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To what extent is Frankenstein typical of gothic literature? In you
answer make close references to its context and Mary Shelly's use of
language.
This essay will assess how typical of the gothic genre writings is
Mary Shelly's "Frankenstein". The novel was written at a time when
electricity was first discovered and Galvanism was being explored,
mainly for medical reasons. People at this time were ignorant and
sceptical of medicine and so most people would have been disgusted by
these studies. At this time the Romantic period was well under way,
this movement (which Mary shelly and her husband Percy Shelly who was
a poet belonged to) was about freedom of thought, the beauty of nature
and the imagination. It was also a time of social change, with the
French revolution just over the waters; this could be why the novel is
mainly set in central Europe.
The structure of Mary Shelly's "Frankenstein" is in many ways typical
of the gothic genre. Within the novel there are many letters written
to family members explaining what's going on at that point, this
builds up suspense, which is a technique many authors who wrote in
that era used. The novel also has an a cyclical structure, which means
it starts and finishes in the same place, this gives the book a sense
of mystery, another characteristic of the gothic genres writings. The
structural ending at the end of the novel has no closure, the monster
clam's he is about to commit suicide, however we don't have any
substantial proof of this fact, this is yet another trait of gothic
literature, the ending leaves you wondering "He was soon borne away by
the waves and lost in darkness and distance". The ending kind of
mirrors what is happening during the rest of the ...
... middle of paper ...
...d" This leaves the reader feeling that you want to know what
is the much more that he talks about.
I think Mary Shelly's novel of "Frankenstein" is to a great extent
typical of the gothic genre, it has a lot of the techniques used by
gothic writers and uses a lot of the affects. However the novel is not
totally typical of the gothic era because there is no proper good
verses evil, the monster is meant to be evil but we as the reader feel
far more sympathy for the monster and less to Frankenstein.
Frankenstein is the protagonist and main character so we are typically
meant sympathise with him, but the novel looses the gothic edge when
we start hearing things from the monsters view and so start to feel
sorry for him, and roles switch like they did when the monster and
Frankenstein met the reader does not really know who to sympathise
with towards the end.
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.
most of which tired of this very easily and gave up. Mary is the only
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”.
The Fulfillment of the Definition of Gothic Horror by Chapters 5 and 4 of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein
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.
"Great Works in Dialogue." Great Works in Dialogue. Great Works in Dialogue. Web. 8 Dec. 2015.
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.
is that of a huge green man with bolts coming out of the side of his
the evil lying within themselves. The evil of this book is the evil created by
Mary Shelley’s text, Frankenstein is a text, which is highly regarded in today’s society for its outstanding literary worth. However, the text as it was seen during the time of Shelley and its appearance and appeal today, most certainly differ. The most significant difference is that over a hundred years ago, the text was seen as a popular text, our modern day Simpsons, if you like. Conversely, today it appeals to the cannon of high culture. Its gradual change over time has been based on a number of deciding factors.
Throughout time humans have been trying to explain the nature of evil and man’s relationship with evil. Many have come up with an explanation that seems logic but yet some still disagree. In this case the authors of Macbeth, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, the Picture of Dorian Gray, Paradise lost, and Beowulf all share the same concept that anyone has the capacity to do evil, but they disagree with each other on the idea that evil is not a choice.
Thus, the evil that caused this horrible deed comes not from an fictional (imaginary) monster, but rather from the very real monster within people themselves. And, these stories show that the battle between good and evil is far from over.
Mary Shelley’s novel “Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus a Norton Critical Edition” exemplify and portray about how society treats individuals for how they look. There have been many scenarios throughout the novel that show this. Society creates its monsters and we neglect people if they do not meet our standards.
The Development of the Gothic Genre in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein Up until 1800, literature in general consisted of a spontaneous expression of idyllic images of love - ultimately categorised as "The Romantic Movement. " From this sprouted Romanticism's antithesis - literary Gothicism. When it was first introduced in the late 18th century, Gothic literature featured accounts of terrifying experiences set in graveyards or ancient castles, and descriptive motifs such as flickering lamps and ghostly figures. These have now become images of stereotypical horror.
more than evil is capable of what seems to be good. More often in the story, God