'Romanticism In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein'

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is a literary classic that revolutionized the new genre of Science Fiction, as well as created a foundation and paved the way for many more iconic and exemplary stories to take place. Shelley wrote the novel in 1818, which was right in the midst of the Romantic movement in 19th century England. Due to this, Shelley’s writing style and narrative construction deemed Frankenstein as the pinnacle of Romantic literature. However, Shelley also heavily took inspiration from Gothicism, and the movement centered around this idea and philosophy that took place in primarily in the 17th century. Therefore, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is both a characteristic Gothic and Romantic novel, due to the implementation of Romantic themes, …show more content…
The first way Shelley combines the two ideologies of Romanticism and Gothicism is through the utilization of the power and influence of nature. Since nature is a prominent figure in both styles of writing, albeit for different reasons, Shelley exemplifies the power nature has to influence people. This is shown during times like when Victor first recounts seeing lightning, “so soon as the dazzling light vanished the oak had disappeared, and nothing remained by a blasted stump” (Chapter 2). This event showcases how nature impacted Victor, and drove his curiosity, which ultimately led to the events that supplied his downfall. Shelley also utilizes the celebration of life brought forth by Romanticism, and the fascination of death explored by Gothicism. This is mostly prevalent during Frankenstein’s quest to create new life from deceased components. This event is used to evoke fear and suspense in the reader, but also showcase Victor’s adoration and fascination with life and death, and how they connect. Finally, Shelley features the Romantic concept of the sublime through Victor’s Gothic awe of death and reanimation. When Victor first witnesses the results of his labor, he states “…but now that I had finished, the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart” (Chapter 5). The sublime is a concept often seen in Romantic works, as it often deals with great terror and beauty that is found in nature. However, in Frankenstein, Mary Shelley uses this concept to explore Victor’s pursuit to ultimately cheat death, and create new life. Overall, Shelley’s skillful use of the literary styles of Romanticism and Gothicism blend together well in order to provide the unique experience that is her novel