What Does Frankenstein Symbolize French Imperialism

Written in 1818, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein; Or, The Modern Prometheus was published before the majority of European colonialism in Africa; however, the novel still witnessed the dawn of European imperialism. In 1798, Napoleon Bonaparte and his French army invaded Egypt. Despite the fact that his campaign was largely unsuccessful, Napoleon’s campaign “revealed the Middle East as an area of immense strategic importance to the European powers.” (Metz) Therefore, this novel behaves as an early criticism of this European imperialism. Characters such as Robert Walton and Victor Frankenstein, both members of the European aristocracy, exemplify the racist attitudes, which were the foundation of imperialism, Europeans held of indigenous populations. Specifically, Shelley symbolizes French imperialism through the

Through this dynamic, Shelley predicts likely impacts of the French expeditions into Africa if the French government retains hypocritical institutions by not upholding the virtue of equality. Essentially, her work foreshadows how members of the French upper class, starting with Napoleon Bonaparte, would blatantly disrespect their own values in Africa while they exploited the native population. Therefore, even though Mary Shelley’s novel was published early in the French imperialism timeline, it still provides strong critiques the increasingly hypocritical nature of French politics and governments.

There are several characters whose beliefs help exemplify the notion that Europeans, in particular upper class Europeans, were quite nationalistic. Although he is not explicitly described as a member of the European elite, explorer Robert Walton should still be considered as member of upper-class European society because he is rich and he is an arctic explorer. In his first letter to his sister Margaret, Walton simply states how he got wealthy enough to fund an expedition to the polar region, “I inherited the fortune of my cousin” (Shelley 52). Because he