Romantic Elements of Frankenstein

The Gratitude of Nature

Victor uses an element of nature and creates a being more stronger and intelligent than a human being.

Lightening, thunderstorm

Discover the secrets of "life and death"

The monster's description; "yellow skin", "lustrous black, and flowing" hair, and teeth of "pearly whiteness"

Walton is appreciating the beauty of the pole, the snow and how it will present itself

"I try in vain to be persuaded that the pole is the seat of frost and desolation; it ever presents itself to my imagination as the region of beauty and delight"

the summit of Montanvert

Nature has a calming effect on Victor, he goes to the lake to escape his feelings of despair and guilt

Due to the guilt of Justine's execution

"Often, after the rest of the family had retired for the night, I took the boat and passed many hours upon the water"

To grieve his brother William's murder

To escape his world of misery and refresh his soul

Victor goes to the valley of Chamonix to appreciate the beauty of the mountains, snow and nature.

"The weight upon my spirit was sensibly lightened as I plunged yet deeper in the ravine of Arve."

He hopes the power of nature and restore and heal the soul

"Alpine valleys, sought in the magnificence, the eternity of such scenes, to forget myself and my ephemeral, because human, sorrows."

Victor is amazed by the lightning and finds it amazing

"It was echoed from Saleve, the Juras, and the Alps of the Savoy; vivd flashes of lightening dazzled my eyes, illuminating the lake, making it appear like a vast sheet of fire"

"Appeared at once in various parts of the heavens"

Victor proclaims that he hates society, but wants to be near nature

"I abhorred society, wished to view again mountains and streams and all the wondrous works with which Nature adorns her chosen dwelling-places."

The monster spends time in nature, it has a gratifying affect on him

"My spirits were elevated by the enchanting appearance of nature; the past was blotted from my memory, the present was tranquil, and the future gilded by bright rays of hope and anticipations of joy."

Nature has a strong and happy effect on the mood of the monster's mood

"The pleasant sunshine and the pure air of day resorted me to some degree of tranquillity"

Pleased with the warmth fire creates

The monster adores the beauty of the moon

"woods and the lovely moon"

The monster is delighted to see the changing seasons and appreciates it's natural features

"One day, when the sun shone on the red leaves that strewed the ground and diffused cheerfulness, although it denied warmth"

"But my chief delights were the sight of the flowers, the birds, and all the gay apparel of summer; when those deserted me"

Emotion

Love

The connection between Felix and Safie

Symbol of love

“Felix seemed ravished with delight when he saw her, every trait of sorrow vanished from his face, and it instantly expressed a degree of ecstatic joy, of which I could hardly have believed it capable; his eyes sparkled, as his cheek flushed with pleasure; and at that moment I thought him as beautiful as the stranger."

The connection between the DeLaceys

Values of goodness and kindness

Relationship between father and his two children

"Nothing could exceed the love and respect which the younger cottagers exhibited towards their venerable companion. They performed towards him every little office of affection and duty with gentleness: and he rewarded them with his benevolent smiles."

Felix's kindness towards his sister

"In the midst of poverty and want, Felix carried with pleasure to his sister the first little white flower that peeped out from beneath snowy ground."

Even though they were poor they spend time together

The connection between Victor and his parents

Victor grew up with a happy family

"no youth could have passed more happily than his"

"My mother's tender caresses and my father's smile of benevolent pleasure while regarding me are my first recollections. I was their plaything and their idol and something better, their child, the innocent and helpless monster bestowed on them by Heaven."

Loving mother

Supportive father

Told Victor to seek happiness after William's death

The love between Victor and Elizabeth

The love felt towards Victor by Elizabeth

Always gave him advice to make him feel better

Wrote him a letter expressing her concern

Victor claims Elizabeth as his "possession"

"All praises bestowed on her, I received as made to a possession of my own"

neglect

Victor's abandons the creation due to the "disgust" in his appearance.

