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Rachel Bacchus

Dr. Ronald Bobroff

HIS 102

19 February 2019

The Romantic Rejection of Reason

During a time of such unrest and instability in France, Europeans wanted answers.

Following the recent revolution, questions arose about how to maintain society. Some held on to

the Enlightenment and its applied value of progress. However, many others were dissatisfied

with the lack of answers found through enlightened practices. Romanticism appeared as an

attempt to comfort those without closure. It also served as a rejection of the Enlightenment’s

suppression of emotion for the sake of efficient progression. While at first glance, Mary

Shelley’s Frankenstein appears to be in favor of progress of rational thinking and scientific

knowledge, it is actually a better representation of Romanticism’s rejection of the Enlightenment

as seen through the dilemmas of Victor Frankenstein as well as Shelley’s natural and emotional

linguistic choices throughout the book.

Shelley writes admired scientific and enlightened thinking in the beginning of

Frankenstein’s life, but this falls to ruin when he surpasses the natural bounds of scientific

thinking. In his younger years, Victor Frankenstein belongs to the group of enlightened thinkers.

He denounces emotion and exerts reason into even the most tragic of events. On the day his

mother dies, Frankenstein asserts, “grief is rather an indulgence than a necessity…My mother

[is] dead, but we [have] still duties we ought to preform; we must continue our course with the

rest…” (Shelley 72). Frankenstein exhibits the beliefs that emotion should be suppressed in favor

of rational thinking, even in the most poignant event of his youth. Frankenstein carries these
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strongholds of enlightenment along with his increasing engrossment towards the natural

philosophies into his university years in which he becomes significantly well known for his

scientific expertise (Shelley 77). His rise to intelligence is praise-worthy until he exceeds his

own scientific limits. Upon creating his monstrous rendition of life, Frankenstein not only

generates a dangerous creature but also sends himself into a physical deterioration and mental

insanity from his devotion to the sciences.

Victor’s continued physical and mental rejection of his scientific work further

exemplifies Shelley’s views on the dangers of the scientific revolution. Immediately upon giving

life to his monster, Frankenstein detests it. Not only is he repulsed by his creation, but he cannot

tolerate even the sight of his scientific instruments that allowed him to construct such an

abomination (Shelley 92). This monster persistently induces devastation in Frankenstein’s life by

murdering his brother and indirectly murdering his childhood friend, Justine. By provoking such

tragedy onto Frankenstein, the monster is acting as an interminable consequence for

overindulgence in his scientific work. When under the impression that he must create a

companion monster to his first creation, Frankenstein falls into a deep depression at the

proposition. He considers himself to be nothing more than “a miserable wretch, haunted by a

curse that shut up every avenue to enjoyment” (Shelley 165). Frankenstein finds himself unable

to complete another scientific task of equal multitude even when he is under threat from his own

monster, for he develops such an abhorrence towards the natural philosophies that plague his life.

It is in this instance that Shelley makes a statement against the prolongation of scientific

advancements.

Frankenstein repeatedly demonstrates the repudiation of enlightened reason, replacing it

instead with the Romantic ideas of power stemming from raw emotion. While in his youth,
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Frankenstein exhibits rational behavior such as during his mother’s passing. However, after his

trauma induced by his inability to restrain his unhealthy scientific urges, he begins to adhere to

his emotions. He is most often troubled with emotions of sorrow and despair with the deaths of

William and Justine. Yet, he takes time to earnestly reflect on the weight of his emotions that are

so agonizing “such as no language can describe” (Shelley 111). An enlightened thinker would be

offended at the indescribable nature of emotion, insisting that one must carry on anyway for the

sake of progress. Such an enlightened thinker is Frankenstein’s father; upon seeing Frankenstein

in such miserable spirits, he remarks: “…excessive sorrow prevents improvement or enjoyment,

or even the discharge of daily usefulness, without which no man is fit for society” (Shelley 111).

While his father’s words provide rationality in his harrowing situation, they did not provide any

solace to Frankenstein’s depressed state, thus ironically hindering him from progress.

Romanticism understands that the power of movement cannot come from reason alone, but it is

achieved through a connection to one’s emotions and soul.

Shelley additionally continues to support romantic emphasis on emotion through her

choice of language surrounding Frankenstein’s dejection. There is a profound contrast between

his rare feelings of joyfulness and gaiety and his recurrent wailings and heartache. It is in

jubilation that Frankenstein finds a moment of peace and takes the time to recount: “My heart,

which was before sorrowful, now [swelling] with something like joy” (Shelley 117).

Unfortunately, his happiness is quickly taken away by the emergence of his monster. Shelley

writes in great juxtaposition as Frankenstein asserts that “life…may only be an accumulation of

anguish” (Shelley 118). However, Shelley does not subtract value from the melancholic

emotions because of their negativity, but in true romantic manner, she exalts them as powerful

movers in the spirit. Romanticism is not intended to stifle feelings of misery but to embrace
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them. Shelley composes a work of darkness and sorrowful emotion as a way to connect to her

readers who may be experiencing similar feelings. She is giving them power to fully embrace

their forlorn emotions.

The language again serves to expand upon Shelley’s promotion of Romanticism through

its particular attention to powerful forces of nature. There are many notable instances of nature

within Shelley’s writing. She highlights both the calm serenity found at the top of the misty

mountains as well as the darkness and gloom that encompasses raging thunderstorms. It is in the

midst of a storm that Frankenstein’s monster first comes to life (Shelley 83); thus, Frankenstein’s

misery begins under “a black and comfortless sky” (Shelley 85). The conditions of nature appear

to influence Frankenstein’s own conditions, for when the rain stops, his mood seems to lighten as

well (Shelley 115). It is a very romantic attribute to look to nature as a source of power. Since

Shelley writes with the intentions of a dark and dismal mood, she writes the weather to be of the

same nature; storms signify moments of extreme emotions that coerce its inhabitants into actions

of similar demeanor.

Therefore, Mary Shelley creates a true embodiment of a romantic work. Her depictions of

nature and emotion confirm her beliefs that these are aspects of life that ought to be embraced

instead of suppressed. She consequently rejects the optimisms of the Scientific Revolution and

the Enlightenment as they work to progress change. Her book, Frankenstein, exhibits how much

affliction can arise from an excess of science and reason. Shelley writes to inform the country of

France that the changes of society cannot fall back into the power of Enlightenment thinkers, but

instead, it should belong to the romantics.

I pledge that I have acted honorably.

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Works Cited

Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein. Edited by Kathleen Scherf and D. L. Macdonald, Broadview Press,

2012.