How does the natural world affect us? How does nature react to Frankenstein's work?
Nature's effects and reactions to the characters in Frankenstein is a theme throughout the book. In the previous section, the night the monster came alive, nature reacted with "...rain pattered dismally against the panes..." (p35). The stormy night was a reflection of Victor's manic work but then also of his instant regret after the monster awoke. In this section, the monster tells Victor his story about eavesdropping on the little family. As the monster realizes how different he is from the people, in both appearance and knowledge, he also tells of the cold, snowy winter. When spring arrives, he describes how quickly his mood changed: "The pleasant showers and genial warmth of spring greatly altered the aspect of the earth...Happy, happy earth!..My spirits were elevated by the enchanting appearance of nature..." (p81). As the monster tells of spring, he is clearly much more excited and cheerful. This is another example of the connection between nature and the characters in the book. It is really interesting how Shelley depicts this relationship as working both ways, yet I believe I have only witnessed nature having an effect on peoples' moods. We do not really think of nature reflecting how we feel or our actions.
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