"more hideous than belongs to humanity, instantly informed me that it was the wretch, the filthy demon to whom I had given life"

Prejudice of looks and apperance

Society neglecting the monster due to his appearance

He felt alone when he saw the De Lacey's happy

His creator leaves him

This caused the creature to feel dejected and alone

"I was filled with the bittersweet sensations of despondence and mortification. Alas! I did not yet entirely know the fatal effects of this miserable deformity"

The monsters hatred toward Victor for his abandonment

The monster feels alone and desolate

"Accursed creator! Why did you form a monster so hideous that even you turned from me in disgust"

Passion

Victor's passion of exploring the creation of life from death

His family does not support his dedication to his studies

His profferers at his University inspire him to pursue his experiment in his curiosity of life.

He chooses his studies over his family.

The creature is understanding his emotions, he get's attached to the cottagers and considers them his newly "adopted" family

"Allow me now to return to the cottagers, whose story excited in me such various feelings of indignation, delight, and wonder"

Empathy

DeLacey a blind old man is unaware of the monsters wretched appearance and greets him with empathy and kindness

Sympathizes with the monster's unhappiness and gives him advice

“‘Do not despair. To be friendless is indeed to be unfortunate, but the hearts of men, when unprejudiced by any obvious self-interest, are full of brotherly love and charity. Rely, therefore, on your hopes; and if these friends are good and amiable, do not despair."

Victor feels empathy for the monster as he understands his emotions and pain

"I compassionated him and sometimes felt a wish to console him"

Lonliness

Walton feel alone and wants a companion, since he has no one he can be himself with

"I desire the company of a man who could sympathise with me, whose eyes would reply to mine. You may deem me romantic, my dear sister, but I bitterly feel the want of a friend"

The monster states how alone he is feeling

"Believe me, Frankenstein, I was benevolent; my soul glowed with love and humanity; but I am not alone, miserably alone?"

Emphasis on beauty

Caroline's inner and outer beauty is emphasized

"But Caroline Beaufort possessed a mind of an uncommon mould, and her courage rose to support her in her adversity."

"her soft and benevolent mind"

Emphasis on the beauty of Elizabeth

"a being heaven-sent, and bearing a celestial stamp in all her features"

"She was the living spirit of love to soften and attract"

"Seemed to set a crown of distinction on her head"

"Sympathy is ours; her smile, her soft voice, the sweet glance of her celestial eyes, were ever there to bless and animate us."

The monster realizes that humans have a more pleasing physic than him

"I had admired the perfect forms of my cottages- their grace, beauty, and delicate complexions

Jusine's beauty is emphasized

"For all the kindness which her beauty might otherwise have excited was obliterated in the minds of the spectators by the imagination of the enormity she was supposed to have committed."

"During all that period she appeared to me the most amiable and benevolent of human creatures."

Agatha is emphasized as an angel with beauty

"Her hair of a shining raven black, and curiously braided; her eyes were dark, but gentle, although animated; her features of a regular proportion, and her complexion wondrously fair, each cheek tinged with a lovely pink."

"she sang, and her voice flowed in a rich cadence, swelling or dying away like a nightingale of the woods"

Imagination

Victor

Lightning pulls Victor towards his creation

Power of destruction

Power of electricity

Sees how the lightning has the power of destruction when a tree is destroyed near is house

"I remained, while the storm lasted, watching its progress with curiosity and delight."

"Before this I was not unacquainted with the more obvious laws of electricity. On this occasion a man of great research in natural philosophy was with us, and excited by this catastrophe, he entered on the explanation of a theory which he had formed on the subject of electricity and galvanism, which was at once new and astonishing to me."

Self-destructive

Guilt and constant thoughts of his "thrice-accursed hands"

suicide by plunging "into the silent lake"

As a means of easing of his pain

Symbolism

God

Victor Frankenstein

Gives life to a dead body

Aspires to create beauty

Adam

Blames his creator

"Adam's supplication to his creator. But where was mine? He had abandoned me, and in the bitterness of my heart I cursed him"

Created with power

Adam had his Eve, unlike the monster who is starting to feel more and more desolate

"But it was all a dream; no Eve soothed my sorrows nor shared my thoughts; I was alone"

Satan

"Satan had his companions, fellow devils, to admire and encourage him, but I am solitary and abhorre"

The existence of good and evil present in all men

"Was man, indeed, at once so powerful, so virtuous and magnificent, yet so vicious and base? He appeared at one time a mere scion of the evil principle and at another as all that can be conceived of noble and godlike"