Frankenstein and the Gothic
Gothic aspects of literature generally focus on the mysterious and supernatural. In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, numerous gothic elements are present. The overall novel has a very gothic tone to it, implementing dark environments, a focus on death, and an obsessed scientist who longs to create life.
Frankenstein has numerous settings, and many of them are covered by a dark and gloomy sky throughout the novel. In some scenes, it is even a dark and stormy night. These themes are relating tot he gothic because what is dark is often seen as mysterious and somewhat malevolent. The darkness of the sky and surroundings in the novel are a great literary device to not only set the tone, but to also foreshadow dark events that are to come.
Victor Frankenstein's obsession with death and combining parts of dead bodies to bring them to life is also an indication of gothic literature. Death is quite a mysterious thing, and because the book is so centered around it there's clear gothic themes. The monster in the novel is not only made up of dead parts, but also has numerous instances where he is the cause of death. Both the ideas of bringing something back to life from death and murder make audiences uncomfortable, and this is the goal that I'm sure Mary Shelly intended. The plot and the way Frankenstein was written definitely invokes strange emotions on the reader, as most ghost, monster, and gothic stories do.
The themes of darkness and mystery that Frankenstein explores is definitely a great way to explore gothic literature. This for me is my first novel that I would consider gothic, and it made me want to delve into more. I enjoyed the tone of the novel and appreciate the creepy undertone that it all had. Another thing that I really enjoyed about this novel is the conflicting emotions it made me feel. I found myself debating between sympathizing with the monster, and hating him for the unforgivable murders that he executed.
Frankenstein has numerous settings, and many of them are covered by a dark and gloomy sky throughout the novel. In some scenes, it is even a dark and stormy night. These themes are relating tot he gothic because what is dark is often seen as mysterious and somewhat malevolent. The darkness of the sky and surroundings in the novel are a great literary device to not only set the tone, but to also foreshadow dark events that are to come.
Victor Frankenstein's obsession with death and combining parts of dead bodies to bring them to life is also an indication of gothic literature. Death is quite a mysterious thing, and because the book is so centered around it there's clear gothic themes. The monster in the novel is not only made up of dead parts, but also has numerous instances where he is the cause of death. Both the ideas of bringing something back to life from death and murder make audiences uncomfortable, and this is the goal that I'm sure Mary Shelly intended. The plot and the way Frankenstein was written definitely invokes strange emotions on the reader, as most ghost, monster, and gothic stories do.
The themes of darkness and mystery that Frankenstein explores is definitely a great way to explore gothic literature. This for me is my first novel that I would consider gothic, and it made me want to delve into more. I enjoyed the tone of the novel and appreciate the creepy undertone that it all had. Another thing that I really enjoyed about this novel is the conflicting emotions it made me feel. I found myself debating between sympathizing with the monster, and hating him for the unforgivable murders that he executed.
Hi Jenna,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed Frankenstein also! Strangle enough, I found myself having very little understanding and sympathy for the monster. I have never read Frankenstein before and the only exposure I had to the story was the modern twists where the monster is the victim and the towns folk come at him with pitch forks and torches in hand! Maybe it was because that these softer tales where part of my predisposition, but I had little sympathy for the monster.