Appeal For Ecological Balance-A Study Of Frankenstein From The Perspective Of Ecocriticism

Being the daughter of such literary giants as William Godwin and Mary Wollestonecraft as well as the wife of Percy Bysshe Shelley, Mary Wollstonecraft (Godwin) Shelley is honored and remembered in her own right as the authoress of Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus, a novel which is valuable in itself. Frankenstein enjoys an enduring popularity among the reading public and critics as well.This thesis interprets Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus from three aspects of Ecocriticism, namely, Natural Ecology, Social Ecology and Spiritual Ecology which respectively reveal the complexity of three basic relationships—man-and-nature relationship, man-and-man relationship and man-and-self relationship. From the perspective of Ecocriticism, this thesis explores Mary Shelley's prophetic philosophical thinking of the man-and-nature, man-and-man and man-and-self relationship by analyzing the tragedies of both Victor Frankenstein and his Creature. Through Victor's story, Shelley cautions people that if man pursues his goal recklessly, regardless of natural laws, others'existence and his own spiritual health, he would bring destruction upon himself as a result of ecological unbalance. At the same time, Mary Shelley appeals for ecological balance with nature, society and spirit as the whole.