Edmund Burke's Theory of the Sublime and It's Reflection in Gothic Fiction: Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein"

Seminar Paper , 2011 , 19 Pages

English Language and Literature Studies - Literature

Many authors would agree that Frankenstein is one of the most famous Gothic tales of all time. It was first published in 1818 and is famous for its descriptions of landscape and nature, as well as its prophetic dimension. More than 60 years before the novel was published, Edmund Burke set out to analyze the sublime. By doing so, he actually took an important step towards founding the genre Shelley engaged in, in writing Frankenstein. His A Philosophical Inquiry into the Origins of our Ideas of the Beautiful and the Sublime published in 1757 became a great success.
This term paper sets out to shed light on a number of problem areas concerning the connection between Shelley’s novel and Burke’s theory of the sublime. The paper arose out of the Proseminar ‘Gothic Literatur’ by XY, M.A. in the Summer Semester 2011 at RWTH University Aachen. During the course, different topics concerning the Gothic novel were discussed in combination with four of the most famous novels belonging to the genre. Among them was Frankenstein as a novel and ‘Burke’s Theory of the Sublime and Its Reflection in the Gothic Fiction’ as a topic.
The central question to be examined in this paper is how Burke’s theory of the sublime is reflected in Shelley‘s Gothic novel. Further questions to be dealt with in this term paper are: what is the Burkean sublime? What was new and different about Burke’s concept of the Sublime – as the Sublime itself is by no means a groundbreaking, new concept. Does Shelley intentionally incorporate sublime features in her novel or comment on the use of Burke’s theory? Is there a social dimension to Burke’s theory? In what way does the novel reflect the sublime? Is a sense of the sublime only conveyed through descriptions of nature?

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The first part of the term paper presents Burke’s theory of the sublime, an analysis of the connection between Shelley and the sublime and an analysis of the social dimension of the sublime. The next part is going to shed light on how Frankenstein as a Gothic novel reflects elements of Burke’s theory of the sublime. A fuller discussion including an analysis of all scenes displaying sublime elements would go beyond the range of the paper. In this matter only five scenes were chosen. Those scenes are significant for the plot development, as well as they help to support the line of argumentation. Eventually, a conclusion will be drawn.

Table of Contents

• 1. INTRODUCTION
• 2. THE SUBLIME
• 2.1 BURKE'S THEORY OF THE SUBLIME
• 2.2 SHELLEY AND THE SUBLIME
• 2.3 THE SOCIAL DIMENSION OF THE SUBLIME
• 3. THE REFLECTION OF THE SUBLIME IN FRANKENSTEIN
• 4. CONCLUSION.

Objectives and Key Themes

This term paper aims to explore the connection between Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and Edmund Burke's theory of the sublime. It examines how Burke's ideas on the sublime, as presented in his A Philosophical Inquiry into the Origins of our Ideas of the Beautiful and the Sublime, are reflected in Shelley's Gothic novel. The paper delves into the nature of the Burkean sublime and its influence on the development of Gothic fiction.

• The influence of Burke's theory of the sublime on Shelley's Frankenstein
• The nature of the Burkean sublime and its historical context
• The social dimension of the sublime in relation to both Burke's theory and Shelley's novel
• The role of nature and landscape in conveying a sense of the sublime
• The significance of the monster in relation to Burke's theory of the sublime

Chapter Summaries

• Chapter 1: Introduction: This chapter provides an overview of the research question and the context of the term paper. It highlights the importance of Frankenstein as a Gothic tale and its connection to Burke's theory of the sublime.
• Chapter 2: The Sublime: This chapter explores Burke's theory of the sublime, analyzing its historical context and its influence on the development of Gothic fiction. It also examines the connection between Shelley's work and the sublime.
• Section 2.1: Burke's Theory of the Sublime: This section delves into Burke's definition of the sublime, exploring its key features and its relationship to concepts like pain, danger, and the preservation of existence.
• Section 2.2: Shelley and the Sublime: This section examines the ways in which Shelley's Frankenstein incorporates elements of the sublime, exploring its connection to Burke's theory.
• Section 2.3: The Social Dimension of the Sublime: This section explores the social implications of the sublime, both in Burke's theory and in its reflection in Frankenstein.
• Chapter 3: The Reflection of the Sublime in Frankenstein: This chapter analyzes specific scenes in Frankenstein to illustrate how Shelley conveys a sense of the sublime through descriptions of nature, characters, and events.

Keywords

The primary keywords and concepts explored in this term paper include Edmund Burke, the sublime, Gothic fiction, Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, aesthetics, nature, landscape, social dimension, and the monster.

• College: RWTH Aachen University
• Author: Alexandra Koch (Author)
• Publication Year: 2011
• Pages: 19
• Catalog Number: V198423
• ISBN (eBook): 9783656249153
• ISBN (Book): 9783656252894
• Language: English
• Tags: edmund, burke, theory, sublime, reflection, gothic, fiction-, mary, shelley, frankenstein