frankenstein and romanticism essay

Frankenstein

Mary shelley, ask litcharts ai: the answer to your questions.

Romantic writers portrayed nature as the greatest and most perfect force in the universe. They used words like "sublime" (as Mary Shelley herself does in describing Mont Blanc in Frankenstein ) to convey the unfathomable power and flawlessness of the natural world. In contrast, Victor describes people as "half made up." The implication is clear: human beings, weighed down by petty concerns and countless flaws such as vanity and prejudice, pale in comparison to nature's perfection.

It should come as no surprise, then, that crises and suffering result when, in Frankenstein , imperfect men disturb nature's perfection. Victor in his pride attempts to discover the "mysteries of creation," to "pioneer a new way" by penetrating the "citadel of nature." But just as a wave will take down even the strongest swimmer, nature prevails in the end and Victor is destroyed for his misguided attempt to manipulate its power.

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ROMANTICISM: IMAGINING FREEDOM: The rebellious artist, the attraction to the dark side, love and death, and the primacy of nature—all of these are themes that suffused the artistic and ideological revolution known as Romanticism. This program vividly conveys how new ways of thinking and seeing reshaped the humanities in the 18th and 19th centuries. The writings of Hölderlin, Emerson, Poe, Whitman, Byron, Wordsworth, and Keats, as well as the paintings of Turner and Goya and the music of Beethoven, are vibrantly presented. Scholars Susan Wolfson, professor of English at Princeton University; Rafael Argullol Murgados, director of the Institut Universitari de Cultura; Xavier Antich, professor of aesthetics at the Universitat de Girona; and David Reynolds, distinguished professor of English at Baruch College, CUNY, discuss the characteristics of this influential movement and its impact on contemporary culture.

THE CITY AND THE SOUL: As the Industrial Revolution promised more and more inexplicable wonders of the modern world, Gothic art and literature became both backward and forward looking. In her novel  Frankenstein , Mary Shelley warned of the dangers of how science could get out of control, while Sir Giles Gilbert Scott used Gothic architecture to memorialise Prince Albert as a medieval hero. Meanwhile, poets indulged in hallucinatory drugs to reach new Gothic heights. Where would it all end? A BBC Production.

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Romanticism in Frankenstein

Related Papers

Subhendu Sarkar

This note discusses the elements of romanticism in Mary Shelley's novel, Frankenstein.

Jaqueline Bohn Donada

Romantic English literature – written at a time when prose fiction was predominantly a medium for sheer entertainment – is rooted in poetry. One or two novelists may exceptionally be granted the adjective “Romantic”, but Mary Shelley is not ranked among them. For centuries, her work has been restricted to that section in handbooks reserved for exotic Gothic literature. This thesis argues that literary criticism has failed to recognize Frankenstein’s obvious relation with the movement. The argument will be fostered by a brief look at such handbooks, and developed through the analysis of the imagery of the novel, so as to trace the Romantic elements there contained. The analysis relies mainly on the frame developed by Northrop Frye concerning the nature and function of imagery in literature. The concept of intertextuality will also be useful as a tool to account for the insertion of images in the novel, and for the novel’s insertion within the Romantic context. The work is divided int...

Grace Lapointe

In Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein, the monster exhibits several qualities associated with poets and artists in the Romantic tradition. Like many poets and artist figures in Romantic writing, he is often physically isolated from others, and his intellect seems to alienate him emotionally...The monster illustrates qualities often associated with artists in Romantic poetry, such as sensitivity, curiosity, and alienation, showing that these traits are inherent rather than instilled through culture.

Vittoria S Rubino, Ph.D.

Pieces of literature are never written in isolation from transitional periods in time, allowing works to become symbolic structures of history. During the 19th century in Europe, Romantics sought to dispute the values of Enlightenment ideals while also developing a humanistic critique of the Industrial Revolution, and the indications are transparent in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. Mary Shelley intentionally draws upon a number of contemporary sources for her understanding of electrical science in the novel. New Historicism, or Cultural Poetics, emphasizes the interaction between the historical context of a work and a modern reader’s understanding and interpretation of the work. Reading the novel Frankenstein within the framework of New Historicism and Cultural Criticism renders a more modern interpretation of the novel as a judgment of science, and depicts the influence of the ideals of the Romantic Movement: freedom of thought and expression, skepticism about science, society’s potential to be transformed by the individual, the plight of the individual, and the appeal of nature to affect one’s emotions. Mary Shelley’s novel is a reaction to the hollowness and vanity of Enlightenment thought that later led to the Industrial Revolution. Victor Frankenstein is presented as a doctor who is discontent with his mediocre life, living outside of Romantic ideals. Frankenstein believes he will achieve satisfaction through the use of scientific and alchemic measures, which helps him accomplish the creation of his Monster. In her criticism of the Enlightenment, Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein articulates the revolutionary spirit of the Romantic era, and anticipates the coming of the Industrial Revolution.

