Emotional Transformation in Frankenstein Essay

Over the course of Frankenstein, Viktor Frankenstein undergoes a drastic emotional transformation as a result of his experiments which resulted in the creation of his Creature. Frankenstein's trips to Montavert, and his descriptions of the scene on his solitary excursions, show a clear sense of an emotional 'before and after.' In his visits to Montavert before the birth of his Creature, Frankenstein saw a sublime and beautiful scene. However, his accounts are drastically different - upset, guilty and disturbed - when Viktor returns, after leaving his Creature and experiencing the deaths of his brother William, and the wrongful execution of Justine Moritz. These drastic changes in Frankenstein's emotions are shown through his portrayals of nature. These changes in Frankenstein can also be seen as a parallel to the changes undergone by Mary Shelley in her own life, reflecting the disillusionment she felt with Romantic literature.

One of the most unique aspects of Romanticism is the way that nature portrays the emotions of the writer. Unlike the mimesis of nature employed by their Neoclassical and Humanist predecessors, Romantic writers used nature as a mirror of their emotions, and contorted their natural surroundings to describe their specific feelings. This is a central tenet of Romanticism and key in understanding the major mental and emotional shifts undergone by Viktor Frankenstein throughout the novel. The natural imagery in this passage is interesting because it shows the emotions and feelings of Frankenstein before and after his experimentations with the Creature. Before, the views of Montavert had "filled me with a sublime ecstacy that gave wings to the soul, and allowed it to soar from the obscure world to light and joy. The sight of the awful and majestic in nature had indeed always the effect of solemnizing my mind, and causing me to forget the passing cares in life" (958). The views of Montavert had before given Frankenstein a tranquil and exhilarating experience, where he was able to forget his worries and enjoy the beautiful scenery that surrounded him. Now, however, Viktor only sees grief, regret, and guilt in the mountains of Montavert, and the natural images employed to describe his current scene describe the specific emotions that he is feeling.

Fog and mists are used twice throughout the passage as obscuring Viktor's views of the mountains. The "thick mists [hiding] the summits of the mountains" (958) are the first images described in the passage, and the "vast mists..curling in thick wreaths around the opposite mountains" (958) are the last. This obscuring of his views hints at the confusion and guilt Viktor is feeling at the moment of their description. Viktor is exploring Montavert in solitude because he wishes to experience the same feelings of before, of resolution and awe, but the incomplete and obstructed view prevents this from happening, causing Viktor to dwell on the sad and guilty feelings he is experiencing from allowing his Creature to kill his family and unjustly punish a friend.