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1、Analysis On Romanticism in Frankenstein弗兰肯斯坦的浪漫主义元素分析摘 要英国作家玛丽雪莱是十八世纪末，十九世纪初英国浪漫主义文学不可忽略的人物。她在1818年发表了被誉为西方最早的科幻小说之一的弗兰肯斯坦，小说主人公弗兰肯斯坦是一位从事人的生命科学研究的学者。他创造了一个面目可憎，奇丑无比的怪物。这人造的怪物秉性善良，对人充满了善意和感恩之情。但是，当他处处受到他的创造者和人们的嫌恶和歧视时，他感到非常痛苦,他杀害了弗兰肯斯坦的弟弟，又企图谋害他的未婚妻。弗兰肯斯坦怀着满腔怒火追捕他所创造的恶魔般的怪物，最后和怪物同归于尽。对弗兰肯斯坦的解读有很多，从早
2、期传记的研究、女权主义分析、到人性批评等，不一而足。本论文从作者的生活经历、家庭背景、创作意义以及当时的文学背景分析浪漫主义思想在其小说中的体现，更结合小说中的怪物形象进行分析，通过对其中浪漫主义意象的剖析，反映出作者与浪漫主义运动的深厚感情，以及小说本身与浪漫主义的内在联系。【关键词】浪漫主义 创作背景 人性 怪物 Abstract Mary Shelley was an important literary figure in the nineteenth-century British Romanticism. In 1818, she published Frankenstein, o
3、ne of the first science fictions in western literature. Doctor, the hero of the novel, was a life science research scholar. He sought to create artificial life, a terrifying, ugly monster. At first, this man-made monster was kind, full of human kindness and gratitude. But later he killed the brother
4、 of the doctor and attempted to murder Frankensteins fiancee. With great and agony, Frankenstein chased the monster and finally they died together. The novel has attracted a wide variety of interpretations, ranging from earlier biographical study, to the feminist critics and human nature analysis. T
5、he thesis analyzes the Romanticism elements in the novel from the aspects of writers life experience, family background and meaning of creation, as well as some Romantic images, especially the monster. Through the analysis, the thesis draws the conclusion that the writer has some deep emotion with R
6、omantic Movement and Frankenstein has close and implied link with Romanticism.Keywords: Romanticism creation background human nature monster I. IntroductionMary Shelley, born August 30, 1797, was a prominent, though often overlooked, literary figure during the Romantic Era of English Literature. She
7、 was the only child of Mary Wollstonecraft, the famous feminist, and William Godwin, a philosopher and novelist. She was also the wife of the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley. She was born in 1797 and was a female writer in London. In 1816, she got married with Percy Bysshe Shelley, who was a famous Romant
8、ic poet in 19th century. Frankenstein is a novel by Marry Shelley. It tells the story of Dr. Frankenstein and his quest to create intelligent life, with dire consequences. It has had significant impact on the literary world, resulting in many Frankenstein inspired novels. The hero Dr. Frankenstein i
9、s engaged in peoples life scientific research and tries hard to use artificial method to create life. In his laboratory, he eventually creates an obnoxious and ugly monster through countless explorations. At the beginning, the artificial monster has kindhearted nature. He is full with goodwill and t
10、hanksgiving towards people. He asks his creator and people to give him every life right and even asks for a spouse. However, he feels very disappointed when he is always discriminated by people and his creator. So he hates everything and is eager to ruin everything around the world. He kills Franken
11、steins brother and attempted to murder Frankensteins fiance. In order to save other people, Frankenstein has his bosom filled with anger to hound the monster. At last, he and the monster both end in death in the battle.This novel shows the authors attitude towards life. She thinks people have double
12、 charactersgoodness and badness. People are going to do wrong things if they are discriminated and persecuted by other people for a long time. Whats worse, they may destroy the whole world.Is a creation of the Gothic tradition of literary sentimentalism. Gothic novels popular in the 18th century, be
13、longs to Romanticism, more content for the terror, violence, fantasy, and longing for life in the Middle Ages, because of its dark and desolate plot occurred in the Gothic castle (18th century England, a popular architectural forms, similar to the church) in its name, story full of suspense to end i
14、n destruction; there are many similar well-known works. Sentimentalism refers to the industrial revolution, before the French Revolution as a literary genre, the main features of a writer instead of reason to emotion and love as a critical tool, mainly praise kindness, compassion, selflessness, and
15、ecstasy is natural, but the shape of the figure Some pedantic and naive. Epistolary was a more popular literary technique.On the subject, the Gothic novels reflect the industrial revolution and the antipathy of science and technology, such as Mary Shelley in Frankenstein by the infringement of the d
16、ouble law of nature. People can only follow the laws of nature and not a substitute for God to create human and man can not replace the physiological function of women having children and social responsibility. The Faustian tragedy of Frankenstein-type character description reveals the development o
