Gothic Conventions In Frankenstein Research Paper

650 Words2 Pages

Dracula Untold and Mary Shelley's Frankenstein are both Gothic Horror films. They demonstrate a number of gothic conventions and they both use multiple film techniques to portray that. The main conventions these films use include unusual natural events, frightening creatures and supernatural powers. Gothic conventions help people to understand the film more and make it more enjoyable to watch. Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein uses worrying and unusual natural events to bring out the gothic horror in the film. This successfully shows when something bad is going to happen and to set the correct mood for the scene. It is used in the film when there is a thunderstorm when the baby is being born. Lighting was a very important film technique used as it creates the lightning in the sky and making the inside of the mansion look realistic. For example the lightning hits the tree straight in front of the window so it is symbolising that something is going to go wrong. This technique was used to show the depressing news that the mother had passed away after giving …show more content…

They successfully make the characters fit into the storyline by being different to normal human beings. Dracula is a mysterious creature as he is a vampire but he uses his powers to protect his people. The film technique used was the Mise en Scene of costumes to create the classic vampire look. For example they used accessories to make him have fangs and makeup to create veins under his eyes and a pale face. This technique was used to make a very realistic and noticeable transformation from a human to a vampire whenever he changes when fighting. The effect of this technique on the audience is to understand when he is a vampire and how the actor portrays his different roles. Mysterious and frightening creatures help us learn that they can either be good or bad depending on their role and not what they would be

Show More
Related

  • Examples Of Alienation In Dracula

    183 Words  | 1 Pages

    Dracula’s role reveals alienation in the book when he appears as a regular person, but can change into a bloodsucking vampire. In the novel a character Jonathan Halker describes Dracula when he first met him “The count has pointed ears, exceptionally pale skin and extremely sharp teeth.” Dracula odd appearance makes him isolated in society because he’s not consider normal and his evilness is shown by the way he feeds off the most vulnerable characters are more respectable members

    Read More

  • Edward Scissorhands And Frankenstein Comparison Essay

    936 Words  | 2 Pages

    Mary Shelley's novel Frankenstein is about a creature born in an unaccepting world. Shelley's idea of Gothicism changed the subgenre of horror, due to its dark look into nature. It became an influence on Tim Burton's movie Edward Scissorhands, moved by the sadness of the creature trying to fit into society, he creates a monster of his own. Mary Shelley and Tim Burton use literary and cinematic elements to show that isolation from society can destroy your relationship with others.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Dracula In Stoker's Dracula

    1456 Words  | 3 Pages

    First off, in Stoker’s Dracula the reader’s suspension of disbelief is lower as compared to folklore tales. He is a tall creepy old person when first revealed, but later on in the novel he is shown to be more sinister. This creates a sense of mystery and confusion. Another reason is that he is a well developed antagonist. Often times he outsmarts the main characters creating a sense of suspense and irony because the readers know what is going to happen but the characters do not. But the most important reason of them all is the fact that Count Dracula takes elements from folklore and builds upon it. Stoker uses classic folklore to create a foundation for Dracula, for example; Dracula’s powers give him the ability to live forever, or shapeshift into other creatures as well. They also give him weaknesses such as: holy objects and daylight which mitigates his powers. These powers regularly add to the mysterious tone in the book. Count Dracula climbing down the castle wall upside down or moving slowly across a yard as a cloud of vapor makes the reader question what is happening. He has the ability to control the weather and animals as well. Stoker gives him powers from legend to make him a formidable force in the story. Although his appearance is unpleasant, he is quite the seductive character. He uses this to his advantage when trying to turn Mina and Lucy into vampires. Dracula preys on ‘weaker’ beings in a hierarchical system where he feasts on the women and once the women have turned to vampires, they feed on children. He can also use telepathy to tell where other vampires are, however, this works against him in the final chase of the book. In short his powers are unique and interesting and help to make the Count a powerful

    Read More

  • Free Essays on Frankenstein: The Gothic Motif of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

    861 Words  | 2 Pages

    Rousseau's ideology of education and nature laid the basic groundwork for many of the Gothic novels.  Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley, was able to forge a bridge of thought that was able to span the chasm formed by the age of reason between the supernatural and reason. As a predecessor of the romantic movement, the Gothic novel was a direct reaction against the age of reason. The predominate idea of the age being that the world which is governed by nature is rationally ordered and given man's ability to reason, analyze and understand nature, man possesses the innate ability to use nature to create a rational society based on nature's dominate principles. The Gothic novel allowed the reader to pass from reason and order of the day to a region born of the supernatural which inspired dread and abounds in death and decay as nature's only true end.

    Read More

  • Gothic Motifs In Dracula

    1242 Words  | 3 Pages

    Dracula, a gothic novel by Bram Stoker, prominently displays three gothic motifs -- the supernatural, entrapment, and nightmares. Throughout the entirety of the novel, the main characters were being harmed or attempting to destroy the vampire, Count Dracula. Without this supernatural character there would not have been a plot line to the story. Count Dracula makes his victims feel physically entrapped as well as entrapped in their own mind. The characters in the novel that had direct interaction with Dracula seem to confuse reality with nightmares, making it hard for them to understand what was happening to them. Without these three main gothic motifs Dracula would not portray the same message.

