Romantic Hero

Romantic hero is a literary archetype referring to a character that rejects established norms and conventions, has been rejected by society, and has the self as the center of his or her own existence. Therefore from the definition of a romantic hero we can say the monster from Frankenstein fits all those criteria. The monster is definitely not a normal being or lives a normal life. Society does not accept him for his appearance.

-Philip

Romanticism in science

During the romanticism movement there were romantic scientist that were indifferent with the idea of the emotionless natural philosophy from the enlightenment era. They supported the idea that by monitoring nature, answer from nature will come without any outside influence. They cautioned that enlightenment ideas allowed the abuse of sciences. Advancement in science they believe should be beneficial to not only men but to nature also. Various types of scientific study came from the romantic such as biology and psychology.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romanticism_in_science

- Philip

The ethereal beauty of Nature

The Romantics really appreciated nature and treated as if it was alive. In the novel Frankenstein, there are many references to nature to emphasize its importance, for example, Frankenstein’s creature states, “My spirits were elevated by the enchanting appearance of nature; the past was blotted from my memory, the present was tranquil, and the future gilded by bright rays of hope and anticipations of joy.” This awakening to how beautiful and glorious nature is can only be possible through the openness and clear mind of a Romantic thinker because he sees nature beyond the limits of mechanism.

-Francisco

Am I a Romantic?

I consider myself somewhat a romantic thinker because I see the emotion and imagination as an integral part of the cosmos; furthermore, I believe that they are needed in order for someone to experience important states of being. With this in mind, I was “romantically” thinking about Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s quote, “man is born free, but he is everywhere in chains,” and I wondered about whether humans can ever achieve true freedom. Well, I consider freedom to be “the will to consciously choose,” and belief that escape is only possible through the mind. The concept of physical freedom is not possible at all since the body inevitably decays; however, the conscious awareness of oneself has a chance of living on. For example, if Joe was in captivity in some prison with no possibility of escape, he could still find peace in his mind. Moreover, according to some ancient beliefs, he can even free himself from physical bondage by leaving his body. In American society, people are not as free as they think they are because most of their actions are dependent on reasons that are not entirely theirs. However, since the only thing that matter is the freedom of the mind, then one can truly be free because a person’s actions and his mind do not have to go hand in hand. In the novel Frankenstein, the creature committed many atrocities; however, was he the only one to blame for his actions? Or, could those responsible for his experiences be blamed as well? The creature is an example of a being that is not entirely free because his actions were dependent on reasons that were not entirely his, but learned through experiences.

- Francisco

Romanticism influences Art

Romanticism

A movement in Western art of the 19th century generally assumed to be in opposition to Neoclassicism and much associated in America with Thomas Cole and the Hudson River School of painting between 1820 and 1880. Romantic painters treat the landscape as though it has symbolic meaning far beyond its obvious geographical features. Cole and his followers believed that natural features were created by God, and that a quiet, reverent artist could find God in nature, especially in wilderness areas, and then transfer symbolically resulting inspirations to canvas. Romantic works are marked by intense colors, turbulent emotions, complex composition, soft outlines and sometimes-heroic subject matter. Source; Andrew Wilton and Tim Barringer, "American Sublime: Landscape painting in the United States, 1820-1880" (LPD)
www.askart.com

Victor is a Romantic

The romantics believed that it was individual and collective visual imagination that would create a new understanding of the world and lead to a more perfect version of human beings and the societies in which they lived. Victor is the ultimate dreamer, who is preoccupied by otherworldly concerns and unattainable ideals. In this sense, he is highly romantic.
First, there is the obvious example of Victor Frankenstein pushing against his limitations as a human being by striving to play a God-like role by making the Creature. For Victor, it is not satisfying enough to simply study philosophy and science and proceed on to a respectable profession. He must perfect the role of the scientist by attempting to accomplish the impossible, a process which is inevitably frustrated, as it must be, by the fact that overstepping human boundaries has significant consequences. Shelley’s Frankenstein is not a mad scientist, as his character has been reduced to over the years, but a scientist who is passionate about the primary questions and preoccupations of his time. In his Romantic quest for a scientific ideal—the perfect human—he creates a monster, who then must be held in check by other systems and institutions that humans have also created. While these institutions are more concrete and based in reality than the creation of the monster, they are equally imperfect. This novel helps the reader understand that there is no such state as perfection. Furthermore, there is no social experiment, whether based in reality or in fantasy, that will result in an ideal solution. Rather, human beings will always create imperfect institutions and inventions, and given this, must be prepared to accept responsibility and anticipate the potential consequences.

http://www.articlemyriad.com/romanticism_frankenstein.htm

Insightful Empathy

The Romantic influence is clearly displayed as Mary Shelley writes Frankenstein with words of emotion throughout and surrounding significant circumstances in the book. She captivates the reader and overwhelms them with feelings as they read about life altering events with emotion.

