Frankenstein as a Criticism of the Enlightenment and Romantic Movements - Term Paper Example

Frankenstein as a Criticism of the Enlightenment and Romantic Movements Introduction Many literary historians have long d the connection betweenMary Shelley’s Frankenstein and Romantic and Enlightenment ideals. Even as the enlightenment and the Romantic Movement in great part exist in response to each other, they both prevalently explored throughout Shelley’s novel. Upon further inspection, it’s clear that the novel just as equally represents an acute critique of these 19th century principles. Shelley broadens many different areas in conjunction with the tenets of Romanticism and the Enlightenment. One of the major aspects of her writings deals with the scientific and technological ideals of the time period. Being a learned scholar of the time Shelley incorporated her own views into Frankenstein as a reflection and reaction to the Enlightened and Romantic period. This essay considers the means by which Shelley utilizes her novel Frankenstein as a means of critiquing these movements. Criticism of Enlightenment The basis behind many of the Enlightenment thinkers was the aura of challenge. Writers such as Voltaire, Locke and Rousseau challenged social norms, government policies, religious beliefs and hierarchy as well as class structure. This mindset of challenge was also applied to the world of science. Previously, scientific advancement and enlightenment was deeply frowned upon in a religious light. However, by challenging religious ideals and hierarchal structure the scientific revolution was able to take seed. This seed planted by the Enlightenment continued to grow as more of society embraced developmental changes. (Delon 2001) With Frankenstein, Shelley acts to show the pitfalls of complete reliance on these scientific and intellectual ideals. From an early age Shelley had been introduced to the world of science and human society through her parents. Frankenstein began with a dedication to her parents as well as incorporating many ideas that they held. Both Godwin and Shelley shared a passionate interest in the sciences, more specifically chemistry. Shelley had read many of the different publications of the time and was well aware the scientific theories and experiments. (Delon 2001) When it came time to construct the novel of Frankenstein Shelley developed her own ideas of science while finding methods to criticize the contrasting scientific ideals of the Enlightenment. This relationship is slowly and methodically structured through the story of Victor and his creation of the gruesome monster. After the preface of Frankenstein we follow Victor’s journey from the beginnings of his first scientific inclination. His outdated studies of human philosophy and alchemy soon flourish into a full-fledged quest in search of the mysterious creation of life. Victor enravels himself in his studies with extreme enthusiasm. He begins to neglect his social life as well as his family that is far off in Geneva. Victor begins to envision a new race of wonderful begins that could live alongside the humans of existing society. However, the end result is far from the vision of his dream. In the author’s introduction Shelley states, I saw with shut eyes, but acute mental vision I saw the pale student of unhallowed arts kneeling beside the thing he had put together. I saw the hideous phantasm of a man stretched out, and then, on the working of some powerful engine, show signs of life and stir with an uneasy, half-vital motion. Frightful must it be, for supremely frightful would be the effect of any human endeavor to mock the stupendous mechanism of the Creator of the world (Introduction). In these instances one witnesses the criticism of the Enlightenment ideals. Considering the criticism of the enlightenment, it’s clear that in Dr. Frankenstein’s complete and entire reliance on science is presented as a sort of perversion of the enlightenment ideals of scientific truth and progress. In a sense, Frankenstein has taken science to its ultimate pinnacle in actually recreating a human being, however in this creation it’s seen that the ultimate goal of scientific progress is debased. While the enlightenment presents scientific and intellectual progress as transcendent and the ultimate goal of humanity in Frankenstein it’s understood as leading to a fateful conclusion. Victor is a complex character, offering even more motives for the reader’s sensitivity to him. His anguishes are always brought about by his own creation, which plagues him so arduously, that his mental and physical health is impacted severely. After the “monster” murders his wife, Shelley demonstrates Victor’s sorrows, “Could I behold this, and live? Alas! Life is obstinate, and clings closest where it is most hated” (Pg. 144). Up to the creation he was ecstatic about the prospects, but once life started to stir within the monster, he turned back on the supposed wonder of the feat and looked down upon it. For example, Frankenstein compares his selection of the monsters parts: "I had selected the features as beautiful," indicating he took immense pride in the creation working up to it, but after the