Addison Cupples
Mrs. Schroder
English 4 - Standard
31 November 2017
A gothic novel is a literary genre of fiction that has a dark, supernatural, and mysterious setting throughout the book. For the last two centuries Gothic novels have unsettled readers. Most people are easily able to identify a gothic novel because of the suspense and mystery to it. One of the most popular gothic novel author is Mary Shelley who was born on August 30, 1797 in London, England. She was the daughter of philosopher and political writer William Godwin. Many parts of Mary Shelley’s unconventional life led her to write her most popular novel, Frankenstein in 1818. Frankenstein is considered a Gothic novel due to a mixture of these elements, the dark settings throughout,
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In the beginning of the novel Victor learns about the death and anatomy of humans and tries to create and bring someone to life. After a lot of work he successfully created Frankenstein, he saw a horrific sight, “His yellow skin scarcely covered the work of muscles and arteries beneath; his hair was of a luscious black and flowing; his teeth of a pearly whiteness; but these luxuriances only formed a more horrid contrast with his watery eyes, that seemed almost of the same colour as the dun white sockets in which they were set, his shrivelled complexion and straight black lips” (55). At this moment Victor knew there was something wrong and that he had messed up, “the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart” (55). This part allows the reader to know Frankenstein is not human and he has supernatural …show more content…
“Key Gothic Themes & Elements From Frankenstein, Dr Faustus and The Bloody Chamber.” Ask Will Online, 28 July 2017, www.askwillonline.com/2013/04/key-gothic-themes-elements-from.html. Buzwell, Greg. “Mary Shelley, Frankenstein and the Villa Diodati.” The British Library, The British Library, 19 Feb. 2014, www.bl.uk/romantics-and-victorians/articles/mary-shelley-frankenstein-and-the-villa-diodati. “Mary Shelley.” Biography.com, A&E Networks Television, 28 Apr. 2017, www.biography.com/people/mary-shelley-9481497. “The Gothic Experience .” The Gothic, 24 Oct. 2002, academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/english/melani/gothic/gothic.html. Bowen, John. “Gothic Motifs.” The British Library, The British Library, 26 Feb. 2014, www.bl.uk/romantics-and-victorians/articles/gothic-motifs. Mullan , John. “The Origins of the Gothic.” The British Library, The British Library, 26 Feb. 2014,
Written in 1818, the latter stages of the Gothic literature movement, at face value this novel embodies all the key characteristics of the Gothic genre. It features the supernatural, ghosts and an atmosphere of horror and mystery. However a closer reading of the novel presents a multifaceted tale that explores
Using gothic conventions Frankenstein explores Mary Shelley’s personal views on the scientific developments, moral and economical issues that occurred during the 19th century and Shelley’s personal emotions and questions regarding her life. As an educated person, Mary Shelley had an interest in the development of the world such as political and moral issues and she challenged these issues in the novel.
Punter David, ‘The Literature of Terror’, in A History of Gothic Fictions from 1765 to the Present Day, The Modern Gothic. Harlow, eds. (UK: Pearson Education, 1996)
Mary Shelley’s world renowned book, “Frankenstein”, is a narrative of how Victor Frankenstein, a brilliant chemist, succeeds in creating a living being. Although Frankenstein’s creation is benevolent to begin with, he soon turns murderous after being mistreated by humans. His anger turns towards Frankenstein, as he was the one who brought him into the world that shuns him. The Monster then spends the rest of the story trying to make his creator’s life as miserable as his own. This novel is an excellent example of the Gothic Romantic style of literature, as it features some core Gothic Romantic elements such as remote and desolate settings, a metonymy of gloom and horror, and women in distress.
Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein or the Modern Prometheus. Edited with an Introduction and notes by Maurice Hindle. Penguin books, 1992
He toils endlessly in alchemy, spending years alone, tinkering. However, once the Creature is brought to life, Frankenstein is no longer proud of his creation. In fact, he’s appalled by what he’s made and as a result, Frankenstein lives in a perpetual state of unease as the Creature kills those that he loves and terrorizes him. Victor has realized the consequences of playing god. There is irony in Frankenstein’s development, as realized in Victor’s desire to destroy his creation. Frankenstein had spent so much effort to be above human, but his efforts caused him immediate regret and a lifetime of suffering. Victor, if he had known the consequences of what he’s done, would have likely not been driven by his desire to become better than
"Frankenstein By Mary Shelley Frankenstein at a Glance." Frankenstein at a Glance. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 May 2014. .
