The Romantic Movement: Human Perfection/Imperfection
One of the characteristics of the Romantic Movement was exploring nature and natural phenomenon. This can be observed in two works of the era, "The Birth-mark" by Nathaniel Hawthorne and Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. Both works followed a script common in the Romantic Era, there is brooding protagonist, dazzling in his genius, who felt wronged by a natural condition or event. There is the new technology, promising power beyond the scope of humans, power that could even alter nature and shape life to the hero's vision. And there is the shortsightedness, the genius too blinded by his obsession, to question whether or not they should before they did. In these two heroes, Aylmer and Victor Frankenstein, there are similar quests, an ambition to create the ideal human, one free from the imperfections that nature grants. However, instead of reaching their goals, it is this very ambition to alter nature, rather than accept it, attempting to play god, that would fatal flaw, leading to their downfall. In the "The Birth-mark" there was a scientist who had just "made experience of a spiritual affinity more attractive than any chemical one."(1) and married her. If he had stuck to the spiritual affinity, perhaps his tale may not have ended i
] his most splendid successes were almost invariably failures, if compared with the ideal at which he aimed. Birthmarks are of course naturally occurring, harmless to one's health and a part of a person's individuality. Perhaps every man of genius in whatever sphere might recognize the image of his own experience in Aylmer's journal. " (1)Aylmer may love his wife, but his love for his wife is only greater than his love for science when it may involve science. His wife was made perfect but at the cost of her life, a reminder that in nature, perfection was unreachable for mortals. Nevertheless, into this idyllic life, the harsher aspects intruded. Yet here Frankenstein met with failure:". Victor Frankenstein is one who may "recognize the image of his own experience in Aylmer's journal. "(20, Shelley) Like Adam however, his deific father arbitrarily forbade him from a certain set of knowledge. His friend Henry, dead at the hands of the monster, his brother William, dead at the hands of the monster, his Elizabeth, dead at the hands of the monster, none of which would have happened if he had not tried to take power over life itself, until then the exclusive domain of nature. In other words, he was not God but a human, imperfect as are other humans. " (34, Shelley) Frankenstein, in seeking to mimic nature in creating Man, instead created an abomination. I had selected his features as beautiful.
Common topics in this essay:
Victor Frankenstein,
Instead Aylmer,
Mary Shelley,
Shelley Frankenstein,
Eve Elizabeth,
Romantic Era,
Frankenstein Victor,
Birth-mark Aylmer,
Romantic Movement,
Shelley Adam,
hands monster,
mary shelley,
dead hands,
idyllic life,
frankenstein mary,
frankenstein mary shelley,
dead hands monster,
love wife,
victor frankenstein,
nathaniel hawthorne frankenstein,
leads losing,
recognize image own,
power life,
symbol wife's,
hawthorne frankenstein mary,
|
Acceptance Essays
