The oppression and control of any individual contrasting the social norms is a theme timelessly repeated throughout history. Over the years, gothic literature has shed light on this control and depicted it in varying forms. (Bowen, n.d) These different forms are however central to the fears associated by the society at a particular time in history. This is evident through the fears of natural science in Frankenstein in the 18th century, unnatural change in Edward Scissorhands in the 1950’s, and even the fear of dominant women in the Victorian Era, through The Piano. These gothic texts, representative of different social and historical settings, seek to therefore represent the varying and changing forms of gothic fiction. Despite their varying …show more content…
forms, these central fears inevitably cause societies to exhibit entirely similar behaviours of control and oppression.(Botting, 1996) Therefore, whilst the historical context of these texts is fundamental to the specific type of gothic fiction portrayed, ultimately there is a constant theme of oppression and constraint, regardless of the time, place and form presented. The uncertainty of natural science, technology and unwanted change are timeless fears exerted by the controlling societies of the 18th century. (Novel Guides, n.d) This existed when gothic fiction was in its infancy, and the world around was undergoing serious change. (Botting, 1996) Mary Shelley’s iconic novel, Frankenstein, is set in this time amid the industrial revolution, and the waning belief in religion after ‘reason and science were displacing [it] as centres of value.’ (Crooke, 2000) Frankenstein introduces the creation of a startling monster in an unnatural and unbelievable way. The monster given life is ‘eight feet tall in height, proportionably large’, and has translucent yellow skin that ‘scarcely [covers] the work of muscles and arteries beneath’. (Shelley, 1822, pp. 57 & 60) As a result of his difference to ‘normal people’, the creature suffers isolation and control by the society, representing to them an ‘inexplicable source of psychic disturbance.’ (Crooke, 2000) Shelley’s creation of Frankenstein’s startling monster is therefore directly relevant to the historical context of the 18th century, challenging the strict ‘social and domestic ideology’, and as a result leading to constraint. (Botting, 1996) Similarly, Tim Burton’s film Edward Scissorhands, although set to a different tune reminiscent of 1950’s America, is also representative of society’s fears of the ‘unnatural.’(My Lesson, n.d) Set amongst a characteristically ‘normal suburban life’, of neat lawns and pastel-coloured bungalows, Edward Scissorhands, must accept his life of having razor-sharp scissors as hands. (ACMI, 2010) The middle-class attitudes of the structured society are also directly contradictory to the idea of the perceptually different, as it threatens to dismantle the ‘glossy’ and ‘perfect’ facade that suburban life intends to maintain. (All that Jazz, 2012) Societal fears of the ‘disabled’ as well as technology advancing out of control are also central ideas that disallow society to accept Edward, instead ‘repelled by the darkness and pain that make him who he is.’ (ACMI, 2010) It is therefore the historical significance of the time that explains society’s rejection of both perceived ‘monsters’ and their central views that seek to control, rather than accept. In addition, gothic literature also explores the patriarchal fears of the changing role of women through the Victorian Era of 18th Century English society. (Hendershot, 1998) The male dominated society of the time strongly reinforced the oppressive roles assigned to women, specifically in regards to their sexuality. (Roberts, 2002) However, this suppression led to defiant women challenging the ‘gender hierarchy’ and values. This led to fears in society of unwanted change and a new construction of social norms. (Narusaki, 2016) This is depicted in Jane Campion’s motion picture The Piano, which incorporates the supernatural elements of Ada’s will, and her muteness to challenge the characters who embody ‘dominant structures of British colonialism and imperialism.’ (Hendershot, 1998) Much alike Frankenstein’s monster and Edward Scissorhands, the gothic elements of Ada’s difference to normal society is central to their fears of change, and seek to avoid vulnerability of their ‘cultural limits and boundaries’ (Botting, 1996) The historical context of gothic literature is therefore representative of the different forms of gothic and the present fears of society. (Botting 1996) However, although gothic themes take different forms across different historical settings, the control and oppression by the dominant society remains an unchanged theme.
