Comparing Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights to Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

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The gothic genre created both a lot of films and novels, some of which are debatable as to if they were categorized properly. The Films Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights directed by Peter Kosminsky, and Mary Shelley's Frankenstein directed by Kenneth Branagh are both based on novels. Both films display many different ideas, and are structured differently, but Mary Shelley's Frankenstein is an archetype for the gothic genre. Although the two are very different films, through the use of gloom and horror, film techniques, and heroic traits, both films are able to prove themselves part of the gothic genre by displaying many gothic elements.

Through the use of different gothic elements such as gloom and horror, each film is able to become gothic. In Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights the constant wind, rain, and dark cloudy skies make their presence felt throughout the entire film. This stormy weather lead to bad things happening and was usually around when the film was set at Wuthering Heights. The weather is symbolic of the attitudes of the people from Wuthering Heights as well as death. It depicted the inner fury of each person living there, as well as the dead. When Lockwood sees Catherine's ghost it is during a fierce storm that smashes through a window. In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein the use of stormy weather would almost always lead to something wrong or evil happening. Though this weather is also symbolic, it was not symbolic of a household of bad attitudes. The use of storms was to symbolize the presence of evil as well as the creation and destruction of a Monster. When Frankenstein's monster comes to life it can be said that one monster is born, and one monster is destroyed. The monster being destroyed is Dr. Frankens...

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...y even the family that he thought would accept him for who he was, due to his unknown kindness. Both films share a Byronic hero which endured multiple hardships, which in turn lead to their destruction.

Although these two films have very different ideas and structure, while Mary Shelley's Frankenstein is dealing with a supernatural beast along with an intertwining love story, and Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights is dealing with a plot of passion and love shown through the multiple love triangles throughout the film. It can be said that both share many of the same elements which are all part of the gothic genre. These elements include Byronic hero characters and traits, the use of camera techniques, and metonymy. Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights is comparable, and in the end similar to, the archetype for the gothic genre; Mary Shelley's Frankenstein.

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