# data[].attributes.body
In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, the theme of Romanticism permeates the narrative, placing the individual, freedom, emotions, and the sublimity of nature in a positive light. Shelley skillfully conveys how imagination fuels expression and the thirst for knowledge and discovery. Many of the quotes depict Shelley's ability to draw out the beauties of nature, not just suggesting her admiration but also her profound love for the natural world. In the novel, many characters, including Victor Frankenstein and the creature, find solace and tranquility in nature, from the majestic mountains to the lush trees, from the bright sunshine to the darkest shadows, and from the glimmering stars to the fragrant earth. These descriptions serve as pockets of repose between the novel's plot and moments where readers can experience the sights, sounds, and fragrances of the natural environment. These instances strengthen the Romantic notion that nature can fulfill the human spirit.

# data[].attributes.body
Ch. 1:

1. ”... for when I would account to myself for the birth of that passion, which afterwards ruled my almost forgotten sources; but, swelling as it proceeded, it became the torrent which,in its course, has swept away all my hopes and joys.” (Shelley 27). This quote relates to romanticism because it shows the power of nature.

2. “... on a sudden I beheld a stream of fire issue from an old and beautiful oak, which stood about twenty yards from our house; and so soon as the dazzling light vanished, the oak had disappeared, and nothing remained but a blasted stump.” (Shelley 29). This quote relates to romanticism because it shows the beauty of nature.

Ch. 2:

1. “They have acquired new and almost unlimited powers; they can command the thunders of heaven, mimic the earthquake and even mock the invisible world with its own shadows.”(Shelley 36). This quote relates to romanticism because it talks about how powerful nature is.

Ch. 3:

1. “One secret which I alone possessed was the hope to which I had dedicated myself; and the moon gazed on my midnight labours, while, with unrelaxed and breathless eagerness, I pursued nature to her hiding places.” (Pg. 42)

2. “The summer months passed, while I was thus engaged, heart and soul, in one pursuit. It was a most beautiful season; never did the fields bestow a more plentiful harvest, or the vines yield a more luxuriant vintage: but my eyes were insensible to the charms of nature.” (Pg. 43)

3. “Winter, spring, and summer passed away during my labours; but I did not watch the blossom or the expanding leaves—sights which before always yielded me supreme delight…” (Pg. 44)

4. “I remember the first time I became capable of observing outward objects with any kind of pleasure, I perceived that the fallen leaves had disappeared, and that the young buds were shooting forth from the trees that shaded my window.”

Ch. 4: (none)

Ch. 5:

1.  “I said, that the employments of a prosperous farmer, if they were not a more honourable, they were at least a happier species of occupation than that of a judge, whose misfortune it was always to meddle with the dark side of human nature.” (Shelly 53)

This passage represents romantic culture in the way that it advocates for a return to classical ways of life.

2. “... and although I loved him with a mixture of affection and reverence that knew no bounds, yet I could never persuade myself to confide to him that event which was so often present to my recollection, but which I feared the detail to another would only impress more deeply.” (Shelly 56)

This passage embodies romanticism because it describes Viktor's inner feelings towards his friend Clerval. This passage is full of emotion and individualism.

3. “When happy, inanimate nature had the power of bestowing on me the most delightful sensations. A serene sky and verdant fields filled me with ecstacy. The present season was indeed divine; the flowers of spring bloomed in the hedges, while those of summer were already in bud: I was undisturbed by thoughts which during the preceding year had pressed upon me, notwithstanding my endeavours to throw them off, with an invincible burden.” (Shelly 58)

This paragraph is romantic in the way that treats nature with incredible reverence and gives it a positive effect on Viktor.

Ch. 6:

1. “I contemplated the lake: the waters were placid; all around was calm, and the snowy mountains, “the palaces of nature,” were not changed. By degrees the calm and heavenly scene restored me, and I continued my journey towards Geneva.” (Shelly 63)

Once again, Shelly writes how just being in nature clears your head and restores you to health, a very romantic take.

2. “I discovered more distinctly the black sides of Jura, and the bright summit of Mont Blânc; I wept like a child: “Dear mountains! my own beautiful lake! how do you welcome your wanderer? Your summits are clear; the sky and lake are blue and placid. Is this to prognosticate peace, or to mock at my unhappiness?” (Shelly 63)

This passage actually represents multiple aspects of romantism, it embodies principles of respect for nature and individualism, as Viktor almost thinks the world revolves around him.

