow devils", to encourage his work regardless of what work that may be.
"I was benevolent and good, but misery made me a fiend. Make me happy and I shall be virtuous."
Frankenstein is clearly stating the entire problem with his existence is that he has no friends or companions and that made him miserable, therefore turning him evil, and therefore making people like him even less. This downward domino effect is obviously not the correct path to continue in and the creature provides a valid solution. Give him a friend so that he will be happy, and therefore become increasingly virtuous essentially reversing this deteriorating path of misery.
Authors, philosophers, and other significant figures also embrace this solace of companionship.
Suzanne Collins
“I realize, for the first time, how very lonely I've been in the arena. How comforting the presence of another human being can be.” - A very modern interpretation from a popular series exemplifying the fact that taking companionship for granted is not the best thing to do because we do not realize the full impact which it can positively affect our lives.
Marilyn Monroe
“A career is wonderful, but you can't curl up with it on a cold night” - This is a more modern connection to how companionship plays a crucial role in our world. We look to companions for comfort and solace.
Mark Twain
“To get the full value of joy you must have someone to divide it with.” - This is actually directly related to the book Frankenstein, because he actually complained about not having anyone to share both his successes as well as his failures with.
Will Meek P.h.D
He has researched the psychological impacts which having a relationship with a person has on human beings as a whole. The claim that having somebody to share your experiences with will greatly enhance the success of those experiences has been extensively supported by the article "Universal Needs."
https://www.psychologytoday.com/notes-self/201212/universal-needs