conglomeration of these beautiful features came to life, he viewed them as a "horrid contrast" as a whole, demonstrating the ultimate pitfalls of Enlightenment ideals of intellectual progress. The themes previously stated are incorporated into the message that Shelley portrays as a reactionary attitude of the time period. During the time of Enlightenment many changes had occurred, especially with the cultural aspects of Western Europe. Many of these societal changes can be traced back to roots within scientific and technological advancements. Science and technology were welcome changes for they meant positive development. The positive attitude of the Enlightenment thinkers was still prevalent throughout the time period. Through these themes Frankenstein functions to criticize the complete reliance on the Enlightenment ideals by showing their perversion in Victor’s sordid creation. Criticism of the Romantic Movement The idea of romanticism ranged from actions and thoughts, to emotion and state of being Romanticism is, “A literary, artistic, and philosophical movement originating in the 18th century, characterized chiefly by an emphasis on the imagination and emotions, marked especially in English literature” (Abrams 1973, pg. ix) In other words, it is the concept of looking more toward nature and ideas as solutions to problems rather than rational materialism; which is looking at nature simply as passive material for man to exploit. The difference here though, is that the primary focus for the romanticists was to not worry about your actions, that you just do what you do, think what you think, and live how you live. This is what brought many of the trends in the literature in the 1800s about (Abrams 1973). Throughout Frankenstein Mary Shelley uses several of the literary trends that coincide with the influence of romantic ideas; however, she turns them on their head and demonstrate that these trends are in great part flawed. These trends in turn distribute the basis of a recurring theme to which shows how Mary Shelley felt about the Industrial Revolution. The “monster” is a friendless character that Shelley compels the reader to feel for. There are many more aspects about the “monster” that can be pitied. His hideousness, failed attempts at human interaction, and primary desertion by his own creator all make excellent avenues for Shelley to bring the reader to terms with the “monster’s” afflictions. A choice example of this is when the “monster” attempts to befriend a young boy and receives only hurtful remarks from him, “’monster! Ugly wretch! You wish to tear me to pieces—you are an ogre’…and loaded me with epithets which carried despair to my heart” (Pg. 102). When the “monster” says, that despair is brought to his heart by the boy’s hurtful expressions, I immediately comprehended his emotions. Although he is a “monster”, I was able to empathize with his anguishes. In these instances one sees a critique of the Romantic ideal of the ‘noble savage’. While the monster exists in a pure state of existence, free from the intrusions of social progress, it’s clear that it’s a perverted state and it much maligned by society. One finds a suspenseful sense of danger within Victor’s pursuit of knowledge. Victor attempts to surpass the limits that had been set by previous human exploration. This pursuit completely enraptures the character of Victor, building into an obsessive and dangerous desire to play the role a creator. This romantic quest probes beyond the knowledge that no other human may have previously possessed. By obtaining this knowledge Victor gains Godlike characteristics. In a sense this is a direct criticism of the Romantic ideals of elevating human beings into living gods. One sees this in the Romantic concept of the artist as genius creator. In a sense, Victor is the artist or author-like genius that had been exalted by the Romantic Movement; however Shelley demonstrates the fallibility of endowing individuals with such Godlike status. Conclusion Shelley found it necessary to criticize the new trends of knowledge and development as evidenced in the Enlightenment and Romantic Movement. Though Shelley greatly advocated and respected science and technology of the Enlightenment, she warned against the misuse of such powerful knowledge. Enforcing an endless thirst for knowledge or a Romantic desire to “play God” may result in destruction. As in Frankenstein, Victor exceeds the limits of acceptance. In doing so his life as well as the lives of others was destroyed. While just as Victor found science to be a true source of knowledge, so did Shelley. By allowing for society to access and explore scientific knowledge as whole situations like the one displayed in Frankenstein could be avoided. Yet, ultimately the major disaster that Victor created was in engineering a creature that society would never accept. References Abrams, M.H., Natural Supernaturalism: Tradition and Revolution in Romantic Literature (New York: W.W. Norton, 1973). Delon, Michel. Encyclopedia of the Enlightenment (2001) Literature of the Western World, Volume II: Neoclassicism Through the Modern Period (5th Edition) by Brian Wilkie (Author) and James Hurt (Author) Read More

