The allusions from “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” that appear in the opening of “Frankenstein” contributes to a deeper meaning within the book. In the Ancient Mariner, readers saw the ability nature had when, “with a heavy thump, a lifeless thump/ They dropped down one by one (Coleridge 3),” after the Mariner killed the albatross. When he did not respect nature, his entire crew was killed. R. Walton saw the consequences for the Mariner’s actions and vowed not to travel down his same path. In Walton’s letter to his sister, he says, “I am going to unexplored regions, to ‘the land of mist and snow’ but, I shall kill no albatross. (Shelley p.7)” R. Walton vows to not harm nature because he has learned from the Ancient Mariner about nature’s power. In gothic and …show more content…
Walton says, “But I have one want which I never yet been able to satisfy, and the absence of the object of which I feel as a most severe evil. I have no friend, Margaret (Shelley p.4).” He is going on a exploration but believes that if he has no friend to share the discovery with than the joy in it is lost. All R. Walton wants is a friend and someone to share the memories with. The Mariner also felt alone on the wide open ocean after his crew was killed, “Alone, alone, all, all alone/ Alone on a wide, wide sea!/ And never a saint took pity on/ my soul in agony (Coleridge 4).” The Mariner regrets the loss of his friends and he can’t handle the emptiness. It seems as if R. Walton would do almost anything for a friend which may lead to impulsive behavior. As a rule, most impulsive actions leads to trouble and regret later on. This is reflected in “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” when he impulsively kills the albatross. Also seen in “The Ancient Mariner,” is that being alone for so long can lead to insanity, thus an unreliable narrator, which is a gothic characteristic. “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” allows readers to compare parallels between the poem and “Frankenstein” to infer what is yet to
The symbolism in the “Rhyme of the ancient mariner” is said to be an impossible representation of the Christian story of reconciliation from sin, redemption and forgiveness for that sin, but the symbolism in this poem clearly contradicts those views. The poem is one of a great sin committed against nature and the supernatural - being God - and how the wrong doer was redeemed from that sin and his journey into realigning what he had done. The Mariner was punished for his sin by the supernatural and forces of nature while he was glorified by his crew mates for his skill that was shown in killing the albatross with a crossbow. This is often true in Biblical stories and modern day where one is glorified for earthly talents and is given fame, but what they are famous for contradicts God and his law. Other aspects of Christianity are embedded in this poem as well that are easily overlooked like when the Mariner prays to some force he does not know. He is guilty for his transgression and knows what he has done is wrong although the sin was committed with ill will not intended. Lastly this poem displays a value important to Christianity, but also to all other ideologies and the is the topic of justice for crimes committed and the Christian aspect of thats once justice is served salvation is needed and redemption takes place. All of these values presented by symbolism throughout this poem all point toward the idea that the story of the Mariner was meant to serve as an example of the
English novelist Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and English poet Samuel Coleridge’s The Rime of the Ancient Mariner share very closely tied themes respectively in their own literary worlds. Through both novel and poem, in the eyes of each Victor Frankenstein and the Mariner three themes recur within. Knowledge, Frankenstein is addicted to knowledge in younger pursuits. The Mariner is cursed on the spread of knowledge of his obliterate tale of desolation through the wedding guest. Desolation, Frankenstein constantly torn by guilt wears himself to illness and disconnection from surrounding life. The Mariner in his lonely pursuit with his dead shipmates, left to be
Frankenstein is Mary Shelley’s famous, fictional work in which a man unravels the secret to creating life. The main character in this story is Victor Frankenstein. Throughout the novel he grows from a young, innocent boy into a vindictive, vengeful man. He oversteps the bounds of science by becoming the creator of a being that never should have lived. In the poem The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, written by Samuel Coleridge, a man, much like Victor, takes the role of the main character. The ancient mariner, by killing the albatross, violates the laws of nature and has to repent for his crime. These two characters are very similar but they also vary in several key ways.
In the Rime of the Ancient Mariner, it has similarities to Frankenstein with structure. In Frankenstein, through careful reading, it is shown how The Rime of the Ancient Mariner has influenced Mary Shelley’s novel. The structure of both the novel and the poem are situated similarly. As well as the end of the novel is similar to the poem. The structure of Frankenstein is laid out to follow The Rime of the Ancient Mariner. Also the poem has significance to each character in the novel, Walton his love for exploration and voyaging. For Victor it is his ambitions and wisdom. For the Creature, it is his wisdom as well and telling of his tale. The poem gives the reader a better understanding of the creature and allows the reader to see where the
Walton is like a past version of Frankenstein before he created the monster. He is young, naïve and excited about the task which he will endure. Both Walton and Frankenstein were well educated and both were very close to their sisters. From the letters, we learn that Robert’s passion for a sea-farer’s life stems back to his childhood, where he would read nothing but histories of voyages.
