4。2 A Call for Harmony on Man’s Spiritual Level 17

5。Conclusion 19

Notes 21

References 22

1。 Introduction 

Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein is regarded as the first science fiction。 At first, this novel did not receive wide attention。 During that period, scholars paid more attention to Mary’s outstanding family background—her prominent parents and talented husband Percy Shelly。 As time went on, critics tried to view Mary Shelly unbiasedly。 Thus, more and more critiques are approached to the novel。 

Although ecocriticism is a new concept emerged in the late twentieth century, the relationship between nature and human remains a central issue concerned by a great number of people。 Mary is one of them。 As early as the 19th century when she wrote Frankenstein, she has foreseen consciously or unconsciously the destructive result of disrespecting nature。 Herfarseeing ecological concern yields great significance of warning for people in an era of ecological deterioration。 It reminds us that nature and human are equal and interdependent。 The development of science and technology cannot violate the law of nature。 The ecological reading of the novel provides us with an enlightening insight to rescue both nature and ourselves。 

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Since its publication in 1818, Frankenstein has received extensive critiques abroad。 Among the nineteenth-century responses, criticisms on Frankenstein can be pided into two groups。 Some critics expresses their moral outrage and indignant voice。 Among them, the most representative one is John Croker, who declares that Frankenstein is a “tissue of horrible and disgusting absurdity。。。。It inculcates no lesson of conduct, manners, or morality” (1818:383)。 Differing from Croker’s harsh criticism, others try to give fair and unbiased comments on the novel。 The Gentlemen’s Magazine speaks highly of Frankenstein by saying that “This Tale [Frankenstein] is evidently the production of no ordinary Writer”。1Besides, in his review published in The Edinburgh Magazine Walter Scott expresses his sincere admiration for Frankenstein: “Here is one of the productions of the modern school in its highest style of caricature and exaggeration。 It is formed on the Godwinian manner, and has all the faults, but many likewise of the beauties of that model”。2 By comparing Frankenstein with Mary Shelly’s another novel Valperga, a scholar expresses his preference to the former one。 Even though he admits that there are several unskillful things in Frankenstein, he holds that great progress has been made by Mary Shelly in composing this novel。 “I do not think I ever was so much disappointed in any books as in Valperga; I had the very highest expectations of the maturing of the genius which could produce such a work as Frankenstein。”3 

The first comment revealing Frankenstein’s instructing instructive value is made by Mary Shelly’s husband Percy Shelly。 In Percy’s mind, “this novel rests its claim on being a source of powerful and profound emotion” (1832)。 Since then, Frankenstein has become quite popular and influential。 In his The Ambitious Heritage of Frankenstein, George Levine declares that “Frankenstein has tapped into the center of Western feeling and imagination and has become a metaphor for our culture crises” (George Levine and U。C。 Knoepflmacher, 1979: 3)。

The modern criticisms of Frankenstein are persified。 Concerning the writing background, scholars pay special attention to Mary Shelly’s life and her writing motivation。 In Why did Mary Shelley Write Frankenstein, Anthony F。 Badalamenti deems that Mary’s innovative image of man-made life originates from her miserable life and unhappy marriage with Percy Shelly。 He draws a conclusion that “the monster is here decoded as what Percy did to the love between himself and Mary。” (Badalamenti, 2006)。 Mary wishes that nature would punish Percy for his indifference to her。