After the preface of Frankenstein we follow Victor’s journey from the beginnings of his first scientific inclination. His outdated studies of human philosophy and alchemy soon flourish into a full-fledged quest in search of the mysterious creation of life. Victor enravels himself in his studies with extreme enthusiasm. He begins to neglect his social life as well as his family that is far off in Geneva. Victor begins to envision a new race of wonderful begins that could live alongside the humans of existing society.

However, the end result is far from the vision of his dream. In the author’s introduction Shelley states, I saw with shut eyes, but acute mental vision I saw the pale student of unhallowed arts kneeling beside the thing he had put together. I saw the hideous phantasm of a man stretched out, and then, on the working of some powerful engine, show signs of life and stir with an uneasy, half-vital motion. Frightful must it be, for supremely frightful would be the effect of any human endeavor to mock the stupendous mechanism of the Creator of the world (Introduction).

In these instances one witnesses the criticism of the Enlightenment ideals. Considering the criticism of the enlightenment, it’s clear that in Dr. Frankenstein’s complete and entire reliance on science is presented as a sort of perversion of the enlightenment ideals of scientific truth and progress. In a sense, Frankenstein has taken science to its ultimate pinnacle in actually recreating a human being, however in this creation it’s seen that the ultimate goal of scientific progress is debased.

While the enlightenment presents scientific and intellectual progress as transcendent and the ultimate goal of humanity in Frankenstein it’s understood as leading to a fateful conclusion. Victor is a complex character, offering even more motives for the reader’s sensitivity to him. His anguishes are always brought about by his own creation, which plagues him so arduously, that his mental and physical health is impacted severely. After the “monster” murders his wife, Shelley demonstrates Victor’s sorrows, “Could I behold this, and live? Alas! Life is obstinate, and clings closest where it is most hated” (Pg. 144). Up to the creation he was ecstatic about the prospects, but once life started to stir within the monster, he turned back on the supposed wonder of the feat and looked down upon it.

For example, Frankenstein compares his selection of the monsters parts: "I had selected the features as beautiful," indicating he took immense pride in the creation working up to it, but after the conglomeration of these beautiful features came to life, he viewed them as a "horrid contrast" as a whole, demonstrating the ultimate pitfalls of Enlightenment ideals of intellectual progress. The themes previously stated are incorporated into the message that Shelley portrays as a reactionary attitude of the time period.

During the time of Enlightenment many changes had occurred, especially with the cultural aspects of Western Europe. Many of these societal changes can be traced back to roots within scientific and technological advancements. Science and technology were welcome changes for they meant positive development. The positive attitude of the Enlightenment thinkers was still prevalent throughout the time period. Through these themes Frankenstein functions to criticize the complete reliance on the Enlightenment ideals by showing their perversion in Victor’s sordid creation.

Criticism of the Romantic Movement The idea of romanticism ranged from actions and thoughts, to emotion and state of being Romanticism is, “A literary, artistic, and philosophical movement originating in the 18th century, characterized chiefly by an emphasis on the imagination and emotions, marked especially in English literature” (Abrams 1973, pg. ix) In other words, it is the concept of looking more toward nature and ideas as solutions to problems rather than rational materialism; which is looking at nature simply as passive material for man to exploit.

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