Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein is a masterpiece of world literature with many complex moral themes. One of them is idealism and the consequences of overly idealistic illusions on people’s lives. In the novel, idealism is represented through several characters, including Victor, his mother, Caroline, and the monster created by Frankenstein. In particular, these characters replace their overly idealistic illusions with hopes of accomplishment and the achievement of great happiness. However, regardless of their desires, idealism leads them to tragedy, which is marked by the collapse of their dreams. Thus, idealism in the novel is represented by the hopes of the characters, which also replace their overly idealistic illusions.
Idealism caused the downfall of the central character Victor, whose life was based on ideas and dreams. When creating the monster, he expected exclusively positive outcomes, the triumph of science and his own exaltation. However, he did not foresee the possible dark consequences that such an act might entail, as well as the moral issues associated with it. In his idealistic views, Victor expected to see the triumph of science in the beautiful creature he created, but he faced a cruel reality in which the monster was frightening and horrifying. The scientist’s idealism leads him to a mental breakdown and blind faith in the good that his work can bring. After the creature’s awakening, Victor states, “How can I describe my emotions at this catastrophe, or how to delineate the wretch whom with such infinite pains and care I had endeavoured to form?” (Shelley 61). The scientist finally faces a depressing reality that completely contradicts his idealistic expectations. In his blindness and delusion, Victor could not foresee the monster’s appearance rather than the beautiful creature he desired to form.
One of the representations of idealism in the novel is the overconfidence of the characters in certain events, a false hope that leads to collapse. In particular, Victor’s parents made the main bet on their son’s marriage to Elizabeth, which led to the collapse of their hopes. Caroline says, “My firmest hopes of future happiness were placed on the prospect of your union. This expectation will now be the consolation of your father” (Shelley 49). Thus, she claims that the long-term plan for the union of her son and Elizabeth is the only guarantee of her possible happiness. Caroline does not consider alternative options, not counting on failure in this regard. And although Victor’s mother does not live to see the marriage of the characters, his father becomes a witness to the collapse of hopes. In the end, he meets disappointment, which soon leads to depression and death. Thus, idealism is represented as overconfidence in the realization of hopes that most likely lead to failure and dread outcomes. A more realistic approach to life involves considering alternative fallback options to make a choice.
Idealism is also represented in the novel through the monster character. The monster finds himself abandoned and rejected even by his creator, which causes him to seek approval from the people. The monster complains, “But where were my friends and relations?… all my past life was now a blot, a blind vacancy in which I distinguished nothing” (Shelley 117). Feelings of loneliness and social isolation due to their disgusting appearance and strange nature create an idealistic perception of the need for a relationship with the monster. While his creator, Victor’s idealistic views, led to the collapse and creation of a horrifying experiment, the monster finds comfort and hope in it. He is blinded by the idea of finding warmth from a being of his own kind who could share his pain. However, this idealism in the case of a monster does not lead to sad consequences but rather allows him to cope with his difficult fate.
Shelley replaces the characters’ overly idealistic illusions with the various hopes they hold, which are also the basis of their lives. Idealism in the novel is compared with the desire of the characters to satisfy their needs, to find happiness. In particular, the discrepancy between ideas and reality leads to tragic consequences for Caroline, Victor, and the monster. For Shelley, idealism is expressed in the desire of characters to achieve happiness in fixed ways and the rejection of alternatives. In the novel, this fact is replaced by high hopes for happiness and peace for all the characters described. They replace the emptiness of their lives, the dissatisfaction of their desires, and the general unfulfillment with dreams of an ideal outcome of events.
Thus, idealism in the novel is represented through the views and ideas of various characters, including Victor, his mother, and also the monster. Remarkably, for Shelley, idealism is both a source of unhappiness and an opportunity to find hope. Even Victor, whose unrealistic views led to the collapse, lived and worked on the basis of his ideas and dreams. Caroline, his mother, also harbored the hope of finding happiness after the marriage between Victor and Elizabeth. Despite the sad outcome of these desires, the characters lived in their idealistic ideas, which were a source of hope and meaning for many years. For the monster, idealism became the only way to cope with his fate, which allowed him to accept his position. Thus, in the novel, Shelley replaces overly idealistic illusions with the hope that the characters place on future events and the results of their activities. Although their views are often unrealistic, they are the only source of the meaning for existence.
Work Cited
Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein, edited by J. Paul Hunter, W. W. Norton & Company, 2012.