17、f science and technology rely on the progress of over-confidence of people after a violation of natural law of nature is bound to have been punished. But there are critics that, at a deeper level it is precisely this rejection reflects the views of Romanticism: the formation of life is only natural
18、beauty, the product of human nature can only be illegal tampering is ugly, disgusting or even extremely terrible things. The author believes that Frankenstein in showing antipathy toward technology and the attitude of reverence for nature, whether it is as sacred as the laws of nature, such as the i
19、nviolability of God, or that only the natural formation of life is the beautiful, with the romanticism that is the most realistic nature of the core ideology coincides with the most beautiful.II. The Background of Authors Creation2.1 The Life Experience of Mary ShellyMary Shelley had the extremely c
20、onfused feeling of pregnant and giving birth to a child. She was pregnant when she was sixteen and it happened almost every year for five years. Most of her babies died soon after their births. Besides, she was an illegal mother at that time because she was not married to Shelley then. The filthy de
21、scription in Frankenstein demonstrates Mary Shelleys terrifying feeling about the maternal instinct.In this novel, Mary Shelley concerned much on the creation of life. The creation of life was described as filthy dirty and bloody. For example, the condition of the experimental laboratory of Frankens
22、tein was miserable; Frankenstein himself became seriously ill and the materials for his creation came from the graves, charnel houses, the dissecting room and slaughterhouse.Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley was the only daughter of two literary celebrities. Her father William Godwin (1756 - 1836) was an
23、evolutionary philosopher and novelist. Her mother Mary Wollstonecraft (1759 -1797), the author of the Rights of Woman, was in the vanguard of feminism. Unfortunately, Mary Wollstonecraft died giving birth to Mary, leaving her daughter in the care of his husband. Mary spent her childhood in a very mi
24、serable situation. She could not expect any love from her stepmother. Shelley helped her not only in her life but also in her literary success. She always has conversations with Shelley about life and literature. Most of their conversations aroused her inspiration for her novels. She began writing w
25、hat she assumed would be a short story. With Percy Shelleys encouragement, she expanded this tale into her first novel, or The Modern Prometheus, published in 1818, which made Mary Shelley known as mother of the science fictions.2.2 The Historical Background of Marry Shellys CreationUnder the influe
26、nce of 18th-century Neo-classical Europe, a large number of ancient Greece, ancient Rome, rewritten or classic or translated into national language, to promote the vigorous development of the Enlightenment movement played a pivotal role. Enlightenment in the 18th century was the most influential ide
27、as, under the background of such a creation of Frankenstein which shows her reflection on the scientific and technological civilization and the power of rational skepticism. Humanism led to people instead of God, man became the measure of all things, and further lead to further development of anthro
28、pocentrism Eurocentric. More advanced technology, but technology is also more and more like worship of religious worship. Scientists have become the new god. Mary Shelleys doubt and negation of humanism from its pessimistic view of the world, but also from her caught between two social classes among
29、 the living state. Frankenstein that prevailed at that time her three critical thinking: a theology of religious mode, natural mode and humanist mode. Three models are critical of this attitude, expressed their own positions. Mary Shelley also criticized romanticism and individualism at the time, an
30、d a series of novels by the plot expressed their criticism of father and husband.Frankenstein is a very good novel of new ideas and exciting plots. Almost every character in Frankenstein shows his interest in developing his own situation and does something for human betterment.The “thing” Frankenste
31、in has created and abandoned later takes its revenge against its creator. In order to catch this vicious monster and kill it for human betterment, Frankenstein pursues the monster to the Arctic and dies there. The monster makes a decision to destroy itself, too. Many people show their interest in th
32、is novel not only because it is one of the earliest written science fictions in the English literature but also because it had eccentric and unconstrained plots. It also had very complex and complicated description about human nature and this thesis seeks to analyze Mary Shelleys views on human natu
33、re and finds the significant meaning for todays human and science development.2.3 Literary Background in Writers Times2.3.1 The Impact of The Story of PrometheusThe sub-title of Frankenstein is The Modern Prometheus suggesting a strong link with the ancient Promethean myths. Mary Shelley subtitled h
