Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Assignment:

Discuss a specific example of the gothic as it appears in Frankenstein. Choose one example that you think is particularly prominent, exaggerated or interesting in its "gothicness" and then describe it, what is gothic about it and what is the effect of this element in our reading of Frankenstein.

Responce:

The novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley was a huge surprise to me as I am sure it is to many who pick it up for the first time.  Once the reader gets past the seemingly unconnected (later to be explained) beginning the story of Victor Frankenstein is told.  But there is no monster, underground laboratory, or strange assistant.... yet. (Well some of those things never appear.)

About half way through the story the monster is first introduced, but then leaves for a lot of the novel.  His path is later explained in flashbacks to his master, but for a large part of this novel there is no monster present, unless you give into the belief that Victor himself is the monster or that the guilt weighing on him the entire time is his monster. This idea of having monsters such as the creation but also those feelings of guilt and doubt are a Gothic theme seen in many different novels.  

Victor also breaks the tradition of his culture when he creates his monster.  He plays god, succeeds for a time, but ultimately fails and is killed by his own creation for being an unjust and cruel "god".  Victor plays with the laws of nature that Europe had at this time.  Then he pays for it dearly.  Breaking the taboo is a strong theme in Gothic literature.  By trying to play god Victor creates his and many of his loved one’s deaths.

And maybe the most Gothic theme of all that Frankenstein follows is the constant state of death stringed through the entire story.  The beginning starts with Victor almost dying, being saved by the fishermen.  Then quickly in the story his mother dies.  Her death is what pushed Victor to try and learn re-animation which is what causes all of the other deaths.  His brother William is then murdered, but the wrong person is arrested, blamed, and killed for the crime.  Then to get back at Victor the monster kills both his best friend and his fiancée finally to kill Victor at the end of it all. 

-Amanda