Megan Ryder
Kathryn Schroder
English IV
5 December 2016
Frankenstein: a Gothic Novel
Gothic novels, characterized with elements of mystery and horror, became popular in the 18th and 19th centuries, as so did Frankenstein. When the reader comes upon such elements they have the ability to interpret and conclude various meanings from each element such as, foreshadowing and certain characteristics about a character or setting. Frankenstein contains many elements of gothic literary devices including, extreme landscapes and weather, death and darkness, and low lighting. Weather plays a significant role in gothic literature, and results in giving key clues when figuring out the inner landscape of the protagonist. Specific elements represent …show more content…
The subject of death may, more often than not, feel ignored and usually result in a gruesome suicide or murder. Frankenstein contemplates suicide by saying, “I was tempted to plunge into the silent lake, that the waters might close over me and my calamities forever” (Shelley, Chapter 9). Here he wishes to escape from his misery in a gruesome way. He does not just say he wants to die, instead he describes what the waters will do to him. The silent lake refers to the silencing of his life and his worries that he may have. Death also comes when the monster realizes nobody can love him because of his ugliness. He blames his appearance on Victor, thus killing the people close to …show more content…
The presence of low lighting creates shadows, mystery, and a dark mood along with allowing the presence of moonlight. Low lighting also allows for foreshadowing in Frankenstein, for example, “My candle was nearly burnt out” (Shelley, Chapter 5). This quote from the novel was said previous to the monster’s birth. The light of the candle represents life, but because the candle burns with just a small flicker, it creates a darkness about the monster even before its birth, predicting evil to come in the novel. Another example includes, “Dim and yellow light of the moon” (Shelley, Chapter 5). This quote allows the reader to infer that the monster connectes to darkness and the reader can conclude that if light equals life, then the darkness of the moon equals death. The moon tries to shed light, but instead darkness and shadows shed over it. The monster shares similarity to the light due to the construction of his body, but he also share darkness with the moon. Due to the construction of his body, all the dead body parts that make him up, he can also be considered dead. This form of death foreshadows the later tragedies to come in the
Kathryn Schroder
English IV
5 December 2016
Frankenstein: a Gothic Novel
Gothic novels, characterized with elements of mystery and horror, became popular in the 18th and 19th centuries, as so did Frankenstein. When the reader comes upon such elements they have the ability to interpret and conclude various meanings from each element such as, foreshadowing and certain characteristics about a character or setting. Frankenstein contains many elements of gothic literary devices including, extreme landscapes and weather, death and darkness, and low lighting. Weather plays a significant role in gothic literature, and results in giving key clues when figuring out the inner landscape of the protagonist. Specific elements represent …show more content…
The subject of death may, more often than not, feel ignored and usually result in a gruesome suicide or murder. Frankenstein contemplates suicide by saying, “I was tempted to plunge into the silent lake, that the waters might close over me and my calamities forever” (Shelley, Chapter 9). Here he wishes to escape from his misery in a gruesome way. He does not just say he wants to die, instead he describes what the waters will do to him. The silent lake refers to the silencing of his life and his worries that he may have. Death also comes when the monster realizes nobody can love him because of his ugliness. He blames his appearance on Victor, thus killing the people close to …show more content…
The presence of low lighting creates shadows, mystery, and a dark mood along with allowing the presence of moonlight. Low lighting also allows for foreshadowing in Frankenstein, for example, “My candle was nearly burnt out” (Shelley, Chapter 5). This quote from the novel was said previous to the monster’s birth. The light of the candle represents life, but because the candle burns with just a small flicker, it creates a darkness about the monster even before its birth, predicting evil to come in the novel. Another example includes, “Dim and yellow light of the moon” (Shelley, Chapter 5). This quote allows the reader to infer that the monster connectes to darkness and the reader can conclude that if light equals life, then the darkness of the moon equals death. The moon tries to shed light, but instead darkness and shadows shed over it. The monster shares similarity to the light due to the construction of his body, but he also share darkness with the moon. Due to the construction of his body, all the dead body parts that make him up, he can also be considered dead. This form of death foreshadows the later tragedies to come in the