Mary Shelley alludes to Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” in her gothic novel, Frankenstein, in order to enhance the development of a gothic hero, and the impact of the setting in relation to plot throughout her novel. As Shelley takes us through four letters from Frankenstein that are written by a man to his dear sister about the voyage he is undergoing, Shelley alludes to Coleridge’s work. Robert, who is writing the letter tells his sister how he has “one want which [he has] never yet been able to satisfy,” and then he tells her that he is lonely because he “desire[s] the company of a man”; a friend (Shelley 4). In comparison, when the Mariner is the lone survivor out of his crew, he expresses his pain as he cries out, “Alone on a wide wide sea! …show more content…
The theme topic of loneliness is evident in both the beginning of Frankenstein and throughout Coleridge’s work, and it clear that Shelley uses this powerful allusion to express a simile between Robert and the Mariner; Robert is as lonely as the Mariner after he loses all of his men and must continue his journey alone. Although Robert is not physically alone, emotionally he feels as if he is. This allows Shelley to better characterize Robert as a gothic hero because of his self banishment from society and the people around him. He finds flaws in all of the men aboard his ship, leading him to loneliness and detachment. In addition to the theme topic of loneliness created by the allusion, Shelley also alludes to the similar settings expressed in both pieces. Ice plays a huge role in illustrating the setting and also a new hope for Robert and the