3. “... we have not only lost that lovely darling boy, but this poor girl, whom I sincerely love, is to be torn away by even a worse fate. If she is condemned, I never shall know joy more. But she will not, I am sure she will not; and then I shall be happy again, even after the sad death of my little William.” (Shelley 68)

This passage is romantic because it tackles the inner emotions of Elizabeth and dramatizes them.

# data[].attributes.body
Ch. 1:

1. “The immense mountains and precipices that overhung me on every side, the sound of the river raging among the rocks, and the dashing of the waterfalls around spoke of a power mighty as Omnipotence—and I ceased to fear or to bend before any being less almighty than that which had created and ruled the elements, here displayed in their most terrific guise.” (Pg. 76)

2. “Still, as I ascended higher, the valley assumed a more magnificent and astonishing character. Ruined castles hanging on the precipices of piny mountains, the impetuous Arve, and cottages every here and there peeping forth from among the trees formed a scene of singular beauty.” (Pg. 76)

Ch. 2:

1. “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 of life.” (Pg. 88)

2. “The following morning the rain poured down in torrents, and thick mists hid the summits of the mountains. I rose early, but felt unusually melancholy. The rain depressed me;” (Pg. 87)

Ch. 3:

1. “Soon a gentle light stole over the heaves, and gave me a sensation of pleasure. I started up, and beheld a radiant form rise from among the trees” (Pg 94)

2. “The moon had disappeared from the night, and again, with a lessened form, shewed itself, while I still remained in the forest. My sensations had, by this time, become distinct, and my mind received every day additional ideas. My eyes became accustomed to the light, and to perceive objects in their right forms; I distinguished the insect from the herb, and, by degree, but harsh notes, whilst those of the blackbird and thrush were sweet and enticing.” (Pg 94)

1. It was indeed a paradise, compared to the bleak forest, my former residence, the rain-dropping branches, and dank earth. (Pg 97-98)

Ch. 4:

1. “As the sun became warmer, and the light of day longer, the snow vanished, and I beheld the bare trees and the black earth…Several new kinds of plants sprung up in the garden, which they dressed; and these signs of comfort increased daily as the season advanced.” (pg. 105)

Ch. 5:

1. In the meanwhile, also the black ground was covered with herbage, and the green banks interspersed with innumberable flowers, sweet to the scent and the eys, stars of pale radiance among the moonlight woods; the sun became warmer, the nights clear and balmy; and my nocturnal rambles were an extreme pleasure to me, although they were considerably shortened by the late setting and early rising of the sun; for I never ventured abroad during daylight..” (Pg. 109)

Ch. 6:

1. “The prospect of marrying a Christian, and remaining in a country where women were allowed to take a rank in society, was enchanting to her.” (Pg. 115)

Romantics looked upon nature as a dwelling place of God

God and the natural universe created a whole

Ch. 7:

1. “Autumn passed thus. I saw, with surprise and grief, the leaves decay and fall, and nature again assume the barren and bleak appearance it had worn when I first beheld the woods and the lovely moon.” (Pg. 123)

2. “But my chief delights were the sight of the flowers, the birds, and all the gay apparel of summer”

3. “The winter advanced, and an entire revolutions of the seasons had taken place since I awoke into life.

Underscores the passing of time as the appearance of nature changes

Autumn represents the time between the creature’s favorite season, summer, and the dreaded anticipation of winter

Ch. 8:

1. “the cold stars shone in mockery, and the bare trees waved their branches above me: now and then the sweet voice of a bird burst forth amidst the universal stillness.” (pg. 128)

2. “The pleasant sunshine, and the pure air of day, restored me to some degree of tranquility” (Pg. 129)

3. “I lighted the dry branch of a tree, and danced with fury around the devoted cottage, my eyes still fixed on the western horizon, the edge of which the moon nearly touched.” (Pg. 130-131)

4. “Nature decayed around me, and the sun became heatless; rain and snow poured around me; mighty rivers were frozen; the surface of the earth was hard, and chill, and bare, and I found no shelter.” (Pg. 131-132)

Ch. 9:

