Elements Of Romanticism In Frankenstein

In response to the Enlightenment era during the 1700’s in England, a period of Romanticism which emphasized both imagination and emotion in the arts occurred. This period of developing the arts inspired many authors including Mary Shelley. Mary Shelley incorporates many aspects of Romanticism to create Frankenstein, a dark, emotional, and exotic tale of Victor Frankenstein and his creation. Specifically, Mary Shelley includes romantic elements such as fascination with the exotic, strong senses and emotions, and experimental forms in her work. The characters’ journeys to exotic places not only serve as a way for the reader to imagine themselves there, but also assists the characters in their individual plans. The strong senses and emotions

All of the characters’ emotions can be described in four emotions: loneliness, resentment, fear, and sympathy. The first two emotions are mainly expressed by the monster. However, loneliness was first described by Robert Walton in his letters, “I desire the company of a man who could sympathize with me, whose eyes would reply to mine” (5). Shelly spreads this idea of loneliness to both Victor and his creation. The monster came into the world as a baby but essentially in an adult and grotesque form. It went through its first few months alone and never saw another creature that looked like itself, forcing it to grow up quickly and feeling lonely. When it realized that there were no others like him, he resented his creator for abandoning him and people for rejecting him when all he wanted was their fellowship. Although it's never acknowledged by Victor that the two are similar, Victor and the creature are very alike in their behaviors but are still isolated. Victor is also made lonely and wants to see the compassion of “his fellow species” but never can because the creature made him into a mentally broken man who was unable to tell anyone else about the monster he created. Ironically, he also hates himself for creating the creature and inflicting him upon society. “The porter opened the gates of the court, which had that

There are three occurrences in which experimental forms or a frame narrative occurs. They occur through Robert Walton, Victor Frankenstein, and the creature. The start of the book occurs with Robert Walton’s letters specifically to his sister in England. Robert Walton relays the beginning of his travels to his sister and then Victor Frankenstein arrives. Victor Frankenstein then tells his story of what had happened and how he ended up in the Arctic and by his lonesome. During his story, he talks of his creature telling his own story of why the creature ended up the way it is. This allows Victor to pity the creature so much that he agrees to the creature’s terms at that moment. Again, this occurs as Robert Walton confronts the creature and is swayed towards Victor’s beliefs. The frame narratives serve as a way to see each other’s perspectives and see what they thought and