Humanism In Frankenstein Research Paper

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is a dramatic example of the ever-changing philosophies regarding creation, science, and the age-old question of a divine being’s presence in the world. When Shelley published the novel in 1818, the Age of Enlightenment was in full swing and left antiquated ideas of religion in exchange for newfound ideas based on science and logic. One of these philosophies of the modern era was humanism; humanism is the idea that human matters are of more importance than those of a divine being. In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, this new idea of secular humanism is brought into full effect with the monster being left almost entirely on his own to form beliefs and ideas, however, there are still curious traces of religious influence within the

Everywhere I see bliss, from which I alone am irrevocably excluded. I was benevolent and good; misery made me a fiend” (Shelley). This statement suggests that the monster is similar to the fallen angel of the Bible because he was cast away by his creator from all goodness, evoking sympathy for the fallen angel and disdain for the creator. If Shelley, an atheist, draws upon such ideas, why then does she incorporate religion into the monster’s education? This aspect of the Christian belief system is used to show the connection between Frankenstein as the monster’s creator and God as Adam’s and the fallen angel’s creator, both of which cast away their creations. By portraying the creators as negative, Shelley takes this religious aspect of her novel and brings it right back to the core of her beliefs: secular humanism. The underlying theme of the monster’s encounter