Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein
Introduction
A Gothic novel written in first-person narrative, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein novel incorporates gothic elements and is fully vivid via the character known as the Monster. Gothic elements heavily characterize the story to help the reader understand the Monster in the novel (Shelley, 42). Among them are supernatural elements, secretive and mysterious events, setting in isolated and ancient locations, and psychological undercurrents. Indeed, the novel’s characterization, setting, and subject matter reveal that at large, the Monster is a representation of Victor’s conscience, which, in other words, it’s Victor’s ego-personality (Shelley, 36). This paper thoroughly discusses how Gothic elements in Frankenstein Novel by Shelley create the Monster character and further bridge the supernatural and mortal world.
In Frankenstein’s novel, the five gothic elements are a mystery and suspense atmosphere, castle setting, an ancient prophecy linked with castle, omens, vision, portents, and overwrought emotions and distress women. Indeed, throughout the novel, Shelley uses critical elements to present the Monster’s most significant endeavors (Shelley, 47). Throughout the story, a reader would note how Shelly shows darkness and wild landscapes and denotes unnatural and mysterious events to convey decay and horror via the Monster character. Besides, even when introducing the narrators, the Monster, Walton, and Victor, who are well-read and intelligent, one still understands the prevailing gothic elements.
The gothic elements and nature of the Monster in Frankenstein enhance the overall meaning of the horror scenes. The isolation character, the Monster, is presented in the novel in a gloomy setting throughout. Raised in sublime nature, the Monster appears more bizarre. Besides, the introduction of gothic elements and fully shown through the Monster character makes the various scenes more intense for the reader (Cohen, 44). The reader hence notes the prevailing vengeful spirit and the looming presence of the monster. The looming scene also remains more terrifying in the third chapter. It occurs when Victor is sitting and contemplating on Scotland Island, where he refuses to be the Monster’s companion. Generally, the scene happening in the dark setting indicates that the Monster’s position as a character is more intense if placed in a gloomy and dark environment. A grandeur and awe sense is witnessed when the Monster appears in Gothic nature.
Shelly thoroughly focuses on supernatural and supernatural elements to create the Monster. Precisely, Frankenstein’s novel employs gothic elements; among them are supernatural elements to raise the dead and necessitates macabre research (Shelley, 49). The latter makes the reader question their opinions and thoughts about scientific experimentation. Additionally, Frankenstein uses a castle setting based on the European continent. Many of the readers have not been in the region. Also, the reader notes the gloom and mystery setting throughout the scenes among them are raising the dead (Cohen, 47). The Frankenstein novel thoroughly creates strange feelings towards its audience. The feeling of raising the dead makes average readers wince in terror and disbelief. The additional scene creates a strange feeling to the reader include Victor, who wanders along with the Orkney and Ingolstadt Islands in the dark, searching for body parts. It depicts a revulsion sense evoking the reader’s dread feeling on the Monster character in the story.
Through the Monster character and various scenes throughout the story, a reader is a bridge between the supernatural and mortal world. In Frankenstein, the Monster has communication between his creator and himself. The latter occurs because the Monster continuously appears where Victor is mainly (Shelley, 51). Additionally, the Monster rampantly moves within superhuman speed in Victor’s direction, and further matches him while chasing the North Pole.
In conclusion, Mary Shelly, throughout the novel, uses Gothic elements to depict the Monster’s representation of Victor’s ego-personality and his conscience and how the Monster bridges between the supernatural and mortal world. The major gothic elements incorporated in the novel are the dark castle setting and wild landscapes that fully denote unnatural and mysterious events. Other than conveying decay, they indicate horror sense via the Monster character. Besides, the introduction of gothic elements and fully shown through the Monster character makes the various scenes more intense for the reader. The reader hence notes the prevailing vengeful spirit and the looming presence of the monster and how the Monster is a symbol of Victor’s ego-personality and conscience and further helps the audience understand the significant bridges between the mortal and supernatural world.
Works Cited
Cohen, Jeffrey Jerome. “Monster culture (seven theses).” Classic Readings on Monster Theory. ARC, Amsterdam University Press, 2018. 43-54.
Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein. CRC Press, (1818): 35-52.
