Gothic Elements In Frankenstein Essay

Gothic literature is a style of writing that contains elements of both horror and romance. This genre allows readers to experience a mix of horror and romance intertwined. Within the gothic genre there are elements of supernatural events, beings, and gloomy day settings. This style of writing became popular in the late 18th century and early 19 century. Many give credit to it’s uprising to author Horace Walpole, who wrote The Castle of Otranto (1764). His book contains all the elements that constitute the gothic genre. Frankenstein fits perfectly into the gothic category because the gloomy and mysterious setting is placed where most readers think of it as

Another character that creates fear for the reader and thereby creates a gothic atmosphere is Frankenstein’s monster. Its outer appearance is described by Walton as “… horrible […] that I shut my eyes involuntarily” (Shelley 221). Hence, the horror to the gothic element is added thorough the appearance of the monster.

As one of the first gothic novels Frankenstein explores the darker side of human nature, ambitions, and the human mind.

A dark, historical setting is a key component in creating the tone of a real gothic theme. At a point in the story, Victor returns to his ancient family home upon his arrival he describes feeling a sense of “ grief and fear overcame [him].” (p68) This is the family historical setting. While he is visiting his family, his brother is murdered and the housekeeper is hanged. In Frankenstein, Victor’s laboratory where he creates the paranormal, shows strong evidence of gothic literary elements. Victor's laboratory is where the story begins, where his stroke of genius turns into a nightmare. This laboratory is where he kept the “collected bones from [the] charnel-houses and profane fingers.” (p45) Victor said that “the dissecting room and the slaughter house furnished many of [his] materials.”(p45) These materials were all stored in his laboratory which he had mentioned was a mess due to his busy employment. This means that his laboratory was filthy due to the dead body parts which ranged from eyeballs to limbs. Another gothic literary element presented in Frankenstein is its gloomy setting from the moment his creation lived.He begins by describing the setting as “ a dreary night of november that [he] beheld the accomplishment of [his] toils.”(p48). The author associates the lifeless, and dark weather with the disappointment and fear of accomplishing the

Frankenstein has changed many times over the years to now be known as a happy green man named Frankenstein with two bolts sticking out of his head. If you mention Frankenstein to a random person they will think of the monster even though it is the last name of the creator, but just like the original fairy tales has a very dark origin. Mary Shelley creates a feeling of emptiness, sorrow, and sadness using setting, major plot points, and characterization. She achieves this through death, emotion and multiple uses out symbolism throughout the novel to be more specific. This novel follows a young man named Victor who tries to play god and him and his family pay for the consequences.

The book Frankenstein is considered a gothic novel do to the facts of the gloomy settings throughout the story, Mary Shelley always wrote in a gothic manner more times than not in her career, and during this time period scary stories were very relevant. The fact that Doctor Frankenstein is creating a “monster” is very gothic in itself but the way he gathered the parts to assemble this creation, or as some may like to call it a “creature”. People argue that just because he created this thing that does not make him the father-like because he made it in inhumane way but nobody knows what is considered wrong or right to someone. In order for something to get the consideration

Levine’s main argument is that although Frankenstein is a gothic novel, it is not a typical gothic novel with many realistic ideas. It aims to generate terror in the reader like other gothic novels but does not involve the supernatural. The events that Mary Shelley writes out in Frankenstein are not far from ordinary and the commonplace. Levine’s more interesting argument is that Mary Shelley’s use of the Gothic tradition allows her to dip in the imaginative and subjective inner truths that a realistic novel would not allow. For example how the characters reflect or double each other. Also most of the characters represent aspects of Victor Frankenstein

While it may seem unusual that romance is considered a characteristic of gothic literature it is a rather common one. Gothic horror and romanticism were both popular around the same era so a lot of ideas ended up crossing over, hence having romance in a creepy novel. In Frankenstein, Victor is set to marry Elizabeth Lavenza, one of the people the monster kills. Elizabeth and Victor have known each other since the Frankenstein family adopted her, she became very fond of Victor but he became increasingly more interested in his experiments. Going along with the common theme of gothic literature, there is tragedy in this glimmer of beauty when Elizabeth dies. The atmosphere of mystery in this book is not just one single event, there is a multitude, including: not knowing when or who the monster will attack, what Victor plans on doing to stop the murders, and whether Victor will create a second monster to stop the first. All of this mystery keeps the book moving and helps to create that feeling of you won’t know what’s around the next corner, they want to keep you guessing because when something new unfolds it’ll leave you with shock and awe. The last major characteristic I saw in Frankenstein is an extreme landscape, because there are parts in the book that take place in the North Pole which is about as extreme as you can