1. “I do not destroy the lamb and the kid, to glut my appetite; acorns and berries afford me sufficient nourishment. … We shall make our bed of dried leaves; the sun will shine on us as on man, and will ripen our food.” (Pg. 138)

2. The stars shone at intervals, as the clouds passed from over them; the dark pines rose before me, and every here and there a broken tree lay on the ground: it was a scene of wonderful solemnity, and stirred strange thoughts within me. I wept bitterly; and, clasping my hands in agony, I exclaimed, ‘Oh! Stars, and clouds, and winds, ye are all about to mock me…’” (Pg. 140)

# data[].attributes.body
Ch. 1

1. “I passed whole days on the lake alone in a little boat, watching the clouds, and listening to the rippling of the waves, silent and listless. But the fresh air and bright sun seldom failed to restore me to some degree of composure; and, on my return, I met the salutations of my friends with a readier smile and a more cheerful heart.”

2. “[Clerval] was alive to every new scene; joyful when he saw the beauties of the setting sun, and more happy when he beheld it rise, and recommence a new day. He pointed out to me the shifting colours of the landscape, and the appearances of the sky. ‘This is what it is to live…’ ” (Pg. 149)

3. “We had agreed to descend the Rhine in a boat from Strasburgh to Rotterdam, whence we might take shipping for London. During this voyage, we passed by many willowy islands, and saw several beautiful towns. We staid a day at Manheim, and, on the fifth from our departure from Strasburgh, arrived at Mayence. The course of the Rhine below Mayence becomes much more picturesque. The river descends rapidly, and winds between hills, not high, but steep, and of beautiful forms. We saw many ruined castles standing on the edges of precipices, surrounded by black woods, high and inaccessible. This part of the Rhine, indeed, presents a singularly variegated landscape. In one spot you view rugged hills, ruined castles overlooking tremendous precipices, with the dark Rhine rushing beneath; and, on the sudden turn of a promontory, flourishing vineyards, with green sloping banks, and a meandering river, and populous towns, occupy the scene.” (Pg. 149-150)

4. “I lay at the bottom of the boat, and, as I gazed on the cloudless blue sky, I seemed to drink in a tranquillity to which I had long been a stranger.” (Pg. 150)

5. “ ‘I have seen,’ he said, ‘the most beautiful scenes of my own country; I have visited the lakes of Lucerne and Uri, where the snowy mountains descend almost perpendicularly to the water, casting black and impenetrable shades, which would cause a gloomy and mournful appearance, were it not for the most verdant islands that relieve the eye by their gay appearance; I have seen this lake agitated by a tempest, when the wind tore up whirlwinds of water, and gave you an idea of what the water-spout must be on the great ocean, and the waves dash with fury the base of the mountain, where the priest and his mistress were overwhelmed by an avalanche, and where their dying voices are still said to be heard amid the pauses of the nightly wind; I have seen the mountains of La Valais, and the Pays de Vaud: but this country, Victor, pleases me more than all those wonders. The mountains of Switzerland are more majestic and strange; but there is a charm in the banks of this divine river, that I never before saw equalled. Look at that castle which overhangs yon precipice; and that also on the island, almost concealed amongst the foliage of those lovely trees; and now that group of labourers coming from among their vines; and that village half-hid in the recess of the mountain. Oh, surely, the spirit that inhabits and guards this place has a soul more in harmony with man, than those who pile the glacier, or retire to the inaccessible peaks of the mountains of our own country.’ ” (Pg. 150)

6. —— —— “The sounding cataract Haunted him like a passion: the tall rock, The mountain, and the deep and gloomy wood, Their colours and their forms, were then to him An appetite; a feeling, and a love, That had no need of a remoter charm, By thought supplied, or any interest Unborrowed from the eye.” (Pg 150)

Ch. 2:

1. “This was a new scene to us mountaineers; the majestic oaks, the quantity of game, and the herds of stately deer, were all novelties to us.” (Pg. 154)

2. “The colleges are ancient and picturesque; the streets are almost magnificent; and the lovely Isis, is spread forth into a placid expanse of waters, which reflects its majestic assemblage of towers, and spires, and domes, embosomed among aged trees.” (Pg. 155)

