The Sublime

Immanuel Kant, a famous German philosopher of the Age of Enlightenment, defines the sublime as “that in comparison with which everything else is small” (Kant 109). It is the feeling inadequacy human beings experience upon contemplating nature in its full mightiness and splendor. This philosophy became more prominent in the 18th century and influenced the work of many artists and authors, including Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. It also influenced Friedrich’s painting “Wanderer above the Sea of Fog”, which conveys the theme of sublimity and smallness of mankind.

Mary Shelley wrote this novel in the summer of 1816 while visiting her friend Lord Byron in the surroundings of Geneva. The vastness and beauty of scenery truly inspired her writing, in which she uses the grandness of nature as an expression of the sublime. Nature is presented as a constant, unstoppable force in contrast to the smallness and vulnerability of humanity. While observing the vastness of the Alps, Victor realizes the insignificance of his problems when compared to nature, and states the “sublime and magnificent scenes afforded me the greatest consolation that I was capable of receiving” (Shelley 115). This is ironic and problematic since he violated all laws of nature by giving life to his creature; the fact that he finds solace in nature does not make up for the ills his actions have caused. Victor ignores his own flaws and shapes nature to according to what he wants it to be. The sublime is subjective and “merely in ourselves and in our attitude of thought” (Kant 104).

Moreover, the sublime can also be applied to the creature since its descriptions are similar to those of nature. “Each time a sublime landscape is depicted, it is linked to the Monster's appearance” (Freeman 24). The creature, just as Mont Blanc, makes Victor feel small and helpless against the everlasting universe.

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"Wanderer above the Sea of Fog". Friedrich, Caspar. 1818. Hamburg, Germany.

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Untitled, 1827. Artist unknown. Photographic reproduction of an engraving from 'Northern Exposure', 1827. 

The Sublime