Realism And Romanticism In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

The novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley fulfills many elements of being both a gothic and romantic text. Romanticism is the idea that the power of one’s spirit, soul, instinct and emotion are more important and powerful than the science and limits of human nature. Victor Frankenstein himself is a highly romantic character and dreams of breaking the boundaries of rationality and using his knowledge to go beyond them. This novel is passionate and evokes the imagination, but it also focuses mainly on the mysterious and supernatural, which are components of a gothic text. One element of Romanticism is the belief that the mind is powerful enough to create a new and more perfect version of the world and those who inhabit it. Victor 's thirst for knowledge and infatuation …show more content…
In Frankenstein, the setting changes from dark to light to represent the differences between Victor’s life with his family and his life after creating the Creature. Victor describes Switzerland, where he and his family lived with high admiration, this is because of the love he received from his family and the not so guilty conscience he had before his horrific creation. The night the idea of the monster came to life and became real, Shelley uses a gothic setting. "It was on a dreary night of November that I behalf the accomplishment of my toils…It was already one in the morning; the rain pattered dismally against the panes, and my candle was nearly burnt out" (Shelley 42). The varied and dramatic changes in the setting portray the inner feelings of the main characters and reflect on the actions they make. When Victor first returns to Geneva he says, "I fear, my friend, that I shall render….thy lovely lake!" (Shelley 58). In this moment Victor is joyous and happy to be on his way home but once Victor had created a monster and realized his mistake the environment became more dreary, adding to Shelley 's gothic