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Nature in Frankenstein
Literary analysis of Frankenstein
Nature in Frankenstein
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Recommended: Nature in Frankenstein
Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is a novel that was published during the industrial revolution, which was an era when you could not gain enough knowledge. It is a result of its time through the suggestion that nature is inspiring, Goth is to be explored, and the suggestion that Victor Frankenstein can be seen as the modern Prometheus; the setting is not only important, but crucial. It gives the reader the ability to understand the emotions, characters, and events that unfold throughout the novel. . Throughout the novel we are given a dramatic portrayal of nature. We are shown this particularly when Victor is having momentous times in his life. An example from the novel is, “It was a most beautiful season; never did the fields bestow a more plentiful harvest, or the vines yield a more luxuriant vintage; but my eyes were insensible to …show more content…
When Victor’s mother Caroline dies, her death symbolizes his desire for the maternal qualities in which he is incapable of receiving because she is no longer alive. With his feelings of isolation and the greed of having knowledge that came with the era in which the novel takes place, Victor is faced with even a stronger will to construct his monster. The idea that Victor is necrophilia can be seen in the line, “a churchyard was to me merely the receptacle of bodies deprived of life”. This line creates a detailed image as well as an eerie feeling for the reader and further tells us that Victor is not concerned with death or dead people. Another Gothic image given to us in the novel is when Captain Walton writes to Margaret describing his first encounter with the monster. He writes, “a being which had the shape of a man, but apparently of gigantic statue, sat in the sledge, and guided the dogs”. This image created by his letter gives the reader a description of the monster and tells us that it definitely does not have typical human
Frankenstein: Contexts, nineteenth century responses, criticism. By Mary Shelley. Norton Critical Edition. New York: New York. 1996.
Mary Shelley’s Gothic science-fiction novel Frankenstein (1818) was written and published between two major historical events. It followed The French Revolution (1789-1799) a period of radical social and political upheaval, and was written during The Industrial Revolution between the eighteenth and nineteenth century, a time of great socioeconomic and cultural effects. The French Revolution acted as ‘the single most crucial influence on British intellectual, philosophical, and political life in the nineteenth century.’ (David Cody, French Revolution: 2010). The Industrial Revolution marked ‘the transition from a world of artisan manufacture to a factory system.’ (Shirley Burchill et al. The Industrial Revolution: 2010). The advancements in machine based manufacturing brought social implications of anxiety. Frankenstein can be viewed as a reflection of the turmoil and change seen within society during the eighteenth and nineteenth century, through the explorations and growth in man’s technological evolution.
Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein or the Modern Prometheus. Edited with an Introduction and notes by Maurice Hindle. Penguin books, 1992
She used nature to symbolize and stand for many other concepts. One of these concepts is nature as a restorative agent. There are several occasions that can be observed in which Victor either attributed his health to or was directly healed by, nothing other than nature. He would seek nature out in times of misfortune, physical or psychological, and truly believed in the profound effect it seemed to have on him. The first instance is when he was just beginning to regain strength after being so incredibly ill he could’ve been on his deathbed. Despite being waited on and taken care of by his dear friend Henry for the entirely of his sickness, and acknowledging the effect of Elizabeth’s letter; “ I wrote, and this exertion greatly fatigued me; but my convalescence had commenced, and proceeded regularly. In another fortnight I was able to leave my chamber”, Victor still contributes much of his improvement to nature and in this case, the air. He states ”We passed a fortnight in these perambulations: my health and spirits had long been restored, and they gained additional strength from the salubrious air I breathed, the natural incidents of our progress.” (Shelley 43) Although he mentioned that the letter from his cousin put into play his recovery, in the end, Victor sees nature as his final restorative agent, going as far as to say that the air was salubrious, literally meaning health-giving. The language used in this excerpt helps show that because Victor is tied so deeply to nature he genuinely believes in the restorative effect of the air. An even more prominent example of Victor’s belief in the restorative effects of nature comes after the death of his brother at the hands of his own creation. He isolated himself from Henry and instead turned to nature to seek comfort and sanity, even outright stating that it restored him; “ I remained two days at Lausanne, in this painful state of mind. I
With the different trips that Victor endures individually, it hints a sense of individuality as he seeks isolation from the world. He is also a very emotional man, who loves his family. As death of his family members occurs, he becomes emotionally unstable and seeks revenge against his creation. Ultimately trying to end the life he so vigorously wanted to create. This reflects both the passion and individualism theme from the Romantic
Victor Frankenstein, one of the novel?s round characters, may be described as a creative, knowledgeable, and reserved man in his middle ages. The novel is unique in that Victor Frankenstein is both the protagonist and antagonist, consequentially creating a conflict of man versus himself. W...
Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein: A Norton Critical Edition. Ed. J. Paul Hunter. New York: W. W.
Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is a nineteenth century literary work that delves into the world of science and the plausible outcomes of morally insensitive technological research. Although the novel brings to the forefront several issues about knowledge and sublime nature, the novel mostly explores the psychological and physical journey of two complex characters. While each character exhibits several interesting traits that range from passive and contemplative to rash and impulsive, their most attractive quality is their monstrosity. Their monstrosities, however, differ in the way each of the character’s act and respond to their environment. Throughout Frankenstein, one assumes that Frankenstein’s creation is the true monster. While the creation’s actions are indeed monstrous, one must also realize that his creator, Victor Frankenstein is also a villain. His inconsiderate and selfish acts as well as his passion for science result in the death of his friend and family members and ultimately in his own demise.
Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein or the Modern Prometheus. Edited with an Introduction and notes by Maurice Hindle. Penguin books, 1992
Mary Shelley’s world renowned book, “Frankenstein”, is a narrative of how Victor Frankenstein, a brilliant chemist, succeeds in creating a living being. Although Frankenstein’s creation is benevolent to begin with, he soon turns murderous after being mistreated by humans. His anger turns towards Frankenstein, as he was the one who brought him into the world that shuns him. The Monster then spends the rest of the story trying to make his creator’s life as miserable as his own. This novel is an excellent example of the Gothic Romantic style of literature, as it features some core Gothic Romantic elements such as remote and desolate settings, a metonymy of gloom and horror, and women in distress.
“Oh! No mortal could support the horror of that countenance. A mummy again endued with animation could not be so hideous as that wretch” (Shelley 57). This statement is how Mary Shelley successfully portrayed the overall negative consensus of the industrialization of Europe in the 1800s in her novel Frankenstein. This story parallels the world’s transition from nature and emotion to reason and truth which was the primary cause for the industrial revolution. Though the revolution brought new technology and knowledge, people felt as though they were enslaved by this sudden change. This is clear through Shelley’s Dr. Frankenstein and the ‘wretched monster’ that would forever change the world.
In the Romantic novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelly, the selection in chapter five recounting the birth of Dr. Frankenstein’s monster plays a vital role in explaining the relationship between the doctor and his creation. Shelley’s use of literary contrast and Gothic diction eloquently set the scene of Frankenstein’s hard work and ambition coming to life, only to transform his way of thinking about the world forever with its first breath.
Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein or the Modern Prometheus. Edited with an Introduction and notes by Maurice Hindle. Penguin books, 1992
Nature is a key element in romanticism as the early romantics stressed the divine beauty they saw in nature. Mary Shelley uses the elements of nature to further the emotions of her characters and create a safe place for them to think. She also goes into the aspects of science and nature, "[Scientists] penetrate into the recesses of nature and show how she works in her hiding-places” (Shelley 33). In Frankenstein, Mary Shelley creates a novel based around science overreaching to boundaries. Many scientific experiments of the early 1800s make an excellent base in history for Frankenstein. Trials such as biomedical trials that began during along with the continuing studies into human anatomy and the natural world. Weather is an important element of nature which is commonly used to reflect and supplement human emotions. After William’s death, whilst Victor is returning to Geneva to talk to his father “the heavens were clouded, and [soon] the rain was coming slowly in large drops” (Shelley 62). Therefore, the storm reflects Victor’s mournful attitude and as the storm p...
Mary Shelley in her book Frankenstein addresses numerous themes relevant to the current trends in society during that period. However, the novel has received criticism from numerous authors. This paper discusses Walter Scott’s critical analysis of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein in his Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine Review of Frankenstein (1818).