In Frankenstein, Shelley highlights both the isolation of the creature but also Victor Frankenstein himself, through society’s rejection. (BBC, n.d) Firstly, Frankenstein’s monster suffers considerable control and isolation immediately through being abandoned by Victor. Victor rejects the creature and flees the apartment, ashamed of his meddling with life and death, leaving the monster helpless. (Penguin Guides, 2009) Shelley then continues this theme of constraint by using society’s reactions to the gothic creature to further isolate him. This is shown by the creature attempting to ‘make contact with humans and connect with them’, but through his hideous physical attributes, his attempts are rendered useless and is instead attacked. (BBC, n.d) As a result the creature is forced to alienate himself to the Swiss Alps, living in a dark and dingy cave, representative of common gothic elements.(Botting, 1996) The creature is deeply affected by the constraint on his life, and longs to join the others, free from exclusion, but dares not to. In conjunction, Victor, his creator, also suffers isolation from society which in turn causes him to ‘lose sight of his responsibilities and consequences of his actions’.(Anna Academy English Department, 2014). He also travels to the Swiss Alps to escape reality, the ongoing torment of his secret creature and his burning, yet apparently ‘wrong’ desires of the unknown science. (Brannstrom, 2006) Shelley therefore uses the outcast of both Victor and his monster together to highlight the oppressive control as a result of society’s rejection and fear of their differences.(BBC,
n.d) Similarly, Edward Scissorhands is depicted as a harmful monster and as a result is isolated by society. Tim Burton closely assimilates Edward Scissorhands’ defect of having ‘razor-sharp scissors’ instead of hands, much alike a disabled person in reality. (ACMI, 2010) Edward is found alone and isolated in the spooky and run down mansion on the top of the hill. His life directly contrasts the life of the suburban town, adorned in pastel-colours, rigid structure and normalcy.(Clarke, 2008) When Edward lives with Peg and her family, he is confined by their normality, and struggles with everyday tasks such as eating and picking up objects. (ACMI, 2010) Primarily the neighbourhood believes he is ‘unusual, exemplary and unique,’ however they quickly turn against him when he is framed of a crime he was unintentionally apart of. (Clarke, 2008) Burton uses this to represent the monstrous society through their vicious rumours, and their assumptions and prejudice of Edward as a perceived villain and monster. (ACMI, 2010) Burton further represents his misunderstood character when Edward accidentally cuts Kim’s hand, and Kevin’s face when trying to save him, and the neighbourhood start an angry mob to hunt Edward down. Moreover, the symbol of religion represents a further conforming restriction of the time, shown through Esmerelda.(My Lesson, n.d) Esmerelda claims that Edward is ‘straight from the stinking flames of hell,’ and that he has ‘the power of satan’ within him. (Burton, 1990) The neighbourhood then begin to share in her opinion and Edward is forced to permanently retreat to isolation in the old mansion where he was invented. (Clarke, 2008) Burton therefore uses the religious and normality of suburbia to contrast with Edward and to represent the isolation and constraint that results from his difference. Also, Jane Campion uses the gothic elements of The Piano to illustrate the oppression of women by the patriarchal society. Ada, the protagonist, chooses to live her life as a mute in order to defy the expectations of society. She in turn uses her piano as her voice, depicting the freedom that she has instilled in herself. (Williams, 2013) Her story is particularly confined, as a woman she is married off for money by her father to live ‘with a man she has not yet met’. (Campion, 1993) Through this, Ada and her ‘illegitimate daughter’ are taken against their will to a remote island in New Zealand, surrounded by beaches with no escape. (Stone, 2002) Here Ada is expected by her new husband, Stewart, to act as an ideal married woman, and conform as expected. This is reinforced by the ladies on the island, particularly Morag, who constantly ridicule her for her ‘anachronistic piano playing’, her lack of affection for Stewart, and her muteness. (Yufeng, 2012) Ada is further constricted when Stewart refuses to bring her piano - her only source of freedom, she is physically boarded up in the house, and her inability to be with Baines, the man she truly loves. (Stone, 2002) The gothic elements of control are also shown through the gruesome cutting off of her finger by Stewart and his axe, the constricting forest and island setting, and the supernatural will that Ada possesses to assert her rights. (Williams, 2013) It is clear that through the strictly controlling society, that Ada is constantly oppressed for being different and is never truly allowed to be herself. Through exploring Frankenstein, Edward Scissorhands and The Piano, it is clear that the imaginative gothic elements of the protagonists aim to highlight the direct fears associated with the society of the time. These gothic elements have morphed and adapted across many different historical contexts and settings, however their confinement and isolation by society remains a timeless and unchanged experience of life. (Botting, 1996) This possibly suggests that the real monsters to be feared in gothic fiction are not the imaginative creatures cooked up in Frankenstein’s laboratory, but instead the oppressive societies prevalent even in reality today. (BBC, n.d)
In Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley, the Creature executes extreme and irreversible acts due to his isolation from society. Although the Creature displays kindness, his isolation drives him to act inhumanely. The Creature, pushed away from his creator because he is an abomination, and indicates his isolation as the only one of his species. As the Creature gets more comfortable with the De Lacey ’s, he approaches the old man as his children are gone but before he can explain himself, the children come home and see the Creature, “Who can describe their horror and consternation on beholding me?
