One of the great things about Literature is that it is influenced by the time period that it was written in. Frankenstein was written during the Romantic Period in history and the author, Mary Shelley, was influenced by the period. The book reflects many elements of the Romantic period, like the supernatural, the exotic, and the solitude. In my opinion, Victor Frankenstein is not a romantic hero, but his monster definitely is portrayed as one. .
Before the Romantic period, people lived during the Industrial Revolution. In response to the destruction of nature that was occurring, people began to try to see nature as a more beautiful and perfect place. Before this period, the main inspiration for writing was religion and order, but now writers were beginning to use emotion and their imagination. This change in the attitude of the people was called Romanticism and it was one of the most important periods in history for literature. All of a sudden, people were beginning to write for the common people with new feelings of spirituality and emotions. Mary Shelley used these new philosophies when writing Frankenstein. .
The main character, Victor Frankenstein, is a young scientist who studies the forbidden sciences. He shows a tendency to like things that are forbidden to him. He has great ambition but he is extremely self-centered. Because of his arrogance, he rushes into something that he isn't prepared for and makes the biggest mistake of his life, the monster. He created the monster to help society, but the monster is really responsible for undoing society, showing Victor's self centeredness. The beliefs of Victor are in science and the known world, which is just the opposite of Romanticism. Victor's character seems like he is more an influence of the Industrial Revolution because he thinks that he can conquer nature and be a god. .
The evolution of Frankenstein and his monster depict the passage of good into evil that all men encounter and some overcome.