International Journal of English Language and Translation Studies

The tool for Mary Shelley to criticize and satirize Romanticism is her famous character, Victor Frankenstein, or as the subtitle of the novel suggests: The Modern Prometheus. In Romantic beliefs, Prometheus was the symbol of limitless ability and freedom to whom many Romantic Poets pay tribute. In contrast, in Mary Shelley's opinion, this 'metaphysical revolt' cannot go unpunished. The aim of this paper is to examine, through a Foucauldian reading, the mythic character of Prometheus in Romantic era, and the differences existing between Marry Shelley's presentations of the modern version of the character and the Romantic version, and to show how Mary Shelley, belonging to other discourses rather than the dominant one, opposes the Romantic-related ideas. As Foucault believes there exist other discourses along with the dominant one all of which are in a constant struggle over power in a hierarchy. Mary Shelley follows some marginalized discourses, and her opposition to Romantic ideals stems from her relationship with other major Romantic Poets, and also from getting influence from some scientific experimentations of her day. She witnesses the harshness in her relationships with Romantic Poets, and their doomed aspirations, which agonizingly affect her life.

Jaqueline Donada

Irem Altunsuyu

The Gothic Movement originated together with the Romanticism Movement, which attract attention in the 18th century. Frankenstein or Modern Prometheus, one of the earliest works of science fiction, was written by Mary Shelley, one of the English pioneers of this field. At the time it was written, Frankenstein was acclaimed in the literature. Although Mary Shelley's name was not included in the book's first printing, she published it under her name in the second and quickly came to fame as a writer. At the same time, she gained enormous popularity as a writer and as a character, and numerous stage performances were turned into films and television shows. A significant character in the book is Frankenstein. Mary Shelley discussed her personal life when drafting this book, and a claim she made with her friends served as one of the inspirations for it. One more example of the book's originality is when the author begins to write after seeing the character in his dreams. “Victor Frankenstein”, the book's main character, looks like a god. Even “John Milton's Paradise Lost” was mentioned by Mary Shelley in the text. The book's key themes are “Victorian industrialization and technical advancements”. The surname of a significant figure in British politics is Frankenstein. After creating a creature that he does not desire, the main character must confront the creature. In essence, it describes the balance between God and Man. However, the reader ultimately determines whether God or Man is at fault. Mary Shelley emphasizes the human phenomena in a capitalist society in this situation. The work, which combined industrialization and technology with horrific elements during the peak of the “Romanticism Movement”, is a masterpiece of the “Gothic Romanticism Movement.”

CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture

Shun-liang Chao

Influenced by Enlightenment philosophes like Rousseau and Smith, Romantic writers, such as Coleridge and Percy Shelley, celebrate the sublime power of sympathetic love to merge the self and the other (be it human or inhuman) into a wondrous whole, thereby precluding the dangers of solitude and solipsism. Not all Romantic writers, however, share the same sanguine view of love. In Frankenstein, for instance, Mary Shelley offers an alternative to the optimistic perspective on the capacity of (mutual) sympathy. She shapes the novel into tales of bitter solitude, one caused by the lack of sympathetic understanding between Victor and nature, between the Monster and the De Laceys, and between the Monster and his father Victor. In these mutual relations, I argue, Shelley evokes elements of Enlightenment/ Romantic love, only to revoke its sublime power and furthermore turn it into despair. Rather than the Romantic joy of transcendent plenitude, the novel is shrouded in Gothic despair, the outright negation of redemption.

Wordsworth Editions Blog

Stephen Carver

To read Frankenstein is to enter a realm of intersecting myths. It is there immediately in the novel’s original subtitle ‘The Modern Prometheus’, a comparison between the Faustian Victor Frankenstein and the Titan who stole fire from the gods and was punished horribly for gifting it to humanity. As a response to Milton’s Paradise Lost the novel explores and interrogates the Christian myths of creation and fall. Frankenstein is also the source of one of the shaping myths of modern culture, a cautionary tale in which a scientist in pursuit of truth but unfettered by morality is destroyed by his own creation. That most people encounter the story first through one of the numerous film versions adds a further mythic layer populated by visions of Boris Karloff’s monster and Peter Cushing’s mad doctor, of De Niro’s tragic outcast, Herman Munster, Bladerunner, and the Bride of Re-Animator to name a few of the many. In gothic terms, only the Dracula mythos is as culturally endemic...

Dustin Gish

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109 Outstanding Frankenstein Essay Topics

Welcome to the Frankenstein Essay Topics page prepared by our editorial team! Here, you’ll find a selection of top ideas, questions, and titles for any academic paper. We have topics about Frankenstein’s literary analysis, characters, themes, and more.

• 🔬 Literary Analysis
• 🎭 Characters
• 📊 Compare & Contrast
• 🗺️ Navigation

🎓 References

Frankenstein is a famous novel, and students will often have to write papers about it. If you have received such an assignment, this article is for you! When writing a Frankenstein literary analysis essay , there are many areas you can consider, such as characters, themes, and context. Below, we have provided 99 outstanding ideas that you can use for your assignment or to find inspiration. Don’t forget to illustrate your arguments with quotes from text when writing your Frankenstein literary analysis.

🔬 Frankenstein Literary Analysis Essay Topics

• What are the literary devices used to create the image of Victor Frankenstein ?
• What literary devices are used to create the image of the Monster?
• What is the importance of setting in Frankenstein ?
• Romanticism in Frankenstein : the use of poetry in the novel’s narrative
• Who is the narrator of Frankenstein , and why is the narration important?
• Narrative technique in Frankenstein .
• Nature symbolism in Frankenstein .
• Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein as a tragedy
• How does weather reflect the narrative of Frankenstein ? Give examples.
• What does fire symbolize in Frankenstein ?
• How is the power of nature depicted in Frankenstein ?
• What is the purpose of letters in Frankenstein ?
• The importance of allusions in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein .
• Biblical symbolism in Frankenstein .
• Why is Frankenstein called Modern Prometheus?
• Point of view in Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
• Frankenstein : a deconstructive reading
• Analyze the romantic elements in Frankenstein .
• Is Frankenstein a gothic novel?
• What literary devices are used to create fear in Frankenstein ?
• What is the writing style of Frankenstein ?
• Examine the role of suspense and foreshadowing throughout Frankenstein . Do you think these devices are effective?
• How does foreshadowing differ among the three main narrators of Frankenstein (Walton, Victor, and the Monster)?
• What is the purpose of the ring composition of Frankenstein ?
• How does Mary Shelley ’s Frankenstein allude to the myth of Prometheus?
• How is Frankenstein a romantic and horror novel?
• What role do letters from Elizabeth play in Frankenstein ‘s narrative?
• What would the novel be like if it was narrated by only Frankenstein or only the monster ?
• What does the novel gain from having so many levels of narration? Why do you suppose it might have been structured with so many embedded narratives?
• In what ways and for what ends does Mary Shelley utilize the myth of Prometheus in her novel, Frankenstein ?
• Three Separate Narratives within Shelley’s Frankenstein
• Frankenstein : Weather, Seasons, and Emotional Symbolism

🎭 Frankenstein Essay Topics: Characters

• How are women depicted in Frankenstein ? How does Shelley make them look passive?
• Why isn’t Frankenstein ’s monster given a name?
• Who is the real monster in Frankenstein ?
• Is Frankenstein ’s monster responsible for the characters’ deaths ?
• What did the childhood of Victor Frankenstein look like? What role does it play in the narrative?
• Does the monster’s eloquence and persuasiveness make it easier for the reader to sympathize with him? Why do you think most film versions of the story present the monster as mute or inarticulate?
• Trace the similarities between Victor Frankenstein and the Monster . Consider their respective relationships with nature, desires for family , and any other important parallels you find.
• Do Victor and the Monster become more similar to Frankenstein ‘s plot? How does their relationship with each other develop?
• Victor attributes his tragic fate to his relentless search for knowledge. Do you think that this is the true cause of his suffering?
• Why does Shelley describe all female characters in Frankenstein as self-sacrificing and passive?
• Who is more human, the Monster of Frankenstein ?
• Analyze the motivations of the main characters in Frankenstein .
• Victor and the Monster feature radically different perspectives on the events of Frankenstein . Whose viewpoint do you support?
• Is the Creature’s demand for a female companion a valid request? Examine the pros and cons of Victor’s compliance.
• After watching the she-monster torn to pieces, the Creature vows that Victor will “repent of the injuries (he) inflicts. Is the Creature justified in his feelings? Why or why not?
• What role does Elizabeth play in Frankenstein ?
• What is the motivation behind Victor’s vow to find and destroy his creature? Has he learned any lessons?
• Discuss the humanity of Frankenstein ‘s Monster.
• What role does Justine Moritz play in the novel?
• What is the Monster’s experience of meeting people? How do they react? Why is it so?
• How does the Monster learn to read and speak? What is his motivation?
• What role does Safie play in Frankenstein ? Look at her situation from the feminist perspective. She considers marrying a Christian as the only way to become a freer woman. What does this fact tell us about the society she lives in?
• Why does the Monster kill William Frankenstein?
• Examine the relationship between Victor Frankenstein and his monster. How do they interact and communicate with each other?
• How does the creature of Frankenstein form the archetypal monster/horror character?
• “Victor Frankenstein and the Monster share the same personality: like father, like son”. Defend or attack this statement.
• How does Walton’s narration affect the story? How does it affect your interpretation of characters and events?
• Do you think that the monster has free will? Provide textual examples in support of your claim.

🌻 Frankenstein Essay Topics: Themes

• How is the theme of loneliness depicted in Frankenstein by Mary Shelley?
• Discuss the role of sickness in the novel. Victor often seems to fall ill after traumatic events. Is this a means of escape, and, if so, is it effective?
• In what ways does Frankenstein present science and knowledge as dangerous and destructive ?
• How is the idea of exploration revealed in Frankenstein ?
• Responsibility as a Theme in Frankenstein
• How are the dangers of obsession shown in Frankenstein ?
• What ethical concerns the use of animal and human bodies by Victor Frankenstein might raise?
• Analyze Frankenstein through the prism of feminist theory
• Describe the theme of kindness and compassion in Frankenstein
• Frankenstein : the theme of birth
• To what extent does Frankenstein support Mary Wollstonecraft’s claim that women were treated as inferior to men?
• Homosexuality in Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
• Science is portrayed in a bad light in the novel Frankenstein . The author implies that the direction that civilization moves in is determined by what it understands about power. Analyze this statement in relation to the current society.
• Does Frankenstein present the value of the domestic circle?
• Describe how the theme of ambition is presented in Frankenstein .
• Throughout the novel, Victor Frankenstein states that he had no choice, that he was destined, that it was fate that he created the monster. Were his actions really a matter of fate? Or is he simply using fate as an excuse for his actions?
• Critical analysis of human Nature in Frankenstein , as it Connects to Freudian Psychology
• Scientific inquiry in Frankenstein
• Frankenstein as a feminist novel
• Desire and revenge in Frankenstein and Prometheus
• The theme of knowledge portrayed in Frankenstein

⌛ Frankenstein Essay Topics: Context

• Describe how Mary Shelley’s life experiences influenced the story of Frankenstein
• What is the historical relevance of Frankenstein by Mary Shelley? Find in the text the examples of reactions to the historical movements of the Enlightenment , industrial revolution, and romanticism.
• How are the ideas of Shelley’s parents presented in Frankenstein ?
• How does Frankenstein rely on the ideas, beliefs, and issues presented in other texts?
• How might Frankenstein be read as a commentary on scientific progress?
• Historical Context in Frankenstein
• Frankenstein : the autobiography of Mary Shelley?

📊 Compare & Contrast Frankenstein Essay Questions

• Compare and contrast Frankenstein and The Last Man by Mary Shelley
• Science & Nature in Frankenstein & Blade Runner
• How is the theme of revenge shown in Frankenstein and Hamlet ?
• Frankenstein : compare the novel with the movie of 1937
• Compare Frankenstein and The Picture of Dorian Gray
• On First Looking into Chapman’s Homer vs. Frankenstein : compare & contrast
• Compare Frankenstein and Macbeth
• Make a comparison of The Handmaid’s Tale and Frankenstein
• Which Frankenstein movie is most like the book?
• Macbeth & Frankenstein : compare & contrast
• Discuss the differences and similarities between Victor Frankenstein and Beowulf
• Compare and contrast Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and Robert Stevenson’s The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde .
• How has Frankenweenie , a film by Tim Burton, transformed Frankenstein by Mary Shelley to appeal to modern audiences?
• Frankenstein vs. Great Expectations : compare & contrast
• From superhuman to posthuman: The gothic technological imaginary in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and Octavia Butler’s Xenogenesis
• Science, gender and otherness in Shelley’s Frankenstein and Kenneth Branagh’s film adaptation
• Compare and contrast the theme of appearances in Frankenstein to the same theme in other literary works.
• Monstrous characters in Frankenstein and Hedda Gabler
• Pity and revenge in Frankenstein and The Cry of the Children
• Technology’s effect on human relationships: comparing Station Eleven and Frankenstein
• Gender roles in Frankenstein and Fantomina
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IvyPanda . "109 Outstanding Frankenstein Essay Topics." March 12, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/lit/study-guide-on-frankenstein/outstanding-essay-topics/.