In Frankenstein, Shelley explores the transgression of the natural order in the Romantic ideal by humanity's ongoing pursuit of progress and knowledge, a consequence of the Enlightenment Era and the Industrial Revolution. ... The connotation of "penetrate the secrets of nature" reflects the Romantic concern that specific aspiration was an exploitative violation of nature. ... This presents the wider Romantic concern that the Industrial Revolution, in its mechanisation of society exemplified in the textiles industry, exploited the natural world and natural elements of humans. ...

• Word Count: 1236
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: Graduate