In What Way Is Frankenstein A Gothic Novel? Choose 1 Chapter From The Novel And Analyse How Mary She Essay, Research Paper

Gothic novels originated

from gothic architecture, this medieval type of architecture was pointed

arches, cathedrals, ruins and ancient statues, therefore these novels where

very often set in a gloomy castle replete with dungeons, subterranean passages

and sliding panels. Gothic novels were written mainly to evoke terror in their

readers; they also served to show the dark side of human nature. They describe

the "nightmarish terrors that lie beneath the controlled and ordered

surface of the conscious mind." The foundations that make an excellent

gothic horror novel are the inclusion of supernatural elements, a story line that

builds up suspense and tension, which also frightens the reader. There should

also be a struggle between good and evil, this is represented in the cathedrals

where god is good against the cold gloomy atmosphere and the gargoyle statues

that sit on top of the cathedrals, which is evil. These gargoyle statues

inspired writers because of their scary looks, which was to drive away any evil

spirits. The weather is also an element, which should be included, where the

atmosphere is overcast and dull. Surprisingly, there were a vast number of

female Gothic authors. Mary Shelly was one and she used some of the most recent

technological finding of her time to create Frankenstein. She has replaced the

heavenly fire of the Prometheus myth

with the spark of newly discovered electricity. The concepts of electricity and

warmth led to the discovery of the galvanisation process, which was said to be

the key to the animation of life. Mary was born in Somers Town, Great Britain,

in 1797. In 1816, her and her husband went abroad, this time spending time with

Byron and his friend Polidori in Geneva. Their Byron suggests that they should

all write a ghost story. Mary writes Frankenstein,

the only story of the four that was ever to be published as a novel. Frankenstein is not set

in a dull and dreary castle, but you could say that where Frankenstein worked

on his creation to be a gloomy dreary room. Most of these gothic novels are

more likely to be set in a castle. Many of the elements previously mentioned

appeared in Frankenstein. For example, nature is used frequently to create

atmosphere. The bleak, glacial fields of the Alps and the mists of the Arctic

serve to indicate the isolation of the two protagonists (central characters).

There is also a struggle between good and evil throughout the story, an example

of this is seen in Frankenstein and his monster. We also get a lot of suspense

around the person who is going to die example of this is before Elizabeth dies

when Frankenstein thinks he is going to die, ?While my right hand grasped a pistol which was hidden in

my bosom; every sound terrified me, but I resolved that I would sell my life dearly

and not shrink from the conflict until my own life or that of my adversary was

extinguished.?Here you can see Mary

shelly has used a long sentence to start to build up the suspense and she has

also included ?every sound terrified me? which shows Frankenstein?s anxiety.

This novel even includes the supernatural element where the monster has ?pale

yellow skin?, which describes the non-human looks. The weather features a lot

in the novel as a reflection of impending doors and tragedy, such as the opening

words in chapter 5, where the setting for Frankenstein?s monster happens on a

?dreary night of November?, with the rain, ?pattering dismally against the

panes?, of Frankenstein?s laboratory. Another Example of this is before

Elizabeth?s death in chapter 23 where ?suddenly a heavy storm of rain

descended?, this hints at what is to follow. ??????????? I

decided to study and analyse chapter 5 from Frankenstein. In this chapter

Frankenstein had tried to create a beautiful being, but is disgusted by its

ugliness. This is where Frankenstein abandons it at its birth when it is most

in need. Frankenstein also feels guilt, but has no duty to the life that he

created and shows no love. This is the first time in the story that we here of

the monsters rejection, throughout the story he is unwanted by everyone he

meets, therefore this makes him evil and hating every human in his way. In this

chapter Frankenstein first realises that he has been creating evil and is

sickened by what he has done. He also knows he should not try to act as god and

his attitude had changed from respected scientist to a possessed and obsessive

person. Chapter 5 starts of with

a description of the weather and this sets the scene instantly. Before the

monster awakes Frankenstein says ?my candle was nearly burnt out?, which

suggests he had given up and was going mad but then we get the first

introduction to the monster at the bottom of the 1st paragraph where

it says,?I saw

the dull yellow eye of the creature open; it breathed hard, and a convulsive

motion agitated the limbs.? From this

first description you can start to imagine the ugliness of the creation

Frankenstein had created. ??????????? The next thing that is said is a

rhetorical question and this is there to make the reader imagine how hideous

the monster must be. This is also where you see Frankenstein question what he

has created and he starts to realise the horrifying thing he has done. The rest

of this paragraph describes the monster and how horrifying it looks. Now that Frankenstein had