      The second characteristic of the Gothic theme is the fascination with the unconscious and abnormal psychology. This includes things such as secrets and crime, both of which share the spotlight in Frankenstein. The main secret in the novel is the existence of the monster, which ultimately leads to the demise of all of Victor's loved ones. For example, if he had told Elizabeth about the threat made by the monster for their wedding night, she might not have been killed. When Victor finally tells his secret to Walton, it is as if some of the burden has been lifted and he dies soon after. Even Walton is "searching for the secrets of the pole" (Parkin-Gounelas, 216)

Another reason why Frankenstein fits into the gothic genre is the supernatural elements it presents. The most obvious supernatural element is the creation of the monster, Frankenstein. The mysterious ways in which Victor Frankenstein brought the monster to life were unclear, adding to the sinister feeling of the novel and reinforcing it in the gothic genre. However Victor brought him to life gave him superhuman speed and strength; “He bounded over the crevices in the ice, among which I had walked

Even though it is mysterious and cannot be fathomed, just like Romanticism, the mystery in Gothic Literature is horrific, while in Romanticism it is beautiful. Gothic fiction relates to prudishness (especially in the Victorian era) as it focuses on taboo subjects, such as: sex, vice, and murder. Therefore, it is, to great extent, going beyond peoples emotional limitations. To add to that, the typical feature of Gothic Literature would be expressing nature in the threat of monsters, ghosts, or in other words, supernatural forces conflicting with humanity. On the whole, a great representation of these gothic and romantic influences would be the novel Frankenstein (or The Modern Prometheus) by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, which was published in 1818 and written during the Romantic Period.

A story of mystery, tragedy, and terror, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein continues to captivate millions. She writes the tale of mankind’s obsession of the unknown, pulling readers to Frankenstein’s many lessons. Mary Shelley affects literature with her seemingly paradoxical use of both Romanticism and Gothicism. Shelley takes elements of romanticism, such as heavy use of emotions, innocence, and characters achievements, while also using gothic aspects like death, violence, and dark weather. Weaving the two genres together, Mary Shelley creates a timeless science fiction novel containing characteristics of serenity with a sense of eeriness.

Gothic Literature is a style of literature popularized during the late 18th century and the early 19th century with the publication of Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. This style usually portrays fantastic tales dealing with the horror, despair, the grotesque and other “dark” subjects. Characteristics of gothic literature includes the presence of victims and their victimizers who usually hold immense powers along with their evil purpose. The setting of this kind of literature generally takes place within impenetrable walls, whether physical or mental. This setting creates a sense of hopeless isolation within the victim. The summarization of the characters and situation creates an atmosphere pervaded by a sense of mystery, darkness, oppressiveness, fear, and doom.

One of the most important aspects of any Gothic novel is setting. Mary Shelly's Frankenstein is an innovative and disturbing work that weaves a tale of passion, misery, dread, and remorse. Some would argue that Frankenstein is a classic Gothic novel. By a classically Gothic novel it is meant that the story employs a traditionally scary theme. This could include such things as dark and dreary castles set in isolated surroundings replete with dungeons. Supernatural beings such as ghosts and living dead may be included in the twisted, thrilling, unveiling tale. The novel does contain many Gothic characteristics in a sense that it does explore

Gothic novels are stories written in the gothic genre which is a literature genre of fiction characterized by an atmosphere of mystery and horror. This genre rose to, and flourished in, popularity during the 18th and 19th centuries. One of the most famous novels of this Genre is Frankenstein, also known as the Modern Prometheus, by Mary Shelley. Frankenstein is about a scientist who creates a grotesque sentient monster in an unorthodox science experiment. Other examples of popular Gothic books include; The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole, Dracula by Bram Stoker, and The Monk: A Romance by Matthew Lewis. The Gothic genre, as well as most