Both Frankenstein and Mariner are two men who seem to be cursed and submerged in pity and guilt by the deaths they think they have caused to happen; due to their own selfishness. In “Rime of the Ancient Mariner” the mariner feels guilty for killing the
Robert Walton in Frankenstein is similar to the Wedding Guest from "Rime of the Ancient Mariner," with Victor Frankenstein playing the role of the mariner. As the mariner feels compelled to share his story to one who needs to hear it, so does Victor. The explicit theme in "Rime of the Ancient Mariner," that love conquers all, is a clue as to how the tragedy that occurs in Frankenstein 's life could have been avoided.
In the 1798 and the 1817 text of the, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, There are certain changes. Changes that effect the poem and the way that the reader sees the poem. Some of these changes include reading devices called glosses. There are many reasons for the glosses to be put into the poem. One of the reasons is to help the reader interpret lines in the poem that can be confusing. These glosses are a brief interpretation of the stanza, so that the reader will understand it the way that Coleridge intended them to. An example of this is:
Frankenstein was reflecting on his past when he shares his guidance of knowledge to Walton. He was thinking about his mistake and how different his life would be if he were not creating the monster. He was passing this helpful knowledge onto Walton, hoping that Walton would learn from his mistake or it would help Walton to understand the power of using knowledge unreasonably. Surely, Walton was able to learn from Frankenstein‘s advice and thus prevent his crew from enduring cruel death by turning back and leaving his ambition behind. “I cannot lead them unwillingly to danger, and must return.” (Shelly, Walton, in CONTINUATION, p. 161) Walton was a seeker who learned the limits of seeking.
Robert Walton, the captain of the ship that finds Frankenstein, notes “broken in spirit as he is, no one can feel more deeply than he [Frankenstein] does the beauties of nature. The starry sky, the sea, and every sight afforded by these wonderful regions seem still to have the power of elevating his soul from earth” (Shelley 16). In the presence of the starry sky and the sea the thoughts of death escape him. On Victor’s last and darkest day the element of nature is brought into the scene suggesting the importance nature plays within the novel. Despite the monsters deformities and seclusion from society, nature is able to lift his spirits and bring him hope for a better future. Nature has the same healing effect upon the monster as with Victor, “…spirits were elevated by the enchanting appearance of nature; the past was blotted from my [his] memory, the present was tranquil, and the future gilded by bright rays of hope and anticipations of joy” (Shelley 99). With spring comes hope, as the flowers blossom the monsters feels his spirits being elevated. Just as nature flourishes, the monster is growing as well.
With austere, scientific accounting of human nature, Shelley documents how zealous Captain Walton rescued Victor Frankenstein, the passionate student of natural philosophy and impetuous, chance creator of life, from death in the remote regions of the North Pole. It is through Walton's journal entries that readers comprehend Frankenstein's
Finally, Robert Walton and the creature are portrayed with parallels that regard their ambition for discovery and knowledge—eventually leading to destruction. Both feel that they do not fit into society, and therefore feel that they have to change something in order to fit in. In the opening letters, Walton doubts himself in finding a real friend, even among “merchants and seamen” (9). Therefore, he makes an effort to be accepted. Walton voluntarily endures “cold, famine, thirst, and want of sleep” (7) while devoting his nights to the “study of mathematics, the theory of medicine, and…physical science” (7). Although Walton is appointed a high position in his ship by the captain, he is still in longing for a true friend. Likewise, the creature is
Mary Shelley, author of Frankenstein, references many other works of literature in her renowned book. To name a few of the referenced works there were John Milton’s Paradise Lost, the Greek “Prometheus myth”, and the widely known poem by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner”. Each of these allusions gave a new meaning to Shelley’s story, affecting how each of the readers interpreted her words.
Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein and Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s poem “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” are similar pieces of works because they both emphasize the consequences of defying laws of nature. Both of the stories are told in a third person point of view and in a series of flashbacks. In Frankenstein, Robert Walton tells the majority of the story and in “Rime of the Ancient Mariner” it is told by the wedding-guest. The protagonist of both stories challenge nature and get punished for their mistake. Shelley and Coleridge both do a masterful job incorporating romanticism and Gothicism s into their works.
The next symbolic theme in "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" is that of retribution. In lines 143-146 Coleridge illustrates a time of draught for the sailors on the voyage. Without any water to drink they are suffering. This symbolizes the spiritual draught that humans face in Christianity. Without the love for Christ humans are thirsting for spiritual enlightenment and forgiveness--without which they suffer.