34、er novel The Modern Prometheus, appears in Greek myth as a divine being, one of the Titans, descended from the original union of the Sky God with the Earth Mother. In some stories, he is the creator of mankind, and he is always their champion. He is supposed to have stolen fire for them from Heaven
35、when they were denied it by Zeus, and to have been punished by being fastened to a cliff in the Caucasus where an eagle tore daily at his liver. Frankenstein shared many similarities with Prometheus. In Frankenstein, the scientist played the role of the modern Prometheus. He was the creator of a hum
36、an being. Although he abandoned his creation, he could not avoid taking the responsibility of it that was his intellectual invention. Once the crazy scientist gained it, his fall began and he would be excluded from the paradise of life. Both Frankenstein and Prometheus had done something for human b
37、etterment; however, both of them were punished seriously. Prometheus was punished because of fire while Frankenstein suffered from his own actions because of knowledge. Prometheus was chained to a rock, where an eagle plucked at his liver each day. The next day, his liver would grow back again and t
38、he eagle ate it again. He had to endure this tragic experience day after day. Frankenstein also endured some miserable things, such as lost of his family and friend. However, Prometheus endured the corporal punishment while Frankenstein suffered the spiritual sufferings. He was disturbed by a state
39、of utmost confusion and terror. Frankenstein begins to build on his scientific knowledge and when he goes to Ingolstadt and finds a mentor in Waldman, he also starts to take his study of chemistry seriously. There, he becomes part of the new science that penetrates “into the recesses of nature, and
40、show how she works in her hiding places”. However, ideas are simply not enough to cause a young and intelligent man like Frankenstein to try to take on the role of the ultimate Creator and bring life to a corpse. Shelly shows us that the external or the society at large will always intermingle with
41、the internal or the emotional and psychological makeup of the person. It is Frankensteins own “chimerical” makeup- a confidence in the male scientific ability, a belief in the male prerogative to control nature by the accumulation of knowledge, the absence of a tempering maternal influence and his o
42、wn hubris, that leads him to “circumvent the natural channels of procreation”. His knowledge of the world is ironically one that is created in piecemeal. Hence the creature can be seen as a physical representation of the terrible patching up of mismatched parts to make a whole. In trying to be more
43、than he is, that is, a human being, Frankenstein finds himself wedged in between nature and God, becoming estranged from his immediate society as he becomes burdened with the tragedies brought about by the creature. As is implied by the sub-title The Modern Prometheus the story of Doctor Frankenstei
44、n is strongly influence by the Hellenistic Promethean myths. The primary ancient sources for the legends of Prometheus are Theogony by Hesiod and the Metamorphoses by Ovid, as well as Aeschyluss Prometheus Unbound. Here will be found an analysis of the influence of these on Shelleys novel.While the
45、creation of life by Prometheus is only seen in Metamorphoses the act of stealing knowledge which should only be known to divine beings, for the use of man, is a feature in all the Promethean creation myths. In all the versions of this legend Prometheus challenges the supremacy of nature and the know
46、ledge of the gods. When Doctor Frankenstein seeks the knowledge of life and death he perpetrates a crime against the gods and nature in much the same way as Prometheus did when he stole the secret of fire; Frankenstein was not satisfied that there were secrets that could not be learned by man. Whenc
47、e, I often asked myself, did the principle of life proceed? he poses. Frankenstein was determined to make this knowledge of life his, and so he challenged the power of heaven with his science; as he states It was the secrets of heaven and earth that I desired to learn Frankenstein claims that Life a
48、nd death appeared to me ideal bounds, which I should first break through, and pour a torrent of light into our dark world. He is here connecting the various Promethean myths; his creation of life will also create light just as Prometheus both created life and introduced light with the gift of fire.
49、If Frankenstein is Prometheus then he is Prometheus without a Zeus. The enemy who eventually brings about Frankensteins destruction is himself. Prometheus failed due to his presumption in stealing knowledge from the gods. Frankenstein sees this presumption as being his only fault, he refers to the monster as the living monument of presumption and rash ignorance, but the reader can identify that his real failure is a moral co
