How Does the Language in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein...

How Does the Language in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein Reflect its Gothic Genre The gothic genre was popular around the nineteenth century. It is often associated with dark, evil things and death. This seemed appropriate at the time as there were no electric lights or televisions so it was generally darker than it is in the present day. It brings to mind stories like Frankenstein, Dracula and Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. It may have been popular at this time because it is typically based about ominous things in dark places making it seem more realistic because of the use of candles at the time. I am focussing on the beginning of ‘Frankenstein’ and observing how his dreams drove him to his own destruction, and how he is left to†¦show more content†¦The letters are set in St. Petersburgh in Russia and in the icy, desolate wasteland in the ocean around the North Pole. Here Walton writes of his isolation and how he lacks someone that he can confide in on the ship. Throughout all four letters we notice Walton’s spirits getting worse as he goes from being eager to go on his adventure to longing to get home. This is typical of the gothic genre, a light beginning gradually leading to a dark ending. It is not until the fourth letter we meet Victor Frankenstein. Walton and his crew find him nearly dead. They found only one dog of the several that Frankenstein had pulling his sleigh. This shows just how cold it must have been for the specially bread dogs to be unable to survive it and yet, Frankenstein is still hanging on, showing his determination to destroy the monster. Frankenstein refers to the monster as â€Å"the daemon†; this shows just what an evil creature Frankenstein considers the monster to be. The word â€Å"daemon† is a very strong one, used to describe creatures from hell. Using this kind of adjective Shelley is representing the gothic genre very effectively. We see Walton’s growing obsession with Frankenstein as he says â€Å"he excites both at once my admiration and pity to an astonishing degree†. He tells his sister that Frankenstein is â€Å"much recovered from his illnessShow MoreRelatedMary Shelley and Flannery OConnor: Gothic Isolationists1724 Words   |  7 Pages Gothic fiction is a genre of literature that combines fiction, horror and Romanticism with a particular focus on the mysterious and supernatural aspects. Gothic fiction originated in England during the latter half of the 18th century. This distinctive genre of literature soon developed into a 19th century phenomenon. The success of this dominant genre in England is frequently attributed to Mary Shelley. Despite its success during this time period, gothic fiction ceased to be a dominant genre byRead More Look at the significance of chapter five to the novel as a whole.1126 Words   |  5 Pagesas a whole. Focus on the relevance and effect of the writer’s language to describe setting, character and what it shows about social and historical influences. Frankenstein is a Victorian novel written in the gothic genre. It is about a man, Victor Frankenstein, giving life to an inanimate being and abandoning it. The monster then seeks revenge and the love of what he believes to be his mother, Frankenstein. The author, Mary Shelley, wrote the book at the age of nineteen but was not ableRead More‚Äà ²for Me, the Story Is Less a Horror‚Ä ¶Than a Larger Than Life Gothic Fairytale‚Äà ´ (Kenneth Brannagh) How Far and in What Ways Do You Agree with This Description of the Text?1960 Words   |  8 Pages‘For me, the story is less a horror†¦than a larger than life gothic fairytale’ (Kenneth Brannagh) How far and in what ways do you agree with this description of the text? 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Despite these voices, Gothic was still a marginalisedRead MoreMary Shelleys Frankenstein Essays1528 Words   |  7 PagesMary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein is a Gothic novel that contains two genres, science fiction and Gothicism. The novel is a first person narrative that uses a framing technique, where a story is told within a story. Shelley gives the book a distinctive gothic mood tone by the use of her chosen setting which is dark and gloomy, by doing this it reflects the hideousness of the creature; the point of views helps towards the realism of the novel; and characterization able the reader to interact withRead MoreRomanticism in Mary Shelleys Frankenstein Essay2052 Words   |  9 PagesMary Shelley, with her brilliant tale of mankinds obsession with two opposing forces: creation and science, continues to draw readers with Frankensteins many meanings and effect on society. Frankenstein has had a major influence across literature and pop culture and was one of the m ajor contributors to a completely new genre of horror. Frankenstein is most famous for being arguably considered the first fully-realized science fiction novel. In Frankenstein, some of the main concepts behind the literaryRead More The Author as Creator in Frankenstein Essay2907 Words   |  12 PagesThe Author as Creator in Frankenstein      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Mary Shelleys Frankenstein can be read as an allegory for the creative act of authorship. Victor Frankenstein, the modern Prometheus seeks to attain the knowledge of the Gods, to enter the sphere of the creator rather than the created. Like the Author, too, he apes the ultimate creative act; he transgresses in trying to move into the feminine arena of childbirth.    Myths of divine creation are themselves part of the historical processRead MoreOutline on Frankenstein3283 Words   |  14 PagesFrankenstein by Mary Shelley In the Gothic novel Frankenstein, Mary Shelley integrates the rhetorical devices figurative language, imagery, and tone to impart the concept that the desire to acquire knowledge and emulate God will ultimately result in chaos and havoc that exceeds the boundaries of human restraint. I. Life of Mary Shelley / Characteristics of Gothic Literature A. Life of Mary Shelley 1. 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Each work in the Library has a two-part Study Guide that contains a variety of resources for both you and your students. Use the Guide to plan your instruction of the work and enrich your classroom presentations. In