3. “The country in the neighborhood of this village resembled, to a greater degree, the scenery of Switzerland; but every thing is on a lower scale, and the green hills want the crown of distant white Alps, which always attend on the piny mountains of my native country.” (Pg. 156)

4. “The soil was barren, scarcely affording pasture for a few miserable cows, and oatmeal for its inhabitants, which consisted of five persons, whose gaunt and scraggy limbs gave tokens of their miserable fare.” (Pg. 158)

5. “[Switzerland’s] hills are covered with vines, and its cottages are scattered thickly in the plains. Its fair lakes reflect a blue and gentle sky; and, when troubled by the winds, their tumult is but the play of a lively infant, when compared to the roarings of the giant ocean.” (Pg. 158-159)

Ch. 3

1. “Yes, he had followed me in my travels; he had loitered in forests, hid himself in caves, or taken refuge in wide and desert heaths;” (Pg. 161)

2. “Several hours past, and I remained near my window gazing on the sea; it was almost motionless, for the winds were hushed, and all nature reposed under the eye of the quiet moon. A few fishing vessels alone specked the water, and now and then the gentle breeze wafted the sound of voices, as the fishermen called to one another.” (Pg. 161)

Ch. 4:

1. "Death snatches away many blooming children, the only hopes of their doating parents: how many brides and youthful lovers have been one day in the bloom of health and hope, and the next a prey for worms and the decay of the tomb!" (Pg. 171)

Ch. 5:

1. “We passed rapidly along: the sun was hot, but we were sheltered from its rays by a kind of canopy, while we enjoyed the beauty of the scene, sometimes on one side of the lake, where we say Mont Saleve, the peasant banks of Montalegre, and at a distance, surmounting all, the beautiful Mont Blanc, and the assemblage of snowy mountains that in vain endeavor to emulate her…” (Pg. 186)

2. “The sun sunk lower in the heavens; we passed the river Drance, and observed its path through the chasms of the higher, and the glens of the lower hills. The Alps here come closer to the lake, and we approached the amphitheatre of mountains which forms its eastern boundary. The spire of Evian shone under the woods that surrounded it, and the range of mountain above mountain by which it was overhung.” (Pg. 187)

3. The wind, which had hitherto carried us along with amazing rapidity, sunk at sunset to a light breeze; the soft air just ruffled the water, and caused a pleasant motion among the trees as we approached the shore, from which it wafted the most delightful scent of flowers and hay. The sun sunk beneath the horizon as we landed; and as I touched the shore, I felt those cares and fears revive, which soon were to clasp me, and cling to me for ever.” (Pg. 187)

Ch. 6:

1. “It was eight o’clock when we landed; we walked for a short time on the shore, enjoying the transitory light, and then retired to the inn, and contemplated the lovely scenes of waters, woods, and mountains, obscured in darkness, yet still displaying their black outlines.” (Pg. 188)

2. “The wind, which had fallen in the south, now rose with great violence in the west. The moon had reached her summit in the heavens, and was beginning to descend; the clouds swept across it swifted than the flight of the vulture, and dimmed her rays, while the lake reflected the scene of the busy heavens, rendered still busier by the restless waves that were beginning to rise. Suddenly a heavy storm of rain descended.” (Pg. 188)

Ch. 7

1. “Often, when all was dry, the heavens cloudless, and I was parched by thirst, a slight cloud would bedim the sky, shed the few drops that revived me, and vanished.” (Pg. 197)

2. “I continued with unabated fervour to traverse immense deserts, until the ocean appeared at a distance, like it was to the blue seas of the south! Covered with ice, it was only to be distinguished from land by its superior wildness and ruggedness. The Greeks wept for joy when they beheld the Mediterranean from the hills of Asia, and hailed with rapture the boundary of their toil.” (Pg. 199)

3. “Immense and rugged mountains of ice often barred up my passage, and I often heard the thunder of the ground sea, which threatened my destruction. But again the frost came, and made the paths of the sea secure.” (Pg. 200)

4. “I shall no longer see the sun or stars, or feel the winds play on my cheeks. Light, feeling, and sense, will pass avail and in this condition must I find my happiness. Some years ago, when the images which this world affords first opened upon me, when I felt the cheering warmth of summer, and heard the rustling of the leaves and the chirping of the birds…” (Pg. 215)