Geneva, Germany

Geneva, Switzerland is one of Europe's most cosmopolitan cities. The large city juts into France, being a European cultural center for urban life, politics, diplomacy, and language. The city is also known for its luxury jewelry and watch industry, as well as its large tourist population. The city has many languages, with a quarter of the permanent residency having English as a second language, with the primary languages being German, French, and Italian. Geneva also serves as the base of operations for many national organizations, such as the World Health Organization, the Red Cross, the World Bank, and the United Nations (Encyclopedia Britannica). 

Geneva is both mentioned and an important aspect of Mary Shelley's novel Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus. Part of the novel takes place in Geneva, where the main character Victor was raised and where his family resides. The origins of the novel began in Geneva, which is why Shelley used it as a setting. The inspiration came from her time staying in Geneva, where she stated she felt at home. Lord Byron, another Romantic author, gave some fellow writers in Geneva a prompt to write a horror story. With this, and the culture and architecture of Geneva, served as the primary inspiration and origin of Frankenstein (Perrottet). 

 

"Geneva." Encyclopedia Britannica, https://www.britannica.com/place/Geneva-Switzerland. 

Perrottet, Tony. "Lake Geneva as Shelley and Byron Knew It." New York Times, https://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/29/travel/lake-geneva-as-byron-and-shell...

Parent Map

Map: Thiel College ENG 312 SP23

Coordinates

Latitude: 46.204390700000
Longitude: 6.143157700000

Timeline of Events Associated with Geneva, Germany

Date Event Manage
circa. 1798 to circa. 1832

British Romanticism Movement

The British Romanticism movement was a literary movement that started in the late 18th century and is estimated to have ended in the 1830's. This period was defined by an increased interest in the individual in literature, the awe of nature, Gothic writing style, and the celebration of creativity. Key authors in this period are William Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Lord Byron, William Blake, Percy Bysshe Shelley and Mary Shelley (Poetry Foundation). Many scholars debate that Lyrical Ballads by William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge was the start of the Romantic period. Though William Blake had published Songs of Experience prior to Lyrical Ballads, the latter established the characteristics of Romanticism whilst straying from the sophistocated and exquisite diction of the Neo-Classicism movement (Allegretti).  

The Second Generation Romantics established a different tone for the period, such as Lord Byron's satirical and seductive poetry, establishing the Byronic Hero, a new archetype in literature that deviated from the typical hero role (Poetry Foundation). Mary Shelley established the Gothic novel during this era with her publishing of Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus in 1818. Her husband, Percy Bysshe Shelley focused on poetry that touched on death, nature, and emotion, all defining traits of the movement itself (Allegretti). 

 

 

Allegretti, Catherine. "The Romantic Period." Eastern Conneticut State University, https://www.easternct.edu/speichera/understanding-literary-history-all/t...

"British Romanticism." Poetry Foundation, https://www.poetryfoundation.org/collections/152982/an-introduction-to-b...

Wordsworth, William and Samuel Taylor Coleridge. Lyrical Ballads. Project Gutenburg, 10 October 2003.