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Gothic Elements In Frankenstein Essay

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Throughout chapter five of Frankenstein, written by Mary Shelley, the ideas of tragedy and despair are profound elements that convey the elements of a gothic novel. Mary Shelley’s use of gothic elements such as settings of dreary uneasiness that suggests something beyond the comprehension of humankind, supernatural events such as apparitions showing themselves with certain characters, and metonymy of gloom and horror foreboding the upcoming events, helps us understand the weight of the situation occurring within the book. With Victor Frankenstein’s creation of the monster, a situation in which transcends the limits of life and death is created – further supporting the gothic elements present within the novel. The use of these gothic elements …show more content…

Through this means – the gothic element of omens and visions to depict the upcoming doom and horror that has yet to be seen is present within this chapter. Dreams are commonly depicted as omens or blessings that show someone the possibility of the future. With this, Victor Frankenstein experiences an omen of some sort shown through a dream in which he “saw Elizabeth, in the bloom of health… as [he] imprinted the first kiss on her lips, they became livid with the hue of death; her features appeared to change… [then] I held the corpse of my dead mother in my arms” (49). This is an evident omen that could depict a possibility of the future, and could possibly connect to the actual reality in which Mary Shelley was also experiencing. There is an evident connection to the actual reality as Victor Frankenstein has a love interest in his adopted sister – Elizabeth, in which Victor Frankenstein represents Mary Shelley, while Elizabeth represents Percy. While they are committing an act of love in Victor’s dream, Mary Shelley also commits an act of love through the act of sexual activity with her partner, Percy, on her dead mother’s grave. This suggests the reason why the dead mother of Frankenstein was morphed from his love interest, Elizabeth. With this evident connection between real life and fantasy, the gothic elements used within the novel also possesses a real life experience in which Mary Shelley lived

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