Enlightenment in Frankenstein
The book, �Frankenstein�, by Mary Shelley brought up some of the issues of the Enlightenment. Shelley was involved in the Romanticism movement that occurred shortly after the Enlightenment era. She used ideas from Romanticism to critique the Enlightenment. Rene Descartes and John Locke were both scholars that were both involved in the Enlightenment. They both would have defended the ideas and accomplishments of the Enlightenment against Mary Shelley�s critiques. THESIS: Mary Shelley�s strongest critiques of the Enlightenment in her novel �Frankenstein� were having a character create life and using concepts from Romanticism; but Rene Descartes and John Locke would have defended the ...
Want to read the rest of this paper? Join Essayworld today to view this entire essay and over 50,000 other term papers
|
enlightenment. Science was a large part of the Enlightenment era, but not in the way in which Victor used it. Victor ends up playing god himself by creating life through his scientific research. Victor finally realizes that he has the ability to create life with the following quote from �Frankenstein�, �After days and nights of incredible labour and fatigue, I succeeded in discovering the cause of generation and life; nay, more, I became myself capable of bestowing animation upon lifeless matter� (Shelley, 42). This quote from �Frankenstein� shows that Victor has figured out how to create life. Realizing that he can create life would argue the existence of god. He has spent months trying to figure out how to create life, and once he finally accomplishes the task, he realizes it was not what he imagined. The way in which Victor created life did not have much reason, in which the Enlightenment was based on. He almost went mad trying to create the monster. Shelley critiqued ...
Get instant access to over 50,000 essays. Write better papers. Get better grades.
Already a member? Login
|
the Orkneys, Chamounix, and the summit of Montanvert. Each of these descriptions set the mood of Victor�s character. Shelley allows many of the characters in the novel to have desires. She lets them have these desires even if they were nearly impossible to reach. Mary Shelley uses Romanticism throughout �Frankenstein� to critique original views of Enlightenment.
John Locke would defend the Enlightenment against the critiques in Mary Shelley�s �Frankenstein�. John Locke believed there was a god, and would have argued against Mary Shelley�s idea of a human creating life. Having a human being creating life would go against Locke�s state of nature. �A state also equality, ...
Succeed in your coursework without stepping into a library. Get access to a growing library of notes, book reports, and research papers in 2 minutes or less.
|
CITE THIS PAGE:
Enlightenment in Frankenstein. (2011, May 11). Retrieved March 26, 2025, from http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Enlightenment-in-Frankenstein/99063
"Enlightenment in Frankenstein." Essayworld.com. Essayworld.com, 11 May. 2011. Web. 26 Mar. 2025. <http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Enlightenment-in-Frankenstein/99063>
"Enlightenment in Frankenstein." Essayworld.com. May 11, 2011. Accessed March 26, 2025. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Enlightenment-in-Frankenstein/99063.
"Enlightenment in Frankenstein." Essayworld.com. May 11, 2011. Accessed March 26, 2025. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Enlightenment-in-Frankenstein/99063.
|