How Frankenstein fits into the Gothic and Romantic genre

1. Frankenstein Notes
Novel can be considered Romantic, Science Fiction, and Gothic
Romantic Elements:
- Imagination and emotion are more important than reason/rules
- Imagination is a path to go above and beyond experience and truth
- Use of intuition, human nature, natural feelings
- Lack of control, rationality
- Emphasize love of nature, respect for primal aspects of humans
- Many ills of society are from rules, over-governed, urbanization
- Romantics were interested in the Medieval past, the supernatural, the mystical, the “gothic,” and
the exotic;
- Romantics were attracted to rebellion and revolution, especially concerned with human rights,
individualism, freedom from oppression;
- Emphasis on introspection, psychology, melancholy, and sadness.
http://www.odessa.edu/dept/english/dsmith/
Gothic Elements:
Emphasis on the grotesque
Mysterious
Atmosphere of horror and dread
Potrayal of the deterioration of the world
Decayed, ruined senery
Protagonist is an isolated or alienated individual pitted against an “evil”’ antagonist who has fallen
from grace
A “wanderer” character—either protagonist or antagonist or both
In the end, the protagonist must be saved through the runion with a loved one
Includes elements of the supernatural but can be applied to the real world
www.ucdavis.edu/gothicnovel
Frankenstein = synonymous with “monster”
- modern day allusions to monsters
- scientificexperiemtns gone wrong
- modern day/futuristic robots, cloning
Novel exemplifies/personifies a modern fear: “science run amok” (science gone crazy and wrong)
Women roles in novel are traditional
* servants, dependent on men
* passive
*grateful for a decent (arranged) marriage
* absence of mother figure means a broken family; broken soul
Themes of responsibility
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