Themes are important in every story. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley has so many
different themes that they conflict with each other. One is the appreciation of nature and the
other is the condemnation of nature. To compare the admiration each speaker has for nature a
relation can be bridged from the poem “Lines Composed A Few Miles above Tintern Abbey” by
William Wordsworth. While looking at the condemnation of nature a comparison can be
traversed to “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” by Samuel Taylor Coleridge. Shelley’s Victor
Frankenstein evokes the characteristics of both Wordsworth and the Ancient Mariner in the ways
in which he reacts to nature.
Shelley’s admiration of nature, which directly relates to Wordsworth’s “Tintern Abbey”,
is clearly illustrated when Dr. Frankenstein takes his halcyon walk through the woods. When
Shelley recites a passage from “Tintern Abbey” she embodies the emotions that were once
illustrated by Wordsworth so many years ago. She expounds upon the emotions that rage through
Victor as he takes his walk, these emotions are also prevalent in “Tintern Abbey” as Wordsworth
is revisiting this beloved sight. In these works nature takes the role of a restorative agent. Both
speakers are overcome with the sense of placidity that nature instills in them; Wordsworth
returns to pass on his amorousness for the Abbey to his sister, Dorothy, while Victor visits nature
to find peace after the deaths of his brother, William, his best friend, Clerval, and the family
servant, Justine.
“The sound cataract
Haunted him like a passion: the tall rock,
The mountain, and the deep and gloomy wood,
Their colours and their forms, were then to him
An appetite; a fee...
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...strengths Shelley takes Victor into nature to
adhere to peace sought after the deaths of his loved ones. To symbolize his weaknesses she
exemplifies his lust for knowledge which leads to his creation of the monster, his personal
condemnation of the natural world. Each tale shines a new light upon the idea of man; how man
can be affected by his decisions and how those decisions affect the world around him.
Works Cited
Coleridge, Samuel Taylor. "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner." Prentice Hall Literature. Boston,
MA: Pearson Education, 2007. 730-53. Print. The British Tradition.
Shelley, Mary W. Frankenstein. New York, NY: Modern Library, 1999. Print.
Wordsworth, William. "Lines Composed a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey." Prentice Hall
Literature. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, 2007. 709-13. Print. The British Tradition.
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because he felt she did not share his love for her. This poem is in
value his wife, Portia. He was never home for her and, eventually, part of her suicide
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Income inequality has affected American citizens ever since the American Dream came to existence. The American Dream is centered around the concept of working hard and earning enough money to support a family, own a home, send children to college, and invest for retirement. Economic gains in income are one of the only possible ways to achieve enough wealth to fulfill the dream. Unfortunately, many people cannot achieve this dream due to low income. Income inequality refers to the uneven distribution of income and wealth between the social classes of American citizens. The United States has often experienced a rise in inequality as the rich become richer and the poor become poorer, increasing the unstable gap between the two classes. The income gap in America has been increasing steadily since the late 1970’s, and has now reached historic highs not seen since the 1920’s (Desilver). UC Berkeley economics professor, Emmanuel Saez conducted extensive research on past and present income inequality statistics and published them in his report “Striking it Richer.” Saez claims that changes in technology, tax policies, labor unions, corporate benefits, and social norms have caused income inequality. He stands to advocate a change in American economic policies that will help close this inequality gap and considers institutional and tax reforms that should be developed to counter it. Although Saez’s provides legitimate causes of income inequality, I highly disagree with the thought of making changes to end income inequality. In any diverse economic environment, income inequality will exist due to the rise of some economically successful people and the further development of factors that push people into poverty. I believe income inequality e...
From the lone hiker on the Appalachian Trail to the environmental lobby groups in Washington D.C., nature evokes strong feelings in each and every one of us. We often struggle with and are ultimately shaped by our relationship with nature. The relationship we forge with nature reflects our fundamental beliefs about ourselves and the world around us. The works of timeless authors, including Henry David Thoreau and Annie Dillard, are centered around their relationship to nature.
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