Essay on Romanticism in Frankenstein
All literature is influenced by the time period in which it was written;
whether it be war, poverty, or any other social trends. People tend to write
commentaries of political events, or just describe the time period. Whether it
is intentional or subconscious, an author cannot help to include some aspects
of the time period in which they are in. The Romantic Period had a tremendous
influence on Marry Shelly's writing of the novel, Frankenstein.
The Industrial Revolution in England during the late 1700's was a time
of great change. The populace was moving into cities, and people were
disillusioned by the destruction of nature and the living conditions in the
cities. In response to this disillusionment, people started to envision the
world differently than they had before. They saw nature as all beautiful,
powerful, and perfect. Previously, the inspiration for literature was law, order,
and religion; now, it is in the writers imagination and powerful emotions. This
change in the attitude of the people is called Romanticism. The Romantic
Movement is one of the most important literary periods in history; affecting the
literature, music, and art of the period. It encouraged spontaneity, and acting
with emotions, not common sense. In the more classical style of writing, writers
addressed their books to the upper class, but now writers addressed the common
man and his problems. Their was a new feeling of spirituality. People were
seeking eastern concepts of nirvana, transcendentalism and being one with nature.
People wanted to experience life, not study it. They seeked extreme emotions,
whether they were good or bad. Marry Shelly used all of these philosophies of
the Romantic Period in writing, Frankenstien.
Victor Fankenstien is a man with great ambition, he is obsessed and
self-centered. His life is the mirror of a Greed Tragedy. In his case, the flaw
is his excessive pride. This flaw causes Victor to rush into something, for
which he is not prepared. He fulfills his ambition and makes the biggest mistake
of his life by creating a monster. Finally, just before Victors death, he has
his catharsis. He tells Robert his story and cleanses himself. “seek happiness
in tranquillity, avoid ambition” (pg. 205) This paradox, that he created a
creature to help society, but it turns out to be the undoing of society and
himself is an example of Victors self-centeredness. His life degenerates from
here on. Victor is a product of the Industrial Revolution. In reaction to people
with Victor's characteristics, the Romantic Period is born. His beliefs are in
science and the known world, which is the opposite of the Romantic ideal.
Unlike the Romantic who revered and honored nature, Victor wants to use it for his own gain. He expects “happy” and “excellent natures” to obey him, and he doesn’t dwell upon the consequences of his actions. His outlook changes after the creature comes to life. As Victor stares into the watery, lifeless eyes of his creature, he finally realizes his mistake in trying to disrupt the natural order of the world. Scared by the outcome of his actions, Victor attempts to run away and find comfort in nature.
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are foils to Hamlet. The two are introduced as friends to Hamlet. But also they are like messengers for the king. Hamlet learns of their treachery to him, there dual loyalty to he and the king. This is introduced in his conversation with the queen where he says, “My two-school fellows, whom I will trust as adders fanged”. They obey whatever the King’s orders not thinking of what there outcome is in the bigger picture. The men are foolish in this way, not thinking about what is really hap...
Rousseau's ideology of education and nature laid the basic groundwork for many of the Gothic novels. Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley, was able to forge a bridge of thought that was able to span the chasm formed by the age of reason between the supernatural and reason. As a predecessor of the romantic movement, the Gothic novel was a direct reaction against the age of reason. The predominate idea of the age being that the world which is governed by nature is rationally ordered and given man's ability to reason, analyze and understand nature, man possesses the innate ability to use nature to create a rational society based on nature's dominate principles. The Gothic novel allowed the reader to pass from reason and order of the day to a region born of the supernatural which inspired dread and abounds in death and decay as nature's only true end.
Mary Shelley's Frankenstein is filled with death and sorrow. They occur in almost every aspect of the book. The four "squares" of the book, Walter, Victor, the monster, and the cottagers, all suffer from them at one time or another. Some perceive Frankenstein as a horror story; however, in actuality it is a book of tragedy and despair. Every page reveals more misery than the page before. Thus, death and sorrow are inevitable in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein.
Foils are minor characters, that through similarities and differences, set off or accent the main characters of a play. There is a strong connection between the foils in a play and one's final perception of the main characters. In William Shakespeare's Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, there is a continuous shifting of the main character's emotions. These emotions range anywhere from madness and rage to grief and sorrow. In Hamlet there is a foil that represents each emotion and behavior that is displayed by the main character- Hamlet.
William Shakespeare uses several characters in his play, Hamlet, to create a more in-depth look at their characteristics. Shakespeare uses characters called “foils” to offset the attributes of other characters. Foils are characters that contrast with another character to further highlight qualities of the other character. Throughout the play, Hamlet’s characteristics are emphasized with the help of his foils.
Analysis of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. Analyzing a book can be a killer. Especially when it contains tons of subtle little messages and hints that are not picked up unless one really dissects the material. Mary Shelley's Frankenstein is a prime example.
