Mary Shelley s Frankenstein - Romantic Ideology Of A...

Romanticism, the literary movement that began in the late eighteenth century and gained strength during the Industrial revolution, emphasizes emotion, sublimity, and the significance of nature among other things. Writers during this time period wrote literature that was a clear reflection of Romanticism, and one of those authors was Mary Wollstonecraft Shelly. Her novel Frankenstein, which was published in 1818, incorporates different characteristics of Romanticism in many aspects but more directly through the characters. With an analysis of Victor Frankenstein, the monster, and Henry Clerval, it is clear that the characters of Frankenstein epitomize ideologies that were embodied during the Romantic Era including the Byronic hero, and emphasis on nature’s significance. Victor Frankenstein s character is an example of the romantic ideology of a Byronic hero. According to the article, Generationalizing: Romantic Social Forms and the Case of Mary Shelley s Frankenstein, published in 2010, The Byronic Hero, also known as the Romantic hero, usually pursues a romantic quest and is found in Romanticism as well in Frankenstein. Victor Frankenstein’s story is a mission toward self-destruction, and he reflects a Romantic hero precisely. The Romantic hero is not as honorable as the stereotypical idea of a basic hero but rather, has numerous destructive qualities. Frankenstein is radical considering his intelligence, pride, interests, and self-destructive tendency. He is a person