Dr. Frankenstein receives a letter from his father informing him that William (his brother) had been killed. The father goes on to say "Come, Victor; not brooding thoughts of vengeance against the assassin, but with feelings of peace and gentleness, that will heal, instead of festering, the wounds of our minds. Enter the house of mourning, my friend, but with kindness and affection for those who love you, and not with hatred for your enemies.your affectionate and afflicted father, "

Although, I felt that Dr. Frankenstein had contibuted to these circumstances, this passage made me empathetic to Dr. Frankenstein's situation.

The three basic tenets of Romanticism

According to the Anselm Website, there are three basic theses to Romanticism: 1) "The universe is a single unified whole." 2) "The universe is full of values, tendencies, and life." 3) Reason, objectivity, and analysis radically falsify reality by breaking it up into disconnected lifeless entities." The idea that the world is a "single unified whole" and that things are connected to each other is not entirely new: these ideas are written about in the Vedas (ancient sacred writings of Hinduism written in early Sanskrit). The second thesis suggests that the universe has a mind of its own and that it is not limited to material rules. Perhaps one of the reasons that Frankenstein's creature is endowed with emotions and a self is to illustrate the idea that man is more than just a rational animal. The third thesis implies that in order to arrive at any meaningful understanding of the universe and reality, we must not exclude our subjective experiences as part of the whole.

http://www.anselm.edu/homepage/dbanach/rom.htm

-Francisco

Victor's romantic side

I have always felt that Victor was rational scientific thinker but after thinking about it and reading a article, I am convince that Victor is a romantic too. Victor is an individual thinker, he views the world in a very different way being that it is not the establish norm of society. It is his irrational ideas and emotions that lead him to conjured up the idea to create life, to go where no other has gone before is very romantic idea.

- Philip

"Romantic Rebellion"

Perhaps Victor's and the creature's disregard for "law and order" and conventional rules stems from the idea that Mary Shelley wanted to portray them as individuals whose identity is not so much influenced by society, but rather an identity influenced more by nature and emotions. For example, Dr. Frankenstein's unrelenting pursuit towards creating life is unhindered by the fact that his professors are rational minded and adhere only to conventional science. The creature - giving his appearance - should have not saved the drowning girl; nevertheless, he refuses this notion and saves her anyways. Perhaps these actions were romantic expressions of free will and the power of the human spirit over scientific prejudice or maybe just plain "Romantic Rebellion."


- note Romanticism is sometimes considered to be the opposite of Classicism and some argue that the the term "Romantic Rebellion" was a Romantic's artist dissension against the dogmatism of Classicism.


- Francisco

women's influences of the romantic era in the frankenstein novel

There is a close link between men and women in the novel. If we break it, the novel will lose its meaning. The images of Mrs. Margaret Saville, Elizabeth Lavenza, Justine Moritz, and the images of Robert Walton, Victor Frankenstein, and the fiend supplement each other. If we take one of them away, Frankenstein's plot will be different. Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley uses the same methods to create the male and female characters, and makes women even more positive, selfless, and purer, than men. The presence of women adds romanticism to the novel, without which Frankenstein loses its spirit. Mrs. Margaret Saville, Elizabeth Lavenza, and Justin Moritz act independently, and in the most difficult moments of their lives they encourage the men, and take care of them forgetting about themselves. So, both the female and the male characters in Frankenstein are important, and we cannot manage without them. The only question about the position of women in the novel remains open: if the author of Frankenstein were a man, would the fiend become a woman?

Taken from Bookrags.com

www.ilianrachov.com/paintings

LOVE/HATE RELATIONSHIP

Frankenstein by Mary Shelly touches on powerful themes:
I was inspired by this novel to write my own opinion of what transpired in the novel.

Love and hate, beauty and ugliness, opinions of society, knowledge and forbidden knowledge, duty, compassion and disassociation.

The Frankenstein monster acquired knowledge and through this medium, he saw beauty and gained the appreciation for knowing the difference between right and wrong. He no longer stole from his protectors. He felt love and compassion towards them instead of hurting them when they attacked him. He wanted to be loved and accepted and due to this strong urge, he pleaded with Victor to make a companion for him so he would not be alone. He was abandoned by his creator/father. He was feeling the most basic human feelings and that is to want love or to be loved. He was not the monster that society perceived him to be; he was gentle and caring.

