Whenever two novels were written in different time periods, many differences can be found between these novels. They may have been written in different styles for different classes of readers. Viewpoints and beliefs change with time, and the writing styles in these novels reflect this evolution. .
During the time that Frankenstein was written (1818), Romanticism was the dominant literary period, and much of the Romantic philosophy can be seen in Mary Shelley's novel. One major theme in this work was rejection of authority. Frankenstein was given the subtitle "The Modern Prometheus."" Prometheus was known for going against the orders of Zeus, a god of Olympus, and bringing fire to humans. Another example of this theme is the fact that while Frankenstein is experimenting, he somewhat rejects his father (a person of power) by ostracizing himself from his father.
The Romantic era stressed the belief that nature is good, since they believed that God could be found in everything on the earth. There are several times throughout the story in which Victor goes to nature to be mentally restored. After he recovered from his illness after creating the monster, he journeyed into nature. In addition, after William and Justine were murdered, he went into nature because the "sublime and magnificent scenes afforded me [Frankenstein] the greatest consolation."" [Shelley 80].
Romantics believed that every person was born naturally good, but society corrupts the person and makes him bad. This was an obvious characteristic of the monster. In the first moment of his "life,"" he realized that he was abandoned by his creator. He helped the De Lacey family by giving them food and wood, but he was later beaten and thrown out of the house. He saved a little girl from drowning and, as a result, her father shot him. He tried to make friends with a boy, who made fun of his ugly appearance and rejected him.