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Examples Of Sublime In Frankenstein

765 Words4 Pages

Noah Gonzales 2/5/23
Dr. Nolan
English 10

The theme of the sublime, or the experience of horror and beauty simultaneously, plays a significant role in Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein." The book explores the consequences of human ambition and the desire to attain knowledge beyond one's limits, as represented by Victor Frankenstein's quest to create life and Captain Walton's quest at the North Pole. Through the creation of the monster and the exploration of the north pole, Shelley goes into the dangers of playing God and the fear of the unknown.
In "Frankenstein," Doctor Frankenstein attempts to play God and to try to create the sublime in the figure of the monster, as it represents …show more content…

Throughout the novel, Victor Frankenstein is drawn to the beauty and majesty of nature, which inspires him to try and be God-like. Shelley provides many examples of nature that Victor encounters, for example, "the snowy mountains" (Shelley 76) and the "Alps of Savoy" (Shelley 77). Shelley uses the sublime to convey the vastness and power of nature and to show us the limitations of human understanding and control that Victor feels. She writes about times when Victor experiences the sublime in nature. For instance, when a storm passes Victor, he says, "vivid flashes of lightning dazzled my eyes" (Shelley 77). This quote can also a call back to when he harnessed the lightning to shock his monster to life. By doing so, she emphasizes Victor's desire to be God and to manipulate nature. The depiction of nature as a source of the sublime reinforces the idea that humans are small and insignificant in comparison to the magnificence of the natural world. Shelley suggests that humanity should strive to live in harmony with nature rather than trying to manipulate

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