It was a place fitted for such a work, being hardly more than a rock whose high sides were continually beaten upon by the waves. The soil was barren, scarcely affording pasture for a few miserable cows, and oatmeal for its inhabitants, which consisted of five persons, whose gaunt and scraggy limbs gave tokens of their miserable fare.
Chapter 19 · Narrator
Context
Victor describes the remote Orkney island where he has chosen to work on the creature's mate. The island is barren, nearly uninhabitable, and home to only five impoverished people.
Analysis
The repetition of 'miserable' (miserable cows, miserable fare) and the catalog of deprivation (barren soil, gaunt limbs, scarcely any food) create a landscape that mirrors Victor's inner state. The island is described not just as isolated but as actively hostile to life, which makes it a fitting setting for creating life under coercion. The relentless piling-on of bleak details also suggests that Victor is drawn to environments that reflect his own self-image as wrecked and depleted.
Essay Tip
Use this to argue that Shelley uses setting as psychological projection—Victor doesn't just find a remote place, he finds one whose barrenness and misery match his own, suggesting that he seeks out environments that justify his despair rather than ones that might relieve it.