Sublime Nature In Frankenstein Essay

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Mary Shelly in her novel Frankenstein presents a tragic story between a mad scientist named Victor Frankenstein, and his creation that turned into a monster. The relationship between Frankenstein and the monster is embraced by the sublime natural world in the novel’s setting and is the source of the emotional experience behind the two characters. Through descriptive imagery and characterization, Shelly’s Frankenstein presents the theme of the sublime nature through Victor Frankenstein and the monster’s character identities through elements of the natural world.
The scenic beauty of the novel’s setting provides context for Victor Frankenstein’s emotional experience throughout the story. Frankenstein’s experiences simulated ecstasy when he is surrounded by the sublime nature of the setting. For example, the sublime natural world affects Frankenstein’s mood, by describing Frankenstein as depressed and guilty cause of the deaths of his loved ones. He copes with the deaths of his loved ones, William and Justine by heading towards the mountains to relieve his stress. Victor’s travels to the mountains represent how the scenic beauty of the sublime nature of the setting provides context for Frankenstein’s emotional experience. According to Shelly, in the novel, Frankenstein explains how nature will revitalize him, "These sublime and magnificent scenes afforded me the greatest consolation the I was capable of receiving. They elevated me from all littleness of feeling, and although they did not remove my grief, they subdued and tranquillized it." (Shelly 66) Frankenstein in this scene experiences awe and euphoria in the sublime nature. He finds the scenery of the setting comforting. This supports the idea that nature has a healing propert...

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...dge. (Jerome 20)
The Monster experiences isolation and abandonment and the theme of winter epitomizes his loneliness. The consequences of Frankenstein’s actions lead The Monster to become this way. Monsters in our society stand at the threshold of becoming, and Frankenstein’s creation epitomizes how Monsters in our society are views in a Romantic lenses.
In conclusion, through descriptive imagery and characterization, Shelly’s Frankenstein presents the themes of sublime nature through Victor Frankenstein and the monster’s character identities. Victor Frankenstein’s experience is represented through the themes of the sublime nature. Frankenstein is represented through the scenic beauty of nature, rain and lightning. The monster’s experience is represented through the themes of nature as well. He is represented by the themes of the juxtaposition of spring and winter.

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