Frankenstein Context edexcel 3-19th-Century-Novel

The novel presents the pursuit of science as a threat to the order of the natural world; Victor’s prioritisation of science over nature is the catalyst to his downfall. The consequences of Victor’s experiment are depicted as hellish through the use of language such as “breathless horror and disgust”. Victor’s desire to understand the unknown leads to “an anxiety that almost amounted to agony” and his ambition to make a living being reflects a fascination and fear of these practices.

Shelley uses a lot of religious imagery and Victor is shown to aspire to have God-like powers through his creation. He says he will “pioneer a new way, explore unknown powers, and unfold to the world the deepest mysteries of creation”. By attempting to understand these mysteries, Victor is portrayed as going against God and the natural order. Victor says, “It was the secrets of heaven and earth that I desired to learn”. 

The creature symbolises the marginalised and he describes himself as “I the miserable and the abandoned … to be spurned at, and kicked, and trampled on”. 

The portrayal of Justine, Elizabeth and Catherine also reflects some of the gender injustices at the time. The self-centred actions of the male characters, such as Victor and Walton, can be seen as a criticism of men’s dominance. 

Shelley uses multiple allusions to Romantic literature and both Frankenstein and the creature allude to the celebrated Romantic poem Paradise Lost at points in the text. The creature says, “many times I considered Satan as the fitter emblem of my condition” and Victor suggests that he is “like the archangel who aspired to omnipotence, I am chained in an eternal hell”. 

There are also references to The Rime of the Ancient Mariner and Frankenstein recites this poem in Chapter 5 after creating the creature. This could imply that Victor is cursed and, like the mariner, should be kind to his creature. It could also be intended to warn that, like the mariner, he will be cursed for defying God’s natural order. Walton says that he hopes not to come back to England like the ancient mariner. This may suggest that, like the mariner, Walton should learn the lessons of the past.

Romanticism had a significant influence on Shelley and through Frankenstein, she deals with issues such as human nature, society, science and the natural world. Shelley depicts the creature as being happier in a natural state away from society. The creature says, “sorrow only increased with knowledge. Oh, that I had for ever remained in my native wood nor known nor felt beyond the sensations of hunger, thirst, and heat!”

Henry Clerval also understands the importance of the natural world. He wants Victor to “love the aspect of nature”. However, the creation of the creature is presented as defying and violating nature Victor says he wants to “penetrate into the recesses of nature and show how she works in her hiding-places”. The sexual subtext and language implies that Victor has violated the sanctity of nature.

Victor’s experiments are the result of his obsession with scientific developments and he admits “how dangerous is the acquirement of knowledge”. The death of Justine (due to Victor’s actions) could be said to symbolise the death of innocence and Frankenstein’s lack of heroic qualities.

Victor, who belongs to one of the “most distinguished” families in Geneva, is revealed to have “corrected and augmented” Walton’s account, which raises questions about his reliability and how truthfully the events and the creature’s actions are portrayed.

The novel also features a range of isolated settings.