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  • Essay / Exploration of Historical Events in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

    Table of ContentsIntroductionGothic Elements and Historical RepresentationConclusionWorks CitedIntroductionFrankenstein is a novel written by Mary Shelley and its story revolves around the life of a particular character named Victor Frankenstein who becomes a scientist at a tender age. He manages to develop a strange creature through his scientific experiments after losing his mother in order to avoid grief. The historical events of the novel are revealed through the characters and themes explored in the novel by the author. For example, the use of monster characters that represent the Gothic is a clear indication of historical events that occurred in the past period. The purpose of this article is to explore how historical events that occurred in the past period are reflected in Shelley's novel Frankenstein. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essayGothic Elements and Historical RepresentationThe first way in which the historical events in the novel are depicted is through the use of Gothic. Gothic is a language used in Antiquity. It has been used for various purposes, such as exploring what it means to be human or the difference between humans and other creatures. For example, Gothic is essentially about defining the boundary between the human, the natural, the divine, the monstrous, and the supernatural. This is depicted in the author's novel through the use of a creature developed by Frankenstein via his scientific experiments. Additionally, the use of the monster created by Frankenstein also reflects the historical period, as these creatures are believed to have existed in the past. The novel Frankenstein was written in the Romantic era and reflects the historical period. The era in which it was written extends from approximately 1785 to 1830, a time characterized by social and political upheaval. This is the period during which England transformed from an agricultural society to an industrial nation. This is reflected in the novel by the development of science. The development of scientific knowledge is demonstrated by Frankenstein's ability to develop the strange creature through scientific knowledge. In other words, the historical period of the novel is also represented by the use of symbolism to represent events that happened in the past. In this case, Shelley used this style to indicate this period that occurred in the past. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized article from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Conclusion In conclusion, Shelley was successful in using different styles to represent historical themes. Among them is the use of the Gothic language which was used in the past. This language was essentially used to mark the boundary between humans and other creatures such as monsters. Additionally, historical themes have also been depicted in the novel through the development of the creature which is larger than modern man. Such creatures preceded modern man and therefore this shows that the author has indirectly shown that she is exploring the historical events. Works Cited Bloom, Harold. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. New York, NY: Chelsea House Publ, 2007. Print. Burt, Daniel S. The Biographical Book: A Reader's Guide to the Nonfiction, Fictional, and Film Biographies of More Than 500 of the Most Fascinating Individuals of All Time. Westport, CT: Oryx Press, 2001. Print.