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Frankenstein: A Romantic String of Fantasies

            For one to be a romantic one must first have the freedom of self expression and that indeed was what Mary Shelley possessed as she wrote her novel, Frankenstein. She comprised a story of many original and imaginative ideas which came solely from her boundless individual imagination. She incorporated many bold and at times far-fetched dreams into her characters as she wrote, and in the end she came up with a string of romantic fantasies. Major and minor characters alike had dreams; some of love and others of simply fame, but these dreams and fantasies make Frankenstein a true romantic novel. When it comes to Shelley herself, she no longer wanted part in the mechanical rules of conventional form so she too fulfilled her fantasy of something new and it was Shelley who lived vicariously through her characters.
             The first dream from the novel is Walton's and his dream to reach the North Pole. His dream is expressed in letters written home to his sister during his voyage. In his first letter Walton writes, "I shall satiate my ardent curiosity with a sight of a part of the world never before visited and may tread a land never before imprinted by the foot of man," (Shelley 28). This shows his intense passion and desire that he puts toward his dream and fantasy of being a famous pioneer. There are the romantic thoughts expressed about the unknown and the undiscovered. There is Walton's desire for fame in which he will risk anything he has to in order to reach is ultimate dream which is a romantic ideal. On putting fame first he says, "My life might have been passed in ease and luxury; but I preferred glory to every enticement that wealth placed in my path" (29). Again Walton's dedication is displayed. This is Shelley's first example in her novel of the dreams in which characters work to achieve. This is simply foreshadowing what will come later in the novel. .
             The next example of fantasy in the novel is with the main character Victor and his dream to create life.


Essays Related to Frankenstein: A Romantic String of Fantasies

1. Frankenstein's Romantic Hero

Generally considered the invention of Lord Byron, a famous romantic writer and poet, Byronic heroes are representative of the ideals of the Romantics. ... In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein the Romantic hero is embodied by the creature. ... For these reasons the Byronic hero of Frankenstein is the creature, not Victor Frankenstein. ... (p.85), says Frankenstein. ... Steeped in Romantic philosophy and morals, the creature of Frankenstein is a quintessential romantic hero. ...

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2. Frankenstein

Frankenstein was written during the Romantic Period in history and the author, Mary Shelley, was influenced by the period. ... In my opinion, Victor Frankenstein is not a romantic hero, but his monster definitely is portrayed as one. Before the Romantic period, people lived during the Industrial Revolution. ... Although Frankenstein is not a Romantic character, we as readers can recognize Frankenstein as a hero through many of his noble traits. ... As he goes out into the world around him, he becomes an anti-Romantic. ...

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3. Frankenstein (Romantic And Gothic Horror)

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4. Frankenstein

According to the critical essay on the Overview of Frankenstein by George V. Griffith, "Frankenstein typifies the most important ideas of the Romantic era, among them the primacy of feelings, the dangers of intellect, dismay over the human capacity to corrupt our natural goodness, the agony of the questing, solitary hero, and the awesome power of the sublime." Griffith points out the fact that Frankenstein displays these ideas of the Romantic era through Victor Frankenstein and through the monster, which at times he believes are the same person. ... Griffith also points out another idea of the...

  • Word Count: 626
  • Approx Pages: 3
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5. Frankenstein

It is unfortunate what the films using the name Frankenstein have done to prejudice readers against this novel. ... "The being in Frankenstein, is no doubt, a tremendous creature. ... "The romantics valued natural beauty, an appreciation that is present throughout Frankenstein in Shelley's scenes amid the mountains and lakes of Switzerland and on the frozen sea's of Siberia (Moss, pg116)." ... This is because Mary Shelley set out to express her Romantic ideals. ... During the years preceding the writing of Frankenstein, the Luddite movement was growing. ...

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6. Frankenstein - Gothic, Romantic, Science Fiction

The charm of this masterpiece is not only is it a gothic novel, but a romantic and science fiction novel as well. ... Frankenstein is clearly a gothic novel, but at the same time it is a romantic novel as well. Romantic literature includes themes such as love for nature, the rejection of society, and intense interest for the unknown. ... The monster is angry at Frankenstein for having created him. ... Shelley effectively was able to combine a gothic, romantic, and science fiction novel to create a masterpiece. ...

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7. Themes of Frankenstein

Also her husband Percy Shelley wrote a number of poems and was greatly into the Romantic Movement. Shelley includes references to Percy Shelley's poems and other Romantic poems such as the 'Rime of the Ancient Mariner' by Samuel Taylor Coleridge and Milton's 'Paradise Lost', the references to these show to the reader the Romantic view of the importance of emotions and the imagination, and also the importance of the individual. ... The Romantic Movement marked the practice and reaction in literature, art, religion and politics. ... Nature was also greatly used and ...

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8. Prometheus

For the romantics Prometheus became a symbol of man's resistance and rebellion against political despotism. ... Mary Shelly's Frankenstein combines characteristics of the mythological hero with those of the Romantic one. ... Like the Romantic Prometheus, he does so by manipulating science and thus resisting traditional authority, especially that of the church. ... The creature often called Frankenstein' rather than `Frankenstein's monster`, is not the only `abomination to God`. Victor Frankenstein is portrayed as a `spoilt brat of a child`, whose overindulgence results in ...

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9. Frankenstein - The Quest to Create an Artificial Life

In the novel Frankenstein, the isolation experienced by Victor Frankenstein is also a theme of Shelley's life. ... Shelley is forced into isolation because of her romantic ventures and political beliefs. ... Shelley also experienced alienation from society through her romantic endeavors and political stance. ... Shelley became distanced from her father, who felt her romantic endeavors were shameful (Ty). ... Finally, the concept of alienation was very familiar to Shelley because of her lifestyle, romantic pursuits, and political beliefs. ...

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