    Read More

  • How does Mary Shelley use Gothic Conventions in Frankenstein?

    2545 Words  | 6 Pages

    The period during which Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein there were many scientific developments in the world, that contributed to the gothic genre of her novel as well as the author’s personal experiences. The main scientific development that possibly may have inspired the author to produce a gothic novel is similar to Luigi Galvani’s experiment, during which Galvani observed the relationship between electricity and life. In chapter four, Shelley has mentioned the scientific improvement that occurred during the 19th century: “when I considered the improvement which every day takes place in science and mechanics”.

    Read More

  • Mary Shelley´s Frankenstein, an Example of Gothic Romance

    717 Words  | 2 Pages

    The literary elements of remote and desolate settings, a metonymy of gloom and horror, and women in distress, clearly show “Frankenstein” to be a Gothic Romantic work. Mary Shelley used this writing style to effectively allow the reader to feel Victor Frankenstein’s regret and wretchedness. In writing “Frankenstein” Mary Shelley wrote one the most popular Gothic Romantic novels of all time.

    Read More

  • Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and Bram Stoker’s Dracula

    1804 Words  | 4 Pages

    ‘Dracula’ is a novel that probes deeply into people’s superstitions, fears and beliefs of the supernatural. The creature Dracula is an evil being with no concern for others, he kills for his own ends and cannot be stopped, and this is what makes ‘Dracula’ truly frightening.

    Read More

  • Frankenstein Vs Van Helsing

    1104 Words  | 3 Pages

    According to Keating, lighting can help tell a story by directing the spectator’s attention, setting and appropriate mood, denoting time and space, and enhancing characterization. Keating also mentions that lighting can glamorize the star. Lighting during the final stages of creation in Victor Frankenstein, is designed enhance the mood of the scene by producing a sense of danger and the manifestation of an evil being through a storm. Lighting helps convey the monster’s sinister illustration by limiting the amount of light that impacts the creature. This ensures to inform the audience that Frankensteins’ monster is an evil, dangerous, supernatural creature. In comparison to Victor Frankenstein, Van Helsing’s use of lighting also affects the portrayal of Frankenstein. Similarly, the effects of lighting are caused by a storm that is taking place. The scene is dark with limited light, although more light does reflect on this version of Frankenstein. The lighting effect shows the intimidating image of Frankenstein, but does not characterize the monster as an evil

    Read More

  • Gothic Theme in Chapter 5 of Frankenstein

    1554 Words  | 4 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Looking at Gothic Horror

    1931 Words  | 4 Pages

    Modern horror films consist of old and new tricks of filming to keep the audience on the edge of their seats. They consist of much more varied and clever plots and storylines. Re-workings of older horror films are filmed with the view to appeal to a modern audience and the audience go to see these horror films with an expectation of what they think will happen and the good thing about horror films is they can have plot twists and unexpected events occurring throughout the film. We watched two extracts from the film adaptations of two Gothic horror novels, Bram Stoker's 'Dracula' and Kenneth Brannagh's 'Frankenstein'.

    Read More

  • Dracula Gothic Analysis

    1188 Words  | 3 Pages

    The “Otherness” Dracula possesses reinforces our own norms and beliefs through his transgression that separates him from society and the polarity to Western norms and ideals makes him an effective device for extorting revulsion and horror. Stoker’s novel employs Gothic tradition, providing “the principle embodiments and evocations of cultural anxieties” from which the very Gothic mood and horror is produced, establishing the baseline used to distinguish the modern vampires, as part of vampire mythology within the Gothic (Botting Aftergothic 280). Differences Between Dracula and Twilight The similarities between the two novels are namely Gothic imagery and theme, but the Gothic mood predominates in Dracula over Twilight and it is this difference that makes Twilight not belong in the vampire canon. Horror is the element that Dracula possesses that Edward does not, and it is crucial in the interplay between transgression and limit.

    Read More

  • Frankenstein and the Gothic Genre

    2205 Words  | 5 Pages

    As can be seen Frankenstein utilises many of the conventions of the gothic genre and can thus be considered a gothic novel. Its links to the Romantic movement are also evident. The stereotypical settings, characters and plots, interest in the sublime, emphasis on suspense, the production of excessive emotion in the reader ( particularly that of terror and horror), the presence of the supernatural and the notion of the ’double’ are all features of Frankenstein that illustrate this.

    Read More

  • Symbols And Symbolism In Frankenstein

    1359 Words  | 3 Pages

    Bram Stoker’s Dracula is a classic piece of literature that has survived through the ages. Dracula has become a famous villain in countless movies and has been the inspiration for many others. What many people may miss about this book first written in 1897 is the purpose and symbolism behind this famous vampire. To begin to understand the symbolism and theme in the text, first you must understand a little background of the Victorian era in which Stoker lived. Named after Queen Victoria from 1837-190, this era was a time of “…sexual moralism, domestic propriety, and imperialist ambition” (“Dracula & the Fears of Victorian England”). Through these ideals and a declining economy, tensions were on the rise in the working class. Things such as sexual deviance or being improper was seen as a threat to proper Victorian society. Dracula and his mini...

    Read More

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

    915 Words  | 2 Pages

    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...

    Read More

More about Gothic Conventions In Frankenstein Research Paper

Open Document