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Frankenstein
How Mary Shelley depicts Nature in Relation with Human Beings
Nature plays a very important role in Frankenstein. 文学分析论文代写
The author has shown how Victor Frankenstein is able to connect with nature and feel at ease. The theme of the essay will be how Shelly uses nature to create a strong image of Frankenstein and his relationship and dependence with nature. Not only is nature used to make the character seem more humane but it builds an image that nature has healing properties and thus, helps even the most damaged of souls find solace in it. I am going to prove how Shelly establishes this relationship and the elements she uses to build that connection.
The theme that we will be discussing is the connection she shows between nature and human being, and how she depicts it. When Victor Frankenstein was overcome with grief after the murder of his loved ones, he preferred to remain in solitude and during those times, when he was far from humanity, alone and forlorn, it was nature that made him feel at peace and helped him relax while strengthening his will. In this sense, nature can be seen as a healing force for Frankenstein and that is how Shelly depicts nature in her novel.
From the very beginning of the novel, nature is used as a metaphor to describe the childhood of Victor Frankenstein. 文学分析论文代写
“I feel pleasure in dwelling on the recollections of childhood, before misfortune had tainted my mind, and changed its bright visions of extensive usefulness into gloomy and narrow reflections upon self . . . I find it arise, like a mountain river, from ignoble and almost forgotten sources; but swelling as it proceeded, it became the torrent which, in its course, has swept away all my hopes and joys,” (Shelley, Frankenstein, 21).
As can be seen from the aforementioned text that Shelly uses mountain as a metaphor to portray Victor’s feelings and this is the beginning of the theme of nature which will be followed throughout the book. Her way of expressing Frankenstein’s feelings is more garnered towards natural setting and metaphors instead of using intellectual explanation of how he truly feels. The use of “like a mountain river” shows that she is more prone towards a romantic explanation of a person’s feelings by using nature as an analogy with which the readers can relate to.
As the book progresses, Frankenstein can be seen taking solace in nature and using it as his very own therapy tool. Many studies have been conducted in which nature is said to not only relax the mind and body, but also makes the person feel at ease. Whenever Frankenstein is under a lot of stress and has faced events that have made him miserable, then he always seeks the company of nature.
A strong connection between nature and Frankenstein is revealed by the fifth chapter of the first volume. 文学分析论文代写
He is able to recover from grave illness by being connected with nature and while he received support by his friends and is taken care of by them, the one things that truly helps him heal is breathing fresh air. The evidence of this can be obtained from the following statement, “We passed a fortnight in these perambulations: my health and spirits had long been restored, and they gained additional strength from the salubrious air I breathed,” (Frankenstein, 45).
The statement shows that he not only finds solace in nature but is also able to regain additional strength from it.
“to bring health” signifies that the author wants to stress upon the importance of fresh air and how beneficial it is for the body, and at the same time create a strong connection between health and nature. The fresh air, trees, and Frankenstein’s interaction with nature shows that nature holds many properties that restores the body and soul and makes them whole. Throughout the book, it is nature that helps Frankenstein keep his sanity and continue living a healthy life.
During those times, using nature as a tool for therapy was not uncommon, instead it was something that was commonly referred to by many of the authors of that time, including Wordsworth, Coleridge, and Percy. Shelly takes inspiration from those writers and takes into account the immense importance of nature. While the manner in which other authors make use of nature is entirely different, Shelly shows nature as being a personal therapist for Frankenstein and a healing body which allows him to not only improve his health but also to get his bearings right.
It is important to consider why the use of nature as a restorative tool because it gives an immensely significant message to the readers. The message that is received is that interaction with nature is extremely important because it allows the soul and body to heal and gives a person inner calm. Whether Shelly was influenced by an event in her life or an external reading, the significance of nature she shows in her novel and the connection she makes between nature and Frankenstein is remarkable in how simply it has been portrayed, and yet at the same time it is also intriguing.
The clear depiction of how much Frankenstein relies on nature is revealed by William and Justine, the brother and the family’s servant. 文学分析论文代写
The deaths of these two inflict a deep wound on Frankenstein and he is engulfed by despair. The only thing that comes to his aid during this time of sorrow is nature and he is able to find comfort is the natural environment, even when his friend Henry cannot help him feel better. Stricken with grief, Frankenstein turns to nature and it is that which heals him and makes him sane again. Evidence of this can be gained by the following statement, “I remained two days at Lausanne, in this painful state of mind. I contemplated the lake: the waters were placid; all around was calm, and the snowy mountains, “the palaces of nature,” were not changed. By degrees the calm and heavenly scene restored me, and I continued my journey towards Geneva,” (Shelly, Frankenstein).
