To Frame or Not to Frame

After talking about our topics in class Wednesday night, I realize I will probably need to narrow my topic down to just the three novels from the 19th century (The Betrothed, Frankenstein, and Wuthering Heights) for the midterm paper. I think I want to look at the narrative frame structure in romantic literature transitioning from the Romantic era to the Victorian era and how the influence of the industrial revolution affected the literature, specifically the three novels mentioned.

Manzoni's book is labeled as a historical novel written in 1827, Shelly's novel is a Gothic novel written in 1831, and Bronte's is a historical Gothic romance written in 1847. Plot structures, characters, and settings are all very similar. My research will include a comparison of Italian literature to British lit. (thanks Tony), although I am not quite sure how yet. I think by looking at the events of the era in each country, I will be able to make a thorough comparison and prove that the context (events) definitely did influence the authors writing.

I think most authors write using their life experiences, and the historical novel is no different. Hopefully I will be able to make accurate comparisons among the novels, authors, and countries. After writing all of this, I suppose my main argument will be the world had a major influence on the authors of the 19th century; however, by using the frame narrative technique, the authors could share the responsibilities of actions with a wider audience. Still a work in progress...