Mary Shelley wrote her novel Frankenstein in what can be considered the grey area between the romantic and gothic eras of literature. Because of this, the story functions in a similar transitional fashion, especially through its treatment of nature, science and its relationship with religion and ‘playing God’, and humanity.
Throughout the story, nature and location play a scene setting role as well as aids in character development. Commonly, nature in romance literature is used as a sort of respite; Shelley complies with this rule at the beginning of the novel. In order to further highlight the idealism of Victor Frankenstein’s childhood, she places her quintessential family within the “majestic and wondrous” surroundings of the Swiss mountains. …show more content…
Frankenstein’s personal education, with a focus on the sciences, provides a similar reflection of the romantic to gothic shift, as well as a platform to consider that mix. As a child, he revered the philosophers of the past, ignoring the great (and proven) scientific advancements that had been made. It is this theoretical basis that affords him the wherewithal to eventually fashion his creature. Once again, the transition between genres centers around the monsters formation; in this instance, however, romanticism and gothicism blend to give Frankenstein the perfect tools with which to operate. In his studies, he has merged a theory of life and death with practical knowledge of the modern sciences, taking particular interest in anatomy. Frankenstein’s university life is written mostly in a gothic fashion; his strict attention to the proven sciences reflects this, however, because Shelley gave him the childhood she did, he still retains a slight romantic ideal: writing regularly to his father, the picture of the good son and remaining the erudite …show more content…
The monster, without any influence, still feels the need to be accepted. He is then introduced to the works of Milton and Goethe and that of his creator. Combining these, he’s left with a deep empathy for the devil as he himself was rejected by his maker and an understanding then when all goes wrong, death is the answer. Such a different ‘upbringing’ than that of Frankenstein’s and yet they both could be considered monsters in the end, Frankenstein for his negligence and the monster for his actions. In this comparison, Shelley reveals that, despite how a person is raised or taught, given a perfect storm, they can become just the same as one that may have been their complete opposite. This revelation is done gothically because she uses this knowledge and demonstrates it through a characteristically darker lense.
Through each of these elements, there has been a distinguishable shift between romanticism and gothic literature. This works because of the way Shelley formatted her novel to reflect her surroundings. That movement from one era to the next hinged on an explosion of discovery; for Mary Shelley that was scientific advancement, for Frankenstein, it was much the same and so Frankenstein in and of it itself falls victim to this shift. Because of this, the elements of Frankenstein, nature, science, religion, and humanity, all follow
Throughout the story, nature and location play a scene setting role as well as aids in character development. Commonly, nature in romance literature is used as a sort of respite; Shelley complies with this rule at the beginning of the novel. In order to further highlight the idealism of Victor Frankenstein’s childhood, she places her quintessential family within the “majestic and wondrous” surroundings of the Swiss mountains. …show more content…
Frankenstein’s personal education, with a focus on the sciences, provides a similar reflection of the romantic to gothic shift, as well as a platform to consider that mix. As a child, he revered the philosophers of the past, ignoring the great (and proven) scientific advancements that had been made. It is this theoretical basis that affords him the wherewithal to eventually fashion his creature. Once again, the transition between genres centers around the monsters formation; in this instance, however, romanticism and gothicism blend to give Frankenstein the perfect tools with which to operate. In his studies, he has merged a theory of life and death with practical knowledge of the modern sciences, taking particular interest in anatomy. Frankenstein’s university life is written mostly in a gothic fashion; his strict attention to the proven sciences reflects this, however, because Shelley gave him the childhood she did, he still retains a slight romantic ideal: writing regularly to his father, the picture of the good son and remaining the erudite …show more content…
The monster, without any influence, still feels the need to be accepted. He is then introduced to the works of Milton and Goethe and that of his creator. Combining these, he’s left with a deep empathy for the devil as he himself was rejected by his maker and an understanding then when all goes wrong, death is the answer. Such a different ‘upbringing’ than that of Frankenstein’s and yet they both could be considered monsters in the end, Frankenstein for his negligence and the monster for his actions. In this comparison, Shelley reveals that, despite how a person is raised or taught, given a perfect storm, they can become just the same as one that may have been their complete opposite. This revelation is done gothically because she uses this knowledge and demonstrates it through a characteristically darker lense.
Through each of these elements, there has been a distinguishable shift between romanticism and gothic literature. This works because of the way Shelley formatted her novel to reflect her surroundings. That movement from one era to the next hinged on an explosion of discovery; for Mary Shelley that was scientific advancement, for Frankenstein, it was much the same and so Frankenstein in and of it itself falls victim to this shift. Because of this, the elements of Frankenstein, nature, science, religion, and humanity, all follow