Nevertheless, Elizabeth Barrett Browning advocates that the strength of love can help overcome the obstacles. In contrast, F. Scott Fitzgerald sees the world dissolved in excessive corruption shown through The Great Gatsby as it exemplifies the failure of the American Dream as well as the broken world where love struggles to exist. Love through the two texts is shown to be powerful and necessary for fulfilment. The love presented through the Sonnets from the Portuguese suggests that her life was completely changed as a result of the dominance of love. Prior to this her life was shown as dark and deathly through the personification of the “mystic shape” that moves behind her.
People are, in theory, all bound to a certain set of natural laws and moral codes and country rules, and part of the Romantic dogma is to break free of these bounds. This is precisely what Victor was attempting to do with his reanimation experiments: “Life and death appeared to me ideal bounds, which I should first break through, and pour a torrent of light into our dark world,” (M. Shelley 52) he says, further cementing his existence as a Romantic character. Mary Shelley was a self-professed lover of Coleridge, especially his poem, “Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner,” so it comes by no surprise that she also has references to his poem “The Eolian Harp,” which is another topic breached by several of the Romantic poets because of its place in classical poetry as well. The poem grants the idea of somewhat of a breeze of inspiration playing on the heart of the subject (Coleridge). Shelley takes this idea into her novel in several places, and means it as a breeze of discovery, not just as a breeze of inspiration.
In pursuit of knowledge and technology, society begins to lose a sense of humanity. The 1818 gothic novel, Frankenstein by Mary Shelley and 1982 science fiction film, Blade Runner directed by Ridley Scott although composed over one hundred years apart contain the same concepts on the nature of humanity. Through context and a variety of film and literary techniques both composers were able to convey their purpose of a cautionary warning about the consequences of playing God. This was achieved through the dislocation of the natural world and mans attempt to play God. The texts present a view that questions the ethics of science which progress is unchecked.
“I shall no longer see the sun or stars, or feel the winds play on my cheek” shows how well Shelley juxtaposes an ‘ugly’ image [creature] against the sly nature sublime, suggesting that the creature, despite his creation, was a part of nature. Ultimately, it relates back to the theme of the novel, reminding us of the consequences of knowledge by disrupting nature, undesired outcomes are bound to occur. This natural imagery is contrasted in Blade Runner. In the opening scene, the cityscape is devoid of any natural elements, implying the degradation of the world to technology. The disruption of our natural environment gives way to more corporatism, globalism and
Texts reflect the social, economic and historical contexts of which the author compose their work in. Both Mary Shelley’s 19th century gothic novel “Frankenstein” and the science fiction film “Blade Runner” directed by Ridley Scott propose similar concepts even though their work were compose during different era. As a Romanticist, Shelley put down the idea of man playing ‘God’, Scott’s responds to Shelley warning is also condemn man’s thoughtless ambition. However the context of greed and mass industrialisation shifts the criticism onto the pursuit of commercial dominance. Both texts have used many language techniques and features to describe similar dystopian visions result from man’s abandonment of nature.
Shelley draws from the characteristics of gothic fiction influenced by The Romantic Movement, through employing sinister connotations that forebode Victor’s downfall, “…the rain pattered dismally against the panes, and my candle was nearly burnt out…” This portrays the reality that the value of creating life is unattainable, which is furthermore explored in Blade Runner, as Scott presents a world in which technology has eliminated the defining features of humanity. Shelley also alludes to The Promethean Myth and the symbolism of oppressing fire, “…the glimmer of the half-extinguished light…” to emphasise the danger of attaining knowledge beyond accepted boundaries. Shelley’s admonition of excessive knowledge is explored additionally within Blade Runner. Blade Runner is dominated by capitalism and social hierarchy, therefore mirroring the values of the 18th century context of Frankenstein. Scott, influenced by the gothic-novel features in Frankenstein, has employed the style of
In Frankenstein, Victor continually refers to his creation as ‘vile wrench’, ‘abhorred devil’. This uses of epithet illustrate his immediate repulsion towards the creature and his recklessness towards conformity of life he has bestowed. Despite this, the creature gladly desires Victor’s acknowledgement on his behalf - ‘Remember that I am thy creature; I ought to be thy Adam; but I am rather the fallen angel, whom thou drivest from joy for no misdeed’. Juxtaposition between two biblical allusion, ‘Adam’ and ‘fallen angel’ suggests us the contrast in Victor and God. In Bible, Adam was the first male with gifted creation from the God’, but the creature rather refers himself more of ‘fallen angel’, ‘devil’ who plunges the eternal war against God.
He and his mentor, Emerson, protested the ideas of slavery and had their beliefs solely focused on the goodness of people and nature (Woodlief 3). The purpose of Thoreau going into the woods was because he believed that society and the institutions with it corrupt the purity of the individual. Though Thoreau received no national awards, he will forever be seen as the co-founder of Transcendentalism and the father of naturalism. His works are ones to look up to, as many have, either for becoming a revolutionary or learning to stray from technology and become an individual. Resources 1.
The monster receives Nature’s aid when he is first out on his own, as objects sheltered him and streams provided him with drink. This connection on a deeper level ties into the battle between ‘good and evil’; with science as the enemy to Nature, since Nature is divine and more powerful than a mortal. Victor goes against nature by playing God. He admits it when he says, “It was a most beautiful season; never did the fields bestow a more plentiful harvest or the vines yield a more luxuriant vintage, but my eyes were insensible to the charms of nature.” This blindness towards Nature’s divine will foreshadows the chaos that were caused from his
My author, Mark Twain; his character appreciated nature and being alone with it, free to travel. “The sky looked ever so deep when you lay down on your back in the moonshine; I never knowed it before.” 1Many romanticists are discontented with the artificial world, and that’s often why nature is so appealing to them: it’s still original and untouched. Transcendentalists view nature as holy and sacred. The believe God is everywhere, so destroying nature would be like destroying God. Industrialists do view nature as a resource, but they are dependent on it to run their factories.