Elements Of Romanticism In Frankenstein

Quite possibly one of the most easily pieces of literature in popular culture today, Mary Shelley’s classic novel Frankenstein is a key novel in the Romantic movement. The key elements of the Romantic period are prevalent throughout the novel, particularly through the thoughts, emotions, and actions of the two Byronic heroes of the novel, Victor Frankenstein and the monster he creates out of the desire to learn the secrets of nature. Both the characters epitomize the Romantic ideals of a Byronic hero, as they both reject society and its norms and become not only self-centered but self-destructive in their goals. In this passage, Frankenstein finds his creation repulsive and scorns it, and in return, his monster turns against him and begins to kill everything he loves. The morals of Frankenstein, put forth through the pervasive elements of Romanticism present,
still resonate in society to this day. Now more than ever, the message of Mary Shelley’s pivotal novel, particularly on the rapid advancement of science and technology, serves as a warning to society to not delve too far into the unknown without considering the moral implications of such acts.
While creation of life from scratch, as Victor Frankenstein did, was considered to be utter science fiction around the time when the novel was published, it is quickly becoming a reality in modern times. For many years now, advancements in the realm of genetics have not only allowed scientists to clone organisms, thus giving scientists the potential ability to replicate beings and create life where it previously didn’t exist. The moral ramifications of trying to alter the course of nature by creating new life through technology simply to determine if it is possible, presented in Frankenstein, can be linked to the events that occur in Michael Crichton’s 1990 novel and subsequent movie franchise Jurassic Park. In the novel, a bioengineering company uses the genes found in dinosaur fossils to create living monsters in an attempt to push the limits of science and sets them loose on an island in hopes of creating a theme
park. A parallel can be drawn to Frankenstein, as Victor creates the monster out of arrogance and pride in his scientific abilities and sets him loose into the world. However, the morally irresponsible scientists, not thinking about the potential outcome of their actions, become unable to control the life they have created, and the dinosaurs begin to run rampant, murdering the island’s visitors, just as the monster murders Victor’s loved ones. It becomes evident that Victor is also deemed powerless over his creation, as the monster claims that even though Victor is his creator, the monster is his master. Despite being pure fiction at the time it was written, the dangers that came along with playing God that led to the demise of both Frankenstein and his creation in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein have provided for endless discussion on the morality of scientific advancements and the creation of life itself.