Alex Klimt

Frankenstein Value 1:
Mary Shelley comments and in a way offers a warning about disturbing the natural order
of events in her Romantic novel Frankenstein. The novel therefore adheres to a set of
Romantic ideals and values, which typify the period of literature. Although many are
expressed, Shelley concentrates on the notion of family and kinship primarily through
the voice of Victor in the opening chapters of the novel. It is important to note that the
values Victor gives representation to are already well established by Waltons letters.
Walton is given the role, by Shelley, to be a reliable narrator, the view of the era and in
some ways the spokesperson for the good values of this era. This being said, Shelley,
through Victor gives representation to a common Romantic value, in relation to
disturbing the natural order. This is done primarily through a strongly idealized
childhood from Victor, laying emphasis on the importance of the natural environment
for man to reach harmony and companionship and also through the notion of over-
reaching, initially expressed by Victors thirst for knowledge. Both are strongly
Romantic ideals and are expressed with overwhelming emphasis throughout the first two
chapters.

The notion that harmony and spiritual cohesion is reached when man is surrounded by
natural elements is expressed widely throughout the opening two chapters of the novel.
In depicting this harmony and cohesion, Shelley also comments on the consequences of
disturbing this natural environment. This however will come about later in the novel.
Shelley suggests, by using a Romantic device of idolizing children, that heaven, or even
God gives a child to a parent, therefore that child must be respected, loved and nurtured.
Secondly, the notion of duty and obligation comes in to play; when a child comes
naturally one is obliged to lavish the tenderness it gives. God directs and obligates this
individual to treat them well and the natural order is preserved. This is strongly opposed
to the way Victor creates his child and disturbs the natural order. This is very much a
Romantic ideal and Shelley conveys this through a strong irony between the way Victor
was treated as a child. He describes his parents to have benevolent pleasure while
regarding him. The irony is furthered when Victor describes the deep consciousness of
what they owed towards the being to which they had given life. This deeply ironic
comment furthers the notion that in the natural environment, parents feel the obligation
to protect and nurture their child. Finally, this notion of parent child relationship is
furthered by the spiritual value given to children, again by Victors parents. He describes
Alex Klimt

himself to be Their plaything and their idol, and something better their child, the
innocent and helpless creature bestowed on them by Heaven. The use of a balanced
sentence really lays emphasis to the benevolence Victors parents exhibit as a result of the
natural environment.

Finally, Shelley raises the concern about over-reaching, particularly in relation to science
and again over-stepping the natural order of events. This is expressed primarily through
Victor, and his thirst for knowledge which is akin to rapture. This obsession,
depicted as an overwhelming sense of the epitome of an emotional state. The notion that
over-reaching the natural order is first introduced by Victor in the first two chapters, but
elaborated on later in the novel. Victor says that The world was to me a secret which I
desired to divine and he describes his lust to achieve this secret to occupy him. The
notion of over-stepping the natural order comes into consideration when Victor says, It
was the secrets of heaven and earth that I desired to learnthe metaphysical. This
typifies the notion of overstepping and over-reaching the boundaries. Victor is not
satisfied with merely the physical, but the metaphysical. Finally Victor foreshadows
events to come in the novel through his personification of destiny and fate in the closing
sentence of chapter II. He says, Destiny was too potent, and her immutable laws had
decreed y utter and terrible destruction. This again highlights and foreshadows the
consequences of over-stepping the natural order of events and over-reaching.