As a tragic hero, Victor’s tragedies begin with his overly obsessive thirst for knowledge. Throughout his life, Victor has always been looking for new things to learn in the areas of science and philosophy. He goes so far with his knowledge that he ends up creating a living creature. Victor has extremely high expectations for his creation but is highly disappointed with the outcome. He says, “I had desired it with an ardour that far exceeded moderation; but now that I had finished, the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart” (Shelley 35). Frankenstein neglects the creature because of his horrifying looks, which spark the beginning of numerous conflicts and tragedies. At this point, the creature becomes a monster because of Victor’s neglect and irresponsibility. The monster is forced to learn to survive on his own, without anyone or anything to guide him along the way. Plus, the monster’s ugly looks cause society to turn against him, ad...
Throughout Mary Shelley’s classic novel Frankenstein, Victor Frankenstein pursues, with a passion lacking in other aspects of his life, his individual quest for knowledge and glory. He accepts the friendships and affections given him without reciprocating. The "creature," on the other hand, seems willing to return affections, bringing wood and clearing snow for the DeLaceys and desiring the love of others, but is unable to form human attachments. Neither the creature nor Victor fully understands the complex relationships between people and the expectations and responsibilities that accompany any relationship. The two "monsters" in this book, Victor Frankenstein and his creation, are the only characters without strong family ties; the creature because Frankenstein runs from him, and Victor because he runs from his family.
So, when he created Frankenstein “the monster” he turned out to be this grotesque and unnatural creature which was different from what Victor had imagined. However, at the site of looking at his creation, Victor is now spooked by his appearance and immediately turned off by his own creation. For example, in chapter 5 Victor says, “I had desired it with an ardor that far exceeded moderation; but now that I had finished, the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart. Unable to endure the aspect of the being I had created, I rushed out of the room, continued a long time traversing my bed chamber, unable to compose my mind to sleep.” (Page 35). Again, we can see Shelley’s use of Gothic elements infused with the monstrous theme. However, this causes Victor to immediately stray away from the monster because he views his creation as repulsive and upsetting. Which marks the first sign of abandonment that Victor places on his creation. This doesn’t do any justice for Victor because now the monster is trying to assert himself into Victor’s life but yet feels more and more neglected from the absence of love that Victor doesn’t want to give in terms of having a relationship with
Rather, it is others who alienate it because of its grotesque appearance. The monster is quite literally ‘born’ into perpetual isolation beginning with Victor’s abandonment of it. He denies it domestic safety when he flees to his bedchamber. Victor disregards the monster’s utterance of “inarticulate sounds while a grin wrinkled his cheeks,” then escapes its outstretched hand “seemingly to detain [him]” [Shelley 49]. Examining the monster’s body language as though an impressionable infant, its actions can be read as a child-like plea for its father though the absence of speech not yet learned. Instead, its unattractive appearance causes Victor to run, leaving the creature alone with no information about himself or his surroundings. Therefore, Victor’s abandonment is a crucial justification of the monster’s negative experiences with society and nature and actions in desiring community. The monster’s alienation from family is the missing first school of human nature, and the first lesson where he learns he does not belong. The creature leaves into the wilderness to learn about the world and himself on it own, only to understand his interactions are
An idea becomes a vision, the vision develops a plan, and this plan becomes an ambition. Unfortunately for Victor Frankenstein, his ambitions and accomplishments drowned him in sorrow from the result of many unfortunate events. These events caused Victors family and his creation to suffer. Rejection and isolation are two of the most vital themes in which many dreadful consequences derive from. Victor isolates himself from his family, friends, and meant-to-be wife. His ambitions are what isolate him and brought to life a creature whose suffering was unfairly conveyed into his life. The creature is isolated by everyone including his creator. He had no choice, unlike Victor. Finally, as the story starts to change, the creature begins to take control of the situation. It is now Victor being isolated by the creature as a form of revenge. All the events and misfortunes encountered in Frankenstein have been linked to one another as a chain of actions and reactions. Of course the first action and link in the chain is started by Victor Frankenstein.
In the novel Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley, the main theme revolves around the internal and external consequences of being isolated from others. Being isolated from the world could result in a character losing his/her mental state and eventually causing harm to themselves or others. Because both Victor Frankenstein and the creature are isolated from family and society, they experienced depression, prejudice, and revenge.
Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein centers around a creator who rejects his own creation. The plot thickens as Victor Frankenstein turns his back on his creation out of fear and regret. The monster is cast out alone to figure out the world and as a result of a life with no love, he turns evil. Shelley seems to urge the reader to try a relate with this monster and avoid just seeing him as an evil being beyond repentance. There is no doubt that the monster is in fact evil; however, the monster’s evilness stems from rejection from his creator.
Isolation is often a result of choosing to seek refuge in solitude, however, in many cases, it is a result of brutality from the surrounding environment. In Mary Shelley’s Gothic novel, Frankenstein, a gruesome and painful story serves as a cautionary tale in order to prevent another from a similar downfall. Although Victor Frankenstein is the narrator for the majority of the novel, the audience learns of the destruction that has followed his decisions as well as the forced estrangement upon those he has encountered. In Frankenstein, Shelley uses relatable characters that reflect the harsh superficial aspects of society. Victor’s initial isolation as a child foreshadows the motif of detachment that occurs throughout the novel.
In Mary Shelley’s novel, Frankenstein, many similarities can be seen between the creature and his creator, Victor Frankenstein. While Victor and the creature are similar, there are a few binary oppositions throughout the book that make them different. The binary oppositions in the novel serve as thematic contrast; and some of the most illustrative oppositions between the two characters are on the focus of family, parenthood, isolation and association with others.
He turns away the peace given to him by nature just to satisfy his desire for revenge, and becomes a broken being. Mary Shelley demonstrates in Frankenstein what happens if someone strays too far from nature. Shelley purposely shows the destructive nature of science in her novel, highlighting the strife that her society is going through. Her society, disillusioned by war and the devastation that new technologies caused, wanted to go back to their roots in nature, and her novel pushes at that idea. Shelley’s example of Victor’s and the Creature’s downfall warns us of the dangers and temptations of science.
Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley’s Frankenstein (sometimes also known as The Modern Prometheus) is the classic gothic novel of her time. In this eerie tale, Dr. Victor Frankenstein – suffering from quite an extreme superiority complex – brings to life a creature made from body parts of deceased individuals from nearby cemeteries. Rather than to embrace the Creature as his own, Frankenstein alienates him because of his unpleasant appearance. Throughout the novel, the Creature is ostracized not only by Frankenstein but by society as a whole. Initially a kind and gentle being, the Creature becomes violent and eventually seeks revenge for his creator’s betrayal. Rather than to merely focus on the exclusion of the Creature from society, Shelley depicts the progression of Dr. Frankenstein’s seclusion from other humans as well, until he and the Creature ultimately become equals – alone in the world with no one to love, and no one to love them back. Frankenstein serves as more than simply a legendary tale of horror, but also as a representation of how isolation and prejudice can result in the demise of the individual.
Gothic fiction’s mesmerisation of its Victorian audience can be pinned to the “fears connected ...
In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, isolation and solitude encapsulate both the novel and the main theme, and her main characters, Victor and the Monster, embody the destructive power of isolation. At the end of volume III, Walton, the letter writer at the opening and closing of the novel, describes the dreadful state that Victor remains in. He writes, “ Yet he enjoys one comfort, the offspring of solitude and delirium: he believes, that when in dreams he holds converse with his friends, and derives from that… that they are not the creations of his fancy, but the beings themselves.” (Shelley 193). Victor, having experienced horror that no other human could imagine, lives in the limbo of isolation, which he likens to that of Lucifer in Paradise Lost. The stress and trauma that he undergoes leaves him with the firm belief that he can commune with the souls of his dead friends and loved ones, leaving him lost and oscillating between sanity and insanity. His isolation led to his discovery, his creation, his downfall, and finally his own demise. And through his solitude, Victor dooms the Monster to the same fate. As soon as he brings the Monster into the world, it becomes a living demon, scourged by humans because of its grotesque appearance, and reveals its true capacity for evil and destruction. The Monster torments Victor until he dies,
The Gothic begins with later-eighteenth-century writers' turn to the past; in the context of the Romantic period, the Gothic is, then, a type of imitation medievalism. When it was launched in the later eighteenth century, The Gothic featured accounts of terrifying experiences in ancient castles — experiences connected with subterranean dungeons, secret passageways, flickering lamps, screams, moans, bloody hands, ghosts, graveyards, and the rest. By extension, it came to designate the macabre, mysterious, fantastic, supernatural, and, again, the terrifying, especially the pleasurably terrifying, in literature more generally. Closer to the present, one sees the Gothic pervading Victorian literature (for example, in the novels of Dickens and the