The Anxieties Of Modernity In Frankenstein And Dracula

In select gothic literature, anxieties of the times in which they were written tend to surface through important themes, characters and settings. Frankenstein written by Mary Shelley in 1818 and Dracula written by Bram Stoker in 1897 both share this characteristic by working through the anxieties of modernity, here meaning â€Å"the condition of being modern† , specifically between new world science and technology versus old world spirituality and faith. This manifests predominantly as the old traditional values of Europe contrasting with the rapid and modern changes within England which provides a point of contention between the two worlds. Therefore, within this essay I will argue that both Frankenstein and Dracula were written to negotiate†¦show more content†¦This is because the Monster is a creation of modern society and is created through the advances within science and technology due to (in Shelley’s mind) industrialisation. The Monster can be seen to ye arn for the Romantic European sensibilities, but being the personification of modernity means he is rejected from them: â€Å"I admired virtue and good feelings, and loved the gentle manners and amiable qualities of my cottagers; but I was shut out from intercourse with them†¦which rather increased than satisfied the desire I had of becoming one among my fellows.† Dracula, on the other hand, was written during the Victorian era which followed after the Georgian era. It was a time of technological prosperity for England which featured introduction of the railway system, improved communication devices, and advances in medicine. These manifested within the novel in the form of predominant discussions of train travel, the appearance of phonographs and blood transfusions. The anxieties of modernity in Dracula focus on much the same as in Frankenstein: science and technology versus superstition and religious dogma, and old European sensibilities versus modern