The Gothic often employs a first person narrative focussing on the inner lives of its protagonists. The psychological processes revealed reflect political and social issues arising in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century. The Enlightenment, French, American and Industrial revolution had set in motion a reshuffling of traditional social orders; a new middle class, the bourgeoisie emerged, and with it mercantilism and rationalism. The Gothic can be seen as a reaction to overtly rational thinking, exposing the hidden fears of that time, and criticising the new models of society. The core text used as a representative of the genre Gothic is Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. However, Frankenstein is not only a Gothic novel, but is closely connected to Romantic thoughts and ideas. Vice versa, some of the tropes of the Gothic novel can also be found in Romantic literature. Frankenstein is intertextually connected with Wordsworth´s and Coleridge’s Lyrical Ballads through references to Coleridge’s ‘Rime of the Ancient Mariner’ and Wordsworth´s ‘Tintern Abbey’. Romantic poetry focuses on the individual, too. Although the form of novel and poetry inevitably differs, and thus also the extent to which a character or issue is presented, a lot of similarities can be found which stand for a discourse typical of that epoch. A prerequisite for the exploration of the individual mind is a narrative exposing the processes of the protagonist’s mind. The suitable narrative form is thus the first person narrative employed in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, as well as in some of the Lyrical Ballads. In a time of political and social upheaval very few things appear stable, and neither does the individual mind. Cultural and individual change is paralleling each other.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction to the Gothic and Romantic context
2. Psychological exploration through narrative form
3. Wordsworth’s exploration of changing personality
4. The multilayered narrative of Frankenstein
5. Domestic ideals and the bourgeois family structure
6. Conflict between inner desires and external duties
7. Social critique through the lens of alienation
8. The monster as an outsider and social critic
9. Comparative analysis with The Rime of the Ancient Mariner
10. Conclusion on the Gothic and Romantic discourse
Research Objectives and Key Themes
This paper examines how Mary Shelley’s "Frankenstein" and selected Romantic literature utilize first-person narratives to explore the individual psyche and function as a vehicle for social critique in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.
- The relationship between Gothic tropes and Romantic literary concepts.
- The role of the bourgeois family model as an exclusionary social structure.
- Psychological processes of the individual under social pressure and isolation.
- Intertextual connections between Frankenstein and the Lyrical Ballads.
- Social critique regarding class, property, and the division of wealth.
Excerpt from the Book
The monster’s narrative tells the other side to this story.
Created as benevolent but unfit for human society due to his hideousness, the monster yearns for the ‘domestic circle’ Victor upholds against all practical experience as capable of restoring tranquillity. An outcast from human society, despite his efforts, he learns to fear and ultimately hate it for he cannot be part of it. The bliss he sees everywhere ‘from which [he} alone [is} irrevocably excluded’ (77-78) shows how the powers and forces of an exclusive society imprint themselves on a character. In his narrative the dilemma of the human being is shown: The strong longing to be part of something, to have interpersonal relations, and the consequences denial of these may have. Shelley pictures a psychologically convincing reaction and counter-reaction to society. His creator denies him, the villagers he encounters attack him, and finally the model bourgeois family of the De Laceys on whom he places his hopes not to ‘be driven from the society and sympathy of […] fellow-creatures’ (109) fearfully rejects him. Looking onto society from an outsider’s point of view, the monster is able to articulate a strong social critique against the ‘antisocial impulse […] bound up with […] domestic bliss’.
Through his voice a bewilderment about the ‘strange system of human society’ (96) is heard. He learns the very factors which separate him from it; ‘the division of property, of immense wealth and squalid poverty; of rank, descent, and noble blood’ (96). The bourgeois family is not open for strangers and nobody without the proper prerequisites may enter. The family as a model of micro-society expels individuality, and the education it provides is ‘a rehearsal space for the exclusionary attitudes of the privatized public sphere’. Revenge and hatred turn him into a real monster, a criminal, and not an innate evil like his creator believes.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction to the Gothic and Romantic context: This chapter contextualizes the Gothic genre as a reaction to Enlightenment rationalism and introduces Frankenstein as a bridge between Gothic horror and Romantic focus on the individual.
2. Psychological exploration through narrative form: This section discusses the necessity of first-person narration in capturing the fluid and unstable processes of the human mind during times of socio-political upheaval.
3. Wordsworth’s exploration of changing personality: This chapter analyzes how nature and domestic relations serve as anchors for the self in Wordsworth’s poetry, illustrating the maturation of the lyrical persona.
4. The multilayered narrative of Frankenstein: This chapter breaks down the complex, nested frame structure of Shelley’s novel and its role in reflecting fragmented psychic processes.
5. Domestic ideals and the bourgeois family structure: This section examines the bourgeois family as an idealized, yet flawed, environment that struggles to adapt to the changing realities of the 19th century.
6. Conflict between inner desires and external duties: This chapter details Victor Frankenstein's internal struggle, showing how his ambition and scientific pursuits clash with the repressive requirements of his domestic life.
7. Social critique through the lens of alienation: This chapter explores how Victor’s narrative functions as a critique of society, highlighting the failure of domestic tranquility to offer protection against external societal pressures.
8. The monster as an outsider and social critic: This section analyzes the monster's perspective, arguing that his exclusion allows him to identify and articulate the injustices and exclusionary mechanisms of human society.
9. Comparative analysis with The Rime of the Ancient Mariner: This chapter compares Victor Frankenstein and the Mariner, focusing on themes of isolation, moral error, and the consequences of disturbing the natural order.
10. Conclusion on the Gothic and Romantic discourse: This final chapter summarizes how both genres utilize similar strategies to reflect an unstable society and the psychological impact of restrictive social models.
Keywords
Frankenstein, Mary Shelley, Gothic Literature, Romanticism, Individual Psyche, Bourgeois Family, Social Critique, Domesticity, Alienation, First-person Narrative, Lyrical Ballads, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, William Wordsworth, Class Criticism, Human Isolation
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this literary analysis?
The paper explores how Mary Shelley’s novel "Frankenstein" and specific Romantic poems use first-person narratives to delve into the individual psyche and offer a critique of contemporary social structures.
Which literary genres are primarily discussed?
The study focuses on the intersection of the Gothic genre, characterized by its interest in hidden fears and rationalism, and Romanticism, which emphasizes the individual and nature.
What is the primary research question?
The research investigates how these literary works use narrative form to reflect the psychological state of the individual and act as a critique of the bourgeois family and societal norms of the late 18th and early 19th centuries.
Which scientific or analytical methods are applied?
The work employs a close textual analysis (literary criticism), utilizing intertextual comparison between "Frankenstein" and the "Lyrical Ballads," supported by academic perspectives on the history of the family and social structures.
What topics are covered in the main body of the work?
The analysis covers narrative structures, the role of nature, the pressure of domestic expectations, the psychological impact of isolation, and the social critique voiced by the character of the monster.
Which keywords best describe this research?
Key terms include Frankenstein, Gothic literature, Romanticism, bourgeois family, social critique, alienation, individual psyche, and intertextuality.
How does the author interpret the role of the monster?
The author views the monster not as innately evil, but as a product of his isolation and a victim of an exclusive society, serving as a mouthpiece for the monster to articulate systemic inequalities.
Why is the family structure in "Frankenstein" considered "flawed"?
The analysis argues that the bourgeois family functions as an exclusionary "micro-society" that demands its members sacrifice personal ambition and individuality, ultimately failing to provide the promised refuge from the outside world.
- Quote paper
- Meike Kohl (Author), 2006, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and the Gothic - exploring the individual psyche and operating as a form of social critique, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/117646
