English Literature - Pearson Edexcel - Prose
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
Essay Plan - Theme: Nature
AO1, AO2 &A03
Writing Points, Language Analysis (Quotes) & Context
Essay Plan: Nature
Point 1: Nature is presented as beautiful and powerful but also dangerous and unpredictable.
Nature is beautiful and powerful above all other forces and especially above the likes of
Man.
‘supreme and magnificent’ & ‘so beautiful and heavenly’ - all these adjectives show the beauty and
power of nature, the adjective ‘heavenly’ in particular has religious connotations and shows nature
as a divine power.
‘a scene of singular beauty’ - the adjective ‘singular’ shows that the beauty of nature is unlike
anything else in the world.
Nature is wild and unpredictable which makes it dangerous and powerful, and that
Frankenstein is a cautionary tale (warning against harming nature).
‘dangerous mysteries’ - the ocean is dangerous and unpredictable as well as unknown and a
mystery, especially during this time period (refer to context), this makes Walton’s future rocky
considering his great amount of ambition, like Victor had.
‘floating sheets of ice’ - Frankenstein is a cautionary tale and the ‘ice’ represents the both the
obstacles Walton will face but also the danger of the path he seems to be following.
The differences between Elizabeth (Romanticism) and Victor (Enlightenment) who are FOILS
of each other. Elizabeth is content to look and appreciate nature whilst Victor wants to
dissect and violate nature.
‘She busied herself...majestic and wonderous scenes’ & ‘she found ample scope for admiration and
delight’ - Elizabeth appreciates the beauty and power of nature and unlike Victor is content with just
observing nature.
‘my companion contemplated...satisfied spirit’ vs ‘I delighted in investigating their causes’ - the
juxtaposition between ‘contemplated’ and ‘investigating’ shows clearly the differences between
Elizabeth and Victor and subsequently the differences between Romanticism and Enlightenment.
Context:
Romanticism and Enlightenment, romantics believed that nature was an all-powerful force or power
beyond human comprehension and that nature should be admired, but not unpicked and those who
believed in Enlightenment put reason, logic and investigation above all else – Elizabeth and Vicor
who are FOILS of one another.
The book could be a critical response to the Scientific Revolution (1550-1700) - during the
Renaissance the quest to understand the natural world led to the revival of anatomy led by people
such as Andreas Vesalius during the later sixteenth century. Romanticists believed that nature comes
above science and revolution.
Frankenstein was written in a time/period (the eighteenth century) of discovery - especially of the
world. The 1700’s was a time for polar expeditions, and pioneers like Captain Cook sailed the world
discovering new places in the world.
Point 2: Man tries to defeat and overcome nature because of pride and toxic masculinity.
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