Social responsibility and the pursuit of happiness may not always be mentioned in the same breath, but they are often connected in ways that emphasize the notion of the imagination and the individual of the Romantic era. Scientific discoveries and a new found respect for the individual create the perfect foundation for great fiction. Two stories that feature these themes of the Romantic genre are Mary Shelley's novel, Frankenstein, and Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's play, Faust. Frankenstein and Faust are men that are consumed with a thirst for knowledge, which they believe will bring them happiness. They become mesmerized with their own imaginations and they are also consumed with self as they embark on a journey of fulfillment. They are bold as they delve into experimentation and their blind ambition leads them down a path of irresponsibility and moral corruption. Frankenstein and Faust uniquely articulate social responsibility and happiness through eccentric characters that accentuate the human condition.

             Frankenstein and Faust are men that are driven by an unchecked desire that they believe will bring them happiness. In Frankenstein, Victor is motivated by an unhealthy thirst for knowledge. Victor is so involved with himself that he is convinced that he can create life. As he becomes consumed with his selfish goal, he loses touch with reality. He becomes "solely wrapped up" (Shelley 36) in his experiment and believes he must study death in order to gain insight into the creating life. He not only studied anatomy, he observed the "natural decay and corruption of the human body" (36), an endeavor which lead him to spend "days and nights in vaults and charnel-houses" (36-7). Here we see a man that is so utterly consumed with self that he neglects his family, health, and well being. He also becomes prideful and actually believes that he has been chosen to receive the knowledge he craves.