Frankenstein Research Paper

Frankenstein is a gothic novel inspired by many romantic themes, we see Mary Shelley incorporate these into the character mindset throughout the journey, bringing the reader along with the character, pushing a bond that at the time was not common in the effects of gothic romantic novels. In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, we see the setting is often reflecting the character's psyche, which demonstrates values of Romanticism such as escapism, family, beauty, nightmare, dreams, and death, which help show the environment can affect a person's mindset throughout.

Victor Frankenstein’s thoughts often reflected ideals such as escapism in Chamounix. It was used as representation of the feeling of isolation he so desperately acquired after facing grief

After Frankenstein's mindless rambling on his journey to Chamounix he brings up a comparison of his life now, to where it was last time he visited, “I had visited it frequently during my boyhood. Six years have passed since then: I am a wreck…” (90) This shows some clear themes of nostalgia, Frankenstein even ends up associating some of the scenery on the journey with a romanticized version of his childhood. “A tingling long-lost sense of pleasure often came across me during this journey. Some turn in the road… suddenly perceived and recognized, reminded me of days gone by, and were associated with light-hearted gaiety of boyhood.”

Specifically the idea of a dream turning into a nightmare, fitting a gothic romantic twist into the story. Frankenstein often recalled the start of his pursuit making the Creature as a passion driven by madness, often giving up his sanity and family to achieve this pursuit. When he found himself disgusted by his own creation after the fact. “...but now that I had finished, the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart.” (56) and “ I felt the bitterness of disappointment; dreams that had been my food and pleasant rest for so long a space now become a hell to me” (57) show these exact feelings of Victor. This change of view was reflected in the change of how he perceived the setting once holding the beauty of the fall highly. “It was a most beautiful season never did the fields bestow a more plentiful harvest or the vines yield a more luxuriant vintage,” (53) which transitioned into the dying season nearing the end of his creation when he was riddled with anxiety, “...so deeply was I engrossed in my occupation. The leaves that year had withered before my work drew near to a close... But my enthusiasm was checked by anxiety, ” (54) which then transitioned into the start of the creations life, he referred to the whole night as dreary,