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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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in stark contrast Victor’s speeches are absurdly melodramatic, with words “expressive of furious detestation and contempt”, reflecting the violence of his feelings. Through the juxtaposition of their language, with Victor’s uncivilised, savaged passions contrasting to the creature’s eloquent, harmonious arrangement of words, Victor’s superiority and intelligence is usurped by his creation. (Through Shelley, we come to a heightened understanding of the significant dangers of humanity’s flawed nature as it provokes a lack of

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Shelley wrote the scene of his discovery in a single sentence that takes up the space of one regular sized paragraph coupled with a rhetorical question to emphasize the lengths that Victor went through to finally reach his glorifying moment of enlightenment and to question what he is striving for. To further elaborate on Victor’s journey to his discovery, Shelley juxtaposes his childhood education to his current endeavors that follow a completely opposite path; “In my education my father had taken the greatest precautions that my mind should be impressed with no supernatural horrors. I do not ever remember to have trembled at a tale of superstition, or to have feared the apparition of a spirit.” The juxtaposition enhances the contrast of the ideas Victor was raised upon, and the ideas he holds deep within himself during the present. Victor’s unconforming ideas and predilection for the mysterious reveal Shelley’s background in Romanticism and the effects that the era holds on her

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Dreanna Hypes Lit comp per 7 Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein, tells the horrific story of Victor Frankenstein, a scientist devoured by ambition, seeks to revive life to the deceased. Thus, a horrific monster is created. Terrified of its unsightly stature, Dr Frankenstein flees his creation, neglecting it severely a result, the monster. Lonely and depressed, seeks revenge on his creator, killing several members of his family and his closest friend. Throughout shelley uses imagery and toner to amplify the horror

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This often occurs in fulsome paragraphs that highlight Victor’s appreciation of romanticism and as such, his views on the topic of suffering. Robert Walton notices that "The starry sky, the sea, and every sight afforded by these wonderful regions seem still to have the power of elevating his soul from earth" (Shelley 11). Walton’s description of an escape from Earth is justified as the earth represents suffering; Victor uses the beauty of nature to free himself from said suffering. Being able to deal with guilt after so much has happened in Victor's life is a clear indication of the enlightenment he has experienced. However, Victor has also made an important realization about companionship and its limitations.

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Shelley establishes a somber and menacing tone early on, foreshadowing the tragic events that will take place. The frequent allusions to light and dark, life and death, and the natural world in opposition to the world of science all hint at the disastrous effects of Victor Frankenstein's obsession with producing life through science. A number of literary allusions and cautions, such as the biblical story of Adam and Eve, implies that playing God can have disastrous repercussions, which hint at the monster's creation. Victor says to "Learn from me... how dangerous is the acquirement of knowledge, and how much happier that man is who believes his native town to be the world, than he who aspires to become greater than his nature will allow" (Shelley 53).

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Their perspectives of nature, however, are vastly different due to their circumstances regarding companionship and affection from companions. Victor Frankenstein describes nature as calming and it brings him great happiness when he is surrounded by nature because he himself is happy and adored by friends who surround him. Frankenstein has friends whom he holds strong bonds with where “harmony was the soul of [their] companionship, and the diversity and contrast that subsided [their] characters drew [them] nearer together” (29, Chapter 2). He is surrounded by companions that give him plenty of love and affection that in turn, bring him happiness and a favoring outlook on nature. Victor takes pleasure in wandering through various scenes of nature, feeling accepted by it, therefore, he can portray it as full of life and “awful and majestic” (82, Chapter 10).

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