Frankenstein
A Literary Analysis of a Romantic Young Adult Novel"I saw the dull yellow eye of the creature open; it breathed hard, and a convulsive motion agitated its limbs" (62). Victor Frankenstein, the protagonist in Mary Shelley's novel Frankenstein, shutters at the mere sight of his hideous creation into which he has breathed life. Simultaneously, Mary Shelley's Gothic Romantic novel was born. Yet, the exposure that many young adults have had to this classic young adult novel of the nineteenth century probably begins and ends with the famous Hollywood picture of Victor's monster portrayed on the cover of this analysis. Some critics may therefore argue that Shelley's novel is in a sense "dead," saying that it is out-of-date and irrelevant to interests of young adults today. Therefore it is my goal, throughout my exploration and analysis of the Romantic elements and themes present in Frankenstein, to both demonstrate the value in encouraging young adults to read this novel as an important piece of Romantic literature as well as to share my reasons for wanting to keep this Gothic Romantic novel alive as an important piece of young adult literature.In addition to the adventurous Gothic details,
the captivating and exciting plot, and the hundreds of comedic parodies, Shelley's masterpiece is also valuable for teaching young adults about Romantic Era during which Frankenstein was written. This literary analysis of some of the central themes that make Frankenstein a classical example of a Romantic novel, will help young adults experience looking at a novel from a different viewpoint than they may be used to; in turn helping the young adults to gain the most meaning out of the novel. Victor and his monster are mirror images of each other, self-reflecting similar experiences of isolation, and are both doomed to live a life of seclusion and loneliness as a result of one another's actions. Likewise, after a winter of frigid conditions and desertion, the monster feels his heart lighten as spring arrives. Death is something that may hit very close to home for some young adults, and is a subject that arouses strong emotion and accounts for part of Frankenstein's enduring hold on the reader. Satan had his companions, fellow devils, to admire and encourage him; but I am solitary and abhorred. Romanticism was a literary movement, keynoted by intensity, which took place in Britain and throughout Europe between 1770 and 1848. Emotionally, the movement expressed assertion of the self and the value of individual experience. Needless to say, Victor is a character that becomes intoxicated with the possibilities of modern science in his attempt to defy nature and animate a human creature, whose ultimate failure comes when he realizes what the repercussions of creating the monster are and begins to experience emotional strife and anguish as a result of his creation. The inspirational natural world, embraced by Romanticism, initially offers Victor and the monster the possibility of spiritual renewal. Intellectually, the romantic period marked a violent reaction to the Enlightenment. In response, Victor chooses to run away, leaving his creation to sulk in a parentless bath of loneliness. In fact, in today's society, I believe that many times the reality of life seems too difficult to handle for many young adults, causing young adults to feel as though they are meaningless members of the world, isolated from society.
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Acceptance Essays