created the monster, he couldn?t bare to look at his own creations face, ?the

beauty of the dream vanished, and the breathless horror and disgust filled my

heart.?, this also shows he wanted to make mankind and become god like. He is

filled with regret and horror with his creation and then runs away from the

room it was in, he also couldn?t sleep or compose his mind all night long;? At

length lassitude succeeded to the tumult I had before endured, and I threw

myself on the bed in my clothes, endeavouring to seek a few moments of

forgetfulness?Here Mary

Shelly has used a long sentence to reflect the length of the night and

alliteration to emphasis Frankenstein?s complete exhaustion. Just after he had

been struggling to sleep he got a fever and this is because he became ill when

every he was in contact with the monster and this happens throughout the story.

This maybe some kind of retribution that god has given him because if you do

bad it will come back to you. At the bottom of page 56 it use a short sentence,

?I passed the night wretchedly?, to create more drama. ??????????? When Frankenstein fell asleep he had

an awful nightmare of Elizabeth.?I

embarrassed her, but as I imprinted the first kiss on her lips, they became

livid with the hue of death; her features appeared to change, and I thought

that I held the coarspse of my dead mother in my arms; a shroud enveloped her

form, and I saw the grave-worms crawling in the folds of the funnel.?This is a

long sentence that helps to build up tension, which helps create drama and

atmosphere. The long sentence makes you, the reader run out of breath

physically and this is to feel and give you an idea about his nervousness now

that he has created this monster. This sentence also hints at what is to happen

to Elizabeth as later on in the novel she is killed by the monster on there

wedding night and in the sentence Mary Shelly has used the alliteration of

?folds of the funnel? to emphasise the death element. ??????????? At the beginning of page 57 there

are a lot of descriptive words, ??????????????????????? ?Morning, dismal and

wet, at length dawned and discovered to my sleepless and aching eyes the church

of Ingolstadt?At this

point Mary Shelly uses this to reflect the story and it shows how Frankenstein

is feeling. Mary Shelly also uses the weather ?black and comfortless sky? to

reflect his fillings by using these dull and grim colours. You can also see he

has become very stressed ?the load that weighed upon my mind?, and needs

rescuing ??????????? Cherval comes in to the novel at the

bottom of page 57 and his arrival changes the complexion of the text to a

calmer, happier one that has saved Frankenstein. ??????????????????????? ?Nothing could equal my

delight on seeing Cherval;? ??????????????????????? ?This becomes a very familiar sight throughout

the play where it goes from sad to happy with a person being rescued. Here he

is also brought back to reality. ??????????? We once again see how ill

Frankenstein is,?I did

not before remark how very ill you appear; so thin and pale; and look as if you

had been watching for several nights? ??????????? Here you get a good descriptive

image of how ill he has become, and how much he has worked. ??????????? He can?t even think of the creation

when he is with Cherval and what he had done on the night he created him.?I

trembled excessively; I could not endure to think of, and far less to allude

to, the occurrences of the pending night.?This

shows his feelings changing from calm back to dread and anxiety as he thinks of

the monster again.??????????? This gothic novel used all of the

typical ingredients, which make up an admirable gothic novel. Mary Shelly made

up a creation that was supernatural and this monster was opposite to humans as

it had unnatural strength and its looks where just to horrifying to be human.

Mary Shelly included long sentence, which built up suspence, and tension that

made the reader feel more frightened and scared. I liked how she included the

struggle between good and evil through the protagonists and she varied their

views. Death was also a major part as we seen death all the way through,

starting with a cholera epidemic and Frankenstein raiding graveyards for the

various parts of the human body, then later the murders of his family and

friends by his creation. I think the atmosphere was built up mainly by the use

of the weather and how it always reflected his feelings and what it was trying

to hint at. Atmosphere was there to frighten the reader and build up the fear. ??????????? In my opinion I didn?t find this

novel to be that scary as I am used to seeing visual effects i.e. in cinemas

and on tele where they use modern technology to create monsters ect. I believe

around 90+ years ago everyone would find this scary as all the elements for a

gothic novel are in there and it is very well written.