Throughout the book, a dependence is created between Frankenstein and nature and he is able to feel better every time he interacts with it. 文学分析论文代写
The reference to the snowy mountains as “Palaces of Nature”, shows how Frankenstein views the scenic beauty surrounding him. At the same time he says, “all around was calm,” which creates the connection that the calmness he felt in nature, helped him fell calm and content. By contemplating the scenery around him, the scene “restored” him, i.e. the anguish he felt and the painful state of mind he was in previously was healed by being in the presence of nature. Now, it can also be said that turning to nature and taking inspiration from it was his own way of dealing with tough situations and the problems that came his way.
However, from the way it has been written, it can also be noted that the author is trying to showcase that the key to healing can be found in nature.
From the way he interacts with his family in Geneva, it is understood that Victor hardly finds any solace in being surrounded by people, rather he would prefer nature to be his companion, and live on as its partner. Even during his mood being down, and while he feels sad, his family is to unable to make him feel better and he yearns to be surrounded by nature alone. Therefore, his relationship with nature is seen to be more profound and far more precious to him than any other relationship, for he can only find comfort in nature. He even rejects the notion that his family can help in any way and make him feel better, for he feels that nobody apart from nature can truly understand his suffering.
He found freedom in nature the likes of which could not be found in his home in Geneva, for it was ordained with different rules and standards which can be understood by the words she uses in the following sentence. 文学分析论文代写
“The shutting of the gates regularly at ten oíclock, and the impossibility of remaining on the lake after that hour, had rendered our residence within the walls of Geneva very irksome to me,” (Shelly, 60). He felt best when he was free and in the company of nature for he could spend hours at an end by the lakeside, or sitting atop the rocks, or just underneath a tree and enjoy his time, and the tranquility he experienced.
By Frankenstein expressing that he feels free and at home when he is surrounded by nature, it can be seen that he has shunned humanity and would rather spend his life alone, in the company of nature, instead of spend it with his family. He feels strongly that living with his family feels more like imprisonment to him, rather than being happy and free, a feeling which he can only relate to when he is surrounded by nature.
From all of these examples it can be clearly noted that for Frankenstein, what mattered more was nature, for in it he found solace and peace. He was able to remain calm and collected in the company of nature, and natural scenery allowed him to express his feelings freely without feeling the need to be wary about what he said. Every time he felt guilt or sadness, he would seek the company of nature, which would help him out of his depression and he would feel happy and whole again.
To conclude 文学分析论文代写
I would just like to say that nature was extremely significant to Frankenstein’s health and to ensure that he keeps his sanity, as compared to anything else in the story. Shelly has used this element to express the importance of it for the main character, while at the same time giving across the message that spending time in nature is far more beneficial than having company of people that only make you feel uncomfortable. She portrays nature as an element that has healing properties and is able to heal the soul as well as external wounds.
Spending time with nature helps Frankenstein re-connect with his thoughts and soul, and at the same time helps heal the wounds he has experienced by the loss of his loved ones, especially his brother. While nature is not the main theme of the novel, sometimes it is seen to take precedence over everything else, showing that the author may have overused the concept. However, I do believe that the beauty and simplicity with which it has been depicted shows that Frankenstein valued nature, more than anything else in the world, and he was able to find solace in it. For him, it meant more than spending time with other people, and he experienced immense happiness and pleasure when he was surrounded by natural landscapes.
References 文学分析论文代写
Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, retrieved 24-10-18
Carina Brannstrom, An Analysis of the Theme of Alienation in Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein, retrieved 24-10-18 from;
http://www.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:1016264/FULLTEXT01.pdf
The role and significance of nature in Frankenstein: Swiss Alps, Scotland and the Arctic, according to Romantic and Gothic tenets like “The Sublime”, retrieved 24-10-18 from;
Naima Sena, A Reflection of the Eighteenth Century Sublime in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, retrieved 24-10-18 from;
http://dspace.univ-tlemcen.dz/bitstream/112/9613/1/naimi-sana.pdf
