Just like Walton, Frankenstein was lonely during his childhood because he was an only child. Over time he acquires a fascination for science and begins to educate himself. “I was, to a large extent, self-taught in my favorite studies. My father was not a scientist, and I had to contend with a child's blindness, added to a student's thirst for knowledge” (Shelley 38). Frankenstein leaves his family at an early age to pursue his studies. During this time he has almost no contact with his family, unless it is on his terms. Frankenstein buries himself in his studies and because of this he has few friends. Learning about his ways, it is obvious that he has chosen a life of solitude alone. Although Frankenstein is comfortable alone, he has a close friend, Clerval. This friendship is like the relationship Frankenstein has with his family, in that it is only a relationship when he wants it to be. Even then, Frankenstein does not confide in Clerval about the problems he is having with his experiment. Frankenstein chose to set up his laboratory “in a solitary chamber, or rather cell, at the top of the house” (Shelley 52) in Ingolstadt. Because of his scientific experiments he believes it is best for him to be alone during this time, even though he hasn't seen his family for a while. Even though he chooses to isolate himself, he insists that the reason he is isolated is because of the Creature. "I have to