Victor hated the vile creature he had created. He shunned the monster because he not only created a hideous creature, but he relied on what society would say if they found out what he did. He did not accept his duties as a parent would a child, instead he abhorred this creation/son and disconnected himself from the monster. Unlike the monster, Victor had used the knowledge he had gained to do something he absolutely regretted and that was to breathe life into this creature, he was consumed at one time by ambitious gain.

The monster had become very humane, he wept, felt alone, hungry, felt what it was to love, enjoyed music. Victor on the other hand was slowly becoming like a monster. He felt hate and acted on revenge. The monster felt remorse after he did something wrong.

In the novel he says, “Everywhere I see bliss, from which I am irrevocably excluded. I was benevolent and good; misery made me a fiend. Make me happy and I shall again be virtuous." The monster is "miserably alone.” The monster begs for the redeeming power of love.

“I am malicious because I am miserable” states the monster. He is able to distinguish these feelings.

In the Romantic Era, emotions played a tremendous role in the way society was shaped. Both Victor and the monster were fuelled by passion and anger, love and hate. We see this relayed over and over again in the novel. When the monster kills Elizabeth, out of the revenge, Victor is also mad with revenge. Frankenstein felt unloved when he had lost all; they both aspired for love which was hard to attain. They both duel each other to a miserable end.

This Love/Hate Story has sparked a series of movies and plays. One such movie was the 1994 Frankenstein.
_ Ann-Marie

picture from www.irishtimes.com/blogs/screenwriter

Romantic Influence

Romanticism can be seen in dark literature such as The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. In this book the author expresses a great deal of creativity and individualism as he depicts the life of a woman who bares a child from an adulterous relationship.

The poem Rondel by late poet Kevin Nicholas Roberts of the 21st century was greatly influenced by romanticism.

Our time has passed on swift and careless feet,
With sighs and smiles and songs both sad and sweet.
Our perfect hours have grown and gone so fast,
And these are things we never can repeat.
Though we might plead and pray that it would last,
Our time has passed.

Like shreds of mist entangled in a tree,
Like surf and sea foam on a foaming sea,
Like all good things we know can never last,
Too soon we'll see the end of you and me.
Despite the days and realms that we amassed,
Our time has passed.


www.thehypertexts.com/Kevin%20Roberts%20Poet%20Poetry%20Picture%20Bio.htm

-Tamika

Romanticism and Creativity

Romanticism was the valuation of intensely felt emotion, the importance of creative expression, and the possibility of transcending an ordinary experience.

During Mary Shelley's time, "typically the Romantic hero would often be portrayed as a rebel against social conventions and political tyranny".

As such, the novel Frankenstein written by Mary Shelley illustrates the romance associated with science. During this time there was a lot of talk of science, life and creation of life. Questions that floated were: Was it possible to create a life? and if so, how and could electricity aid in this process. It was believed that lightening brought about life and could aid in this process. Mary Shelley romanticised real issues discussed during this time and created Frankenstein the novel. Dr. Frankenstein can be viewed as more a tragic hero than geek in a lab coat.

Read more at Suite101: Romantic Literature: Writers and Poets of the Romantic Movement http://weuropeanhistory.suite101.com/article.cfm/romantic_literature#ixzz0k3ENC7xD

-Tamika

ROMANTIC LOVERS

Victor was very much in love with his wife, Elizabeth. Everytime he talked about her, he always used terms of endearment and loving words to describe her.He always described her so angelic and loving; this is portrayed throughout the novel. Mary Shelley mirrored her story closely to her and Percy. We see links to her and Elizabeth, Percy and Victor and also how she changed the place where they went for honeymoon to fit the place in the story, keeping in mind, hints to Mary's own experiences.
Romanticism was a huge part of Mary Shelley's lifestyle which she brought to life in her novel, Frankenstein.
Ann-Marie
Gustav Klimt
The Kiss, c1908
at FulcrumGallery.com

Uncle Sam was into Romanticism too!

The romantic movement arrived to America from Europe during the early nineteenth century. Romanticism was well received by Americans since it had recently broken away from the British empire, who had longed to be free of strict religious tradition. The America's focus on freedom gave authors the power to freely express their ideas without fear of ridicule and controversy. Early romantic literature that made an early appearance in the United States was Washington Irving's The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (1820) and Rip Van Winkle (1819), followed from 1823 onwards by the Leatherstocking Tales of James Fenimore Cooper, with their emphasis on heroic simplicity and their fervent landscape descriptions. Other notable authors during the romantic movement are Edgar Allan Poe, Henry David Thoreau Ralph Waldo Emerson, Walt Whitman, Emily Dickinson and Herman Melville. The Romantic movement in America continues to this day to influences modern writers.