In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein we are introduced early in the story to one of the main characters Victor Frankenstein and subsequently to his creation referred to as the monster. The monster comes to life after being constructed by Victor using body parts from corpses. As gruesome as this sounds initially we are soon caught up in the tale of the living monster. Victor the creator becomes immediately remorseful of his decision to bring the monstrous creation to life and abandons the borne creature. Victor describes his emotions and physical description of his creation as follows:
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley is hailed as one of the greatest novels dealing with the human spirit ever to be written. Shelley wrote this nineteenth century sensation after her life experiences. It has been called the first science fiction novel. Shelley lived a sad, melodramatic, improbable, and tragically sentimental life. She was the daughter of Mary Wollstonecraft, the brilliant pioneer feminist in the late eighteenth century. However due to complications in childbirth and inept medical care, Shelley's mother passed away soon after her birth. Later on, Shelley married the famous romantic poet Percy Bysshe Shelley. Mary Shelley's masterpiece, Frankenstein, was inspired partly by Milton's Paradise Lost:
Gothic literature was developed during the eighteenth and nineteenth century of the Gothic era when war and controversy was too common. It received its name after the Gothic architecture that was becoming a popular trend in the construction of buildings. As the buildings of daunting castles and labyrinths began, so did the beginning foundation of Gothic literature. The construction of these buildings will later become an obsession with Gothic authors. For about 300 years before the Renaissance period, the construction of these castles and labyrinths continued, not only in England, but also in Gothic stories (Landau 2014). Many wars and controversies, such as the Industrial Revolution and Revolutionary War, were happening at this time, causing the Gothic literature to thrive (“Gothic Literature” 2011). People were looking for an escape from the real world and the thrill that Gothic literature offered was exactly what they needed. Gothic literature focuses on the horrors and the dark sides to the human brain, such as in Mary Shelley’s book Frankenstein. Gothic literature today, as well as in the past, has been able to separate itself apart from other types of literature with its unique literary devices used to create fear and terror within the reader.
The term ‘Gothic’ conjures a range of possible meanings, definitions and associations. It explicitly denotes certain historical and cultural phenomena. Gothicism was part of the Romantic Movement that started in the eighteenth century and lasted about three decades into the nineteenth century. For this essay, the definition of Gothic that is applicable is: An 18th century literary style characterized by gloom and the supernatural. In the Gothic novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, a wide range of issues are explored. Frankenstein represents an entirely new vision of the female Gothic, along with many other traditional themes such as religion, science, colonialism and myth.
Camille, Michael. Gothic Art: Glorious Visions. Upper Saddle River (NJ): Prentice Hall, 1996. 12. Print.
Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein or the Modern Prometheus. Edited with an Introduction and notes by Maurice Hindle. Penguin books, 1992
When authors write a story they “tell a particular story to a particular audience in a particular situation for, presumably, a particular purpose” (Phelan 4). Northanger Abbey and Frankenstein came out in the same year, were both gothic novels, and were both written by female authors. Despite these similarities, the two authors produced very different works of fiction and have very different authorial intentions for their stories. Austen and Shelley both use gothic elements to portray their purpose for their stories. The two authors create characters exhibiting powerful emotions and moralize through the usage of these emotions.
The novel Frankenstein is a one of the first Gothic novels that entails both gothic and romantic elements in its plot. The novel explains how Victor creates Frankenstein, the process by which he collects body parts and how life is given to Frankenstein. Its plot is in old scary European buildings and is filled with war between good and evil. It also shows how the characters are able to connect both the mortal and supernatural world. This novel is about the war between good and evil that will eventually get to have Frankenstein on their side (Donawerth). On the other hand, the novel on Jane Eyre is a gothic novel that takes place in Europe. It is filled with old buildings and shows how a young orphaned Jane Eyre is neglected by her adopted family especially after her adopted father dies. She undergoes through periods of success and hurting in her life until she meets a man by the name Edward who later breaks her heart. This leads her to the quest of finding her spirituality (Adams). This novel shows how one gets to know their spirituality and how it leads to their strengths and succe...