Analyse the presentation and function of horror and the horrifying in Frankenstein.

I busied myself to think of a story – a story to rival those which had excited us to this task. One which would speak to the mysterious fears of our nature and awaken thrilling horror – one to make the reader dread to look round, to curdle the blood, and quicken the beatings of the heart. If I did not accomplish these things, my ghost story would be unworthy of its name.

In the Authors introduction to the standard novels edition (1831), Mary Shelley conveys her aim of the novel, Frankenstein. Mary Shelley proclaims her novel “my ghost story” p.8. The proposal of a ghost story relates to supernatural literature, which creates horror with paranormal and occult themes, but Frankenstein in fact has no ghosts. There are no ‘bumps in the night’ and only the minimum amount of blood with emphasis on telling rather than showing in a story of scientific developments beyond our control. To evoke horror Shelley’s novel complies with literature of the gothic genre with its tale of macabre in wild picturesque landscapes but without the ghouls and spirits. Shelley has the ability to horrify us without such paranormal torments but through psychological torments. It is Mary Shelley’s method and success of creating horror in the novel that this essay aims to discuss.

Shelley’s era saw rise to momentous discoveries and advances in science that many feared may lead to disaster. The scientific work of Sir Isaac Newton (1642 – 1727) coupled with the ideals of philosopher John Locke (1632 – 1704) saw increased ambition and power in the 17th Century. Parallels can be easily drawn between such ambitious scientists