Freedom And Authority In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

Experts in the art have divided the world history into several periods of time; one of which is Romanticism, popular social movement, which emphasized emotion over reason, freedom over authority, and nature over human works. Many artists who lived and created in that time period tended to fall into the mainstream of Romantic thinking, which resulted in very interesting and original works. Mary Shelley was one of the great writers of Romanticism, who wrote such books as The Last Man, Mathilda, or Valperga. Her most popular, however, and critically acclaimed opus was Frankenstein, which is, even today, a book that is soaked with ideas of Romanticism. Shelley portrays Frankenstein as a doctor, who acts because of emotions and not reason, the

monster as a personification of nature claiming victory over human works, and clearly pictures the conflict between freedom and authority.

Frankenstein creates the monster led by strong emotions. He doesn’t however think what might be the consequences of his deed, what clearly pictures that reason wasn’t a factor in his cogitating. The emotions that drive him toward the fatal experiment are loss, sadness, and loneliness after the death of his mother: "I cannot describe to you the agony that these reflections inflicted upon me” (Shelley126), what also points out his desperation. He only thinks about the way he must come to discover the “essence of life”, whereas, he does not realize that what he plans on doing will bring a new, independent life to this world, which he does not want to take care of nor he agnises his responsibility. As the monster himself states, “Cursed, cursed creator! Why did I live? Why, in that instant, did I not extinguish the spark of existence which you had so wantonly bestowed? I know not”(146), what only seconds the argument that Frankenstein did not desire to take any obligation in his creature but only in the very process of creating life.

Nature is a big part of the Romantic Era and Shelley seems to be on its side and proves that Mother Earth is superior to the human works. It is so because the story proves that the monster, which is a product of Frankenstein’s work, revolts against him and indirectly causes his death by killing everyone who was dear to him. He says“The nearer I approached to your habitation, the more deeply did I feel the spirit of revenge enkindled in my heart. (151)”, what clearly pictures that he plans on destroying his creator’s life and claiming victory over him. The monster does not prove to be grateful in any shape or form to his creator for giving him the gift of life; he hates him for it, “Frankenstein! (…) to him towards whom I have sworn eternal revenge (153)”. It is important because Shelley emphasizes that nature has its own rights and habits that a man cannot control and can only adapt to them.

Last question that Shelley battles in her work is the query of freedom and authority.

Her work makes a reader think wether the society should accept the monster’s actions as a natural consequence of no proper rising or the monster should obey the rules and norms, which he knows, instead of making excuses: "I am malicious because I am miserable.” (157) The fiend says, “I was dependent on none and related to none. The path of my departure was free (138)”. That very sentence brings up a new point to the day light. The monster seems to think that he is beyond the law by any measure. In his perverted assumption his freedom is unlimited and he himself has the very right to judge and punish. The author never actually serves the answer to the reader on a silver platter but leaves it up to a discussion as one never knows wether the monster does burn himself or was that promise another polluted lie.

To epitomize, Mary Shelley leaves a lot of space for the reader to debate on many matters in her book Frankenstein. She leaves it quite clear, however, that she endeavors the ideas of Romanticism. She indeed conceives that superiority of emotions over reason in driving ideas, advantage of nature over human, and the conflict between freedom and authority are values strong enough to base a work on and create an intellectually puzzling piece of

art.