- Philip Siu

Characteristics of Romanticism

Romantics encouraged the innate, thus creating an atmosphere of creativity,imagination,individuality and a love for nature. In the words of early century poet William Wordworth "an eye made quiet by the power of harmony, and the deep power of joy, we see into the life of things". expresses a thought provoking glance into the beauty that nature has bestowed upon us.

The emotion grabbing movement of Romanticism also depicted mysterious, romantic disillusionment and unreal works of art that made Gothic romance popular. As such, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein was written with an emotional undertone that allows the reader to see through the eyes of “the monster”, seeking empathy and questioning whether he (the monster) was even a monster at all?

http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/296
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/romanticism-characteristics-of-romanticism.html


-Tamika

A closer look into Romantic philosophy and its proponents.

Romantics put a strong emphasis on emotions and the importance of the subjective experience. According to the History1700s website, they believed that nature was not an object whose only purpose was to be interrogated and controlled, but rather an experience. In addition, if an individual experienced nature he would be more in tune with his feelings and become more aware of the “self.”Romanticism is a transition from the objective world to the subjective world. According to the Philosopher website, the shift was due to, “Kant’s idea that human beings do not see the world directly, but through a number of categories.” I believe that Kant’s ideas truly outline the limitations of an objective observer. If an individual is to experience the whole of life, I think he should consider the fact that he is looking through his eyes and not "him (his eyes)" looking at the world. I think that Romanticism rids itself of a mechanistic viewpoint of the world, while at the same time allowing for expressions that are more meaningful. Some of the major philosophers and writers who influenced Romanticism include the following: Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778) and Immanuel Kant (1724- 1804); Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832), Freidrich Wilhelm Joseph von Schelling (1775-1854), and George Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel (1770-1831) in Germany; Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772-1834) and William Wordsworth (1770-1850) in Britain.

-Francisco

http://www.history1700s.com/articles/article1064.shtml
http://www.philosopher.org.uk/rom.htm

Romantic Influences

Mary Shelley was surrounded by three strong Romantic Poet influences such as Percy Bysshe Shelley, whom she married, had encouraged her to write Frankenstein. Shelley referred to himself as Victor when he was a young boy, just like in the novel. Mary Shelley critiqued his beliefs and used them (Shelleyan Idea) as a muse to create the Frankenstein and his creature. Lord Byron, close friend, was able to set the mood for her inspiration of Frankenstein. Samuel Taylor Coleridge, whose poem “Rime of the Ancient Mariner” greatly influenced Mary’s Frankenstein story. The loneliness of the Mariner was similar to the Frankenstein monster’s loneliness.

- Ann Marie

Art as an emotion...?

"The Enlightenment of the 18th Century was the Age of Reason. Emotions and faith were put on the back burner, while people sought answers to all of life’s mysteries through science, math and logic. By second of half of the 18th Century, when the Enlightenment was in full force, many people began rejecting the idea of basing everything on reason and sought a return to emotions and feelings. This return to emotion would be known as the Romantic Movement.."

The romantic movement originated in western europe and made a huge impact on other countries. The romantic movement would take the reader, watcher or listener from a place of logic to a place of emotion;

http://weuropeanhistory.suite101.com/article.cfm/the_romantic_movement#ixzz0ie0M97ec

-Tamika

Romantics v.s. Philosophes

As Philip stated, the Romantic Movement was sort of like a dissension against the Enlightenment. According to the historyguide Website, “the Romantics attacked the Enlightenment because it blocked the free play of the emotions and creativity.” According to the same website, “The philosophe (French intellectuals) had turned man into a soulless, thinking machine -- a robot.” Perhaps Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is a representation of the prevalent ideas of the time, with the “creature” representing the intellectuals in one side and Vincent on the other, or is it the other way around?


http://www.historyguide.org/intellect/lecture16a.html

Francisco

What the hell is "Romantic" if its not about the silk sheets?

It was a literature movement that began in the late 18th century in Western Europe, that rebelled against the Enlightenment of the previous century, which was focus on scientific and rational thought. Romantic literature is characterized by an emphasis on emotion, passion, and the natural world. An important factor in the Romantic movement was Nationalism. Many authors from this period drew their inspiration from folk tales and native mythologies.

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-was-the-romantic-movement-in-literature.htm

-Philip Siu