FIRST PART

Discovery and the Domestic

Affections in Coleridge and
Shelley
The first part of the text explains that his childhood had influenced ''The Rime of the Ancient
Mariner'' and his childhood readings had ill effects on him. This ballad is situated in the
historical context of Coleridge.
''The Rime of the Ancient Mariner'' influenced on the characters of Frankenstein by Marry
Shelley.
The theme of the unknown, which is characteristic for the Romantic period, has become a
passion for Coleridge and Shelley. Nevertheless this theme was previously used by other writers
in different environments such as the Middle Ages, the Orient, etc.
The feelings of pain and guilt of the Mariner can't be separated from the actions caused by the
expansionism of the 18th century.
Frankenstein's readers found out that Shelley was against the unification of science and
imperialism. Both writers wanted to erase from the history the damage that the new
discoveries had caused. Even the scientist Victor and the creature regret the destruction of the
civilizations through the discovery and the conquest.
The desire for conquest and discovery, which is present in both books, could get glory without
causing consequences through the use of the imagination and the narration. Both books reflect
consciously the power of the unknown, through the inspiration that causes both the real world
and the books. Putting their trust in the domestic affection the authors explore the full nature
of the unknown without supporting discovery projects.
Coleridge affirms that you cannot learn to appreciate other customs or other appearances
without the love of family and friends. And this is what happens to the Ancient Mariner of the
ballad who, by leaving the domestic affections, won't be able to feel benevolence for other
beings and consequently kills the albatross.
In his period the incompatibility is reflected between discoveries and domestic affects of the
British imperialism. The Ancient Mariner's loneliness makes the wedding guest feel incapable of
socializing.
According to Coleridge, Life-in-Death represents the woman, who would be the reason why
men leave their domestic affections. The indigenous women had diseases by previous relations
with European men, diseases which are passed on through sexual relations and consequently
causing death on men. There is evidence of this fact in Cook's published journals.
Shelley's ''Frankenstein'' is even more explicit in viewing discovery as a threat to the domestic
affections. According to Shelley's opinion, Robert Walton was more interested in making new
discoveries at the Artic than in his family.
Shelley also criticizes a science without limits, where the man thinks he's God (Victor
Frankenstein) by creating a new race regardless from others. In this case, Victor wants to take
advantage of women to spread its new race of men and eradicate the concept of family.
Shelley and other writers blame the imperialism for the loss of domestic affections. She says
that domestic affections don't need to prevent discoveries; they would form gradually and
without harming anyone, by respecting the domestic ties.
Shelley's characters read books since they were young and that triggers in them a desire for
adventure, hence their future imperialistic attitude. Nevertheless Shelley and Coleridge didn't
want the children to read books from real life. They thought imagination books may be a way of
founding domestic affections, and they assumed the risk of what could happen if they read
books of imagination, as the children could reach an imperialistic ideology and leave behind the
domestic affections.
Comparing ''The Rime of the Ancient Mariner'' with ''Frankenstein'', when Victor abandons the
creature, he's unware of the loneliness that it would find. And at the same time, Walton
misunderstands the poem, when he writes a letter to his sister telling her not to worry, that he
won't make the same mistake as the Ancient Mariner, but unlike this endangers the lives of his
crew.
''The story of the Ancient Mariner'' influenced Victor and Walton to participate in discoveries
projects. Frankenstein has not earned greatness by his creature, but seeks satisfaction through
literature, as well as Walton who also fails his purpose.
Shelley not only explains the consequences of imperialistic attitudes towards books, but in the
case of Frankenstein, the creature, the first book it reads makes it wish for a family rather than
an adventure.
The tales of suffering helps men to overcome the fear and be sympathetic to the character who
suffers. In the case of Frankenstein, the creature suffers and tells its story of suffering to its
creator, and he wants to sympathize with it, but when it ends, fear seizes Frankenstein, who
decides to kill it, but doesn't, because he wants to hear its story again and again.
Imagination is used to identify the feelings of others, and according to Coleridge the best way is
via a poem. Therefore for both authors, imagination can have good and bad consequences, by
offering both sympathy and identification with people of the family domain as other creatures
and people of the New World.
Nevertheless, Shelley realizes that her work will verbatim copying and will end as a warning
novel.
Shelley is compared to Christopher Columbus and Coleridge with Kumbla Khan. But, Shelley
years later, will also be compared with Kumbla Khan. None of the authors imagined life without
imagination.