Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein"

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that while the Romantic period was known for its intense appreciation of nature, it also exhibited a heightened interest in the occult, the gothic and the strange phenomena as reflected in Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein". The author points out the most striking similarity between Victor Frankenstein and the monster, both of which were created as Byronic figures, is, that like his creator, the monster also shuns society but simply because of society's repulsion of him. The paper relates that Frankenstein, a social misfit, is driven by an intense desire to do something outrageously different in order to earn high social status and immense fame and recognition, which shows his deep yearning for social superiority.

From the Paper:

"The heroes and central characters that emerged during the literature of this period were thus usually viewed as the anti-social specie with some dark attributes and deep capacity for analysis and observation of human nature. In this novel too, we notice that both Victor and the monster share some common traits such as deep intellectual tendency to analyze and study human nature. Both are dark heroes with negative characteristics who are often instigated against the society due to the cruel behavior of the people around him. Their anti-social attitude emerged from mistreatment of society and they both in their own unique way rebelled against the fixed social rules and norms. When the society shunned them, both began displaying a negative streak, which shows that unlike the traditional hero, there is no redeeming quality or "heroic virtue" that could help them emerge as a real hero in the end."

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