Since its publication in 1818, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein has grown to become a name associated with horror and science fiction. To fully understand the importance and origin of this novel, we must look at both the tragedies of Mary Shelley's background and her own origins. Only then can we begin to examine what the icon "Frankenstein" has become in today's society.
More foils in the play are Rosecrantz and Guildstern. Rosencrantz and Guildenstein are not conscious criminals, since they unaware of the criminal designs of the King they obey without any scrutiny into the King’s purpose. If[,] as model courtiers[,] they feel like they have nothing on their consciences, their lack of individual integrity and total dependence upon the King doom them to the fate of the King to whom they are thus "mortised and adjoined." (pg 689)
In Lisa Nocks article appropriately titled “Frankenstein, in a better light,” she takes us through a view of the characters in the eyes of the author Mary Shelly. The name Frankenstein conjures up feeling of monsters and horror however, the monster could be a metaphor for the time period of which the book was written according to Nocks. The article implies that the book was geared more towards science because scientific treatises were popular readings among the educated classes, of which Shelley was a member of. Shelley, whose father was wealthy and had an extensive library, was encouraged to self-educate, which gave her knowledge of contemporary science and philosophy, which also influenced Frankenstein as well as circumstances of her life.
In society today a child’s upbringing takes them a very long way and will affect them for the rest of their lives. The way Aaron Swartz was raised and how he acted at a very young age, later on showed how his childhood came into play with the way he died. Aaron’s background information presents that Aaron believed he was smarter and better than others, making himself feel that everything was better off if it was done his way. In the words of Aaron’s father, Robert Swartz, “Aaron hated when people talked about him”. Clearly seen throughout Aaron’s life because of the person he was, he usually wouldn’t give people a way to take about him because he covered his identity with a computer. Swartz has been behind a computer screen from the age of
The Enlightenment age encouraged everyone to use reason and science in order to rid the world of barbarism and superstition. In fact, Kant argued that the "public use of one's reason must always be free, and it alone can bring about enlightenment among men" (Kant 3). Enlightenment thinking not only influenced philosophy and the sciences, but also literature (especially in Pope's Essay on Man). In reaction to Enlightenment's strict empiricism, Romanticism was born. In Frankenstein, Shelley argues (1) that Victor Frankenstein's role as an Enlightenment hero, not only pulled him out of nature, but made him a slave to his creation; (2) that Frankenstein's role as a revolting romantic failed, because he didn't take responsibility for his creation; and (3) mankind must find a balance between the Enlightenment and Romantic ideologies.
Mary Shelley, with her brilliant tale of mankind's obsession with two opposing forces: creation and science, continues to draw readers with Frankenstein's many meanings and effect on society. Frankenstein has had a major influence across literature and pop culture and was one of the major contributors to a completely new genre of horror. Frankenstein is most famous for being arguably considered the first fully-realized science fiction novel. In Frankenstein, some of the main concepts behind the literary movement of Romanticism can be found. Mary Shelley was a colleague of many Romantic poets such as her husband Percy Shelley, and their friends William Wordsworth and Samuel Coleridge, even though the themes within Frankenstein are darker than their brighter subjects and poems. Still, she was very influenced by Romantics and the Romantic Period, and readers can find many examples of Romanticism in this book. Some people actually argue that Frankenstein “initiates a rethinking of romantic rhetoric”1, or is a more cultured novel than the writings of other Romantics. Shelley questions and interacts with the classic Romantic tropes, causing this rethink of a novel that goes deeper into societal history than it appears. For example, the introduction of Gothic ideas to Frankenstein challenges the typical stereotyped assumptions of Romanticism, giving new meaning and context to the novel. Mary Shelley challenges Romanticism by highlighting certain aspects of the movement while questioning and interacting with the Romantic movement through her writing.
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley is a gothic science fiction novel written in the romantic era that focuses on the elements of life. The romantic era was sparked by the changing social environment, including the industrial revolution. It was a form of revolt against the scientific revolutions of the era by developing a form of literature that romanticize nature and giving nature godliness. This element of romanticized nature is a recurrent element in Frankenstein and is used to reflect emotions, as a place for relaxation and as foreshadowing. Frankenstein also includes various other elements of romanticism including strong emotions and interest in the common people.
Author Mary Shelley was born August 30th, 1797 to philosopher and writer William Godwin and feminist Mary Wollstonecraft. Mary’s mother passed away early in Shelley’s life and wasn’t a prominent figure. Her father remarried another woman named Mary Jane Clairmont. Shelley and her stepmother rarely got along so a female role model was not something Shelley received in her early years. Clairmont refused to send Shelley to be educated at a school but has no hesitation when sending her own daughter. Even without a formal education Shelley would still attempt to seek knowledge through books and would often daydream to escape the everyday struggles of her life at home. She also took up writing as an activity in which to express herself and admitted