Elements Of Romanticism In Frankenstein

The word “Gothic” can spark many things in one’s mind: a towering church with gargoyles perched atop the roof, a sepulchral woman clad in black, or even a song with dark lyrics. These all relate to the word, but a certain type of literature falls under the name “Gothic” as well, and it is a subgenre of Romantic. One of the most popular Gothic books both today and 150 years ago is Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. It tells the story of how a man obsessed with the secrets of life creates a monster and is sure to send chills up anyone’s spine. This work can be called “Gothic” and “Romantic” because of the horror elements, strong emotions, and focus on appearances. As you may know, horror is an extreme emotion with the elements of surprise, fear, and suspense. In a Gothic or Romantic novel, an author must know how to convey this emotion properly. Frankenstein contains many instances that make for a frightening story. Many times in the novel, Dr. Frankenstein will recall the times when he saw his monster unexpectedly. This is him describing one instance: “A flash of lightning illuminated the
Among these are hate and regret. Hate first makes its appearance in the novel when Dr. Frankenstein sees his monster come to life. He loathes looking at its pale yellow skin, deformed figure, and glazed-over eyes. Eventually, this disgust and hatred turns to fear when he runs out of his laboratory. After he recovers from his fright, he continues to hate the monster, not only because he is ugly, but because he suspects he has committed murder. In addition, he detests himself for creating it: “But I, the true murderer, felt the never-dying worm in my bosom, which allowed of no hope or consolation.” (Shelley 59) This statement also shows his regret in attempting to create life, which is shown until the novel ends and he is telling his story to a man on an exploration