|
Mary Shelley's |
FRANKENSTEIN | |
|
GEOGRAPHY HISTORICAL INFO LITERARY TERMS
STUDY QUESTIONS |
The Romantics were, for the most part, disheartened liberals. They sought solitude in nature, believing that the key to all emotional healing could be found in nature. Nature imagery is the most predominant feature of Romantic literature. The idea of the disenfranchised man was also very common. Such men, who found themselves unable to live in society, were often revered and/or sympathized with. Frankenstein and his creature are both disenfranchised men - the creature because his form keeps him from any human company, and Frankenstein because he eventually feels that he cannot enjoy the company of his fellow men after unleashing a monster among them. Many Romantics (like Coleridge and both Shelleys) dealt with the supernatural. One common Romantic trait was making ordinary, everyday things seem wonderful and awe-inspiring. However, some went a step further and dealt with non-natural things. Frankenstein's creature (and his education/life) is not a common thing. It could not possibly be a real thing. Up until the Romantic era, writers wrote fiction that read as though it could possibly be real - and was often taken for truth. Frankenstein cannot be misconstrued as real. Want more information on Romanticism? Norton Anthology of English Literature: The Romantic Period Want more information on The Enlightenment? Modern History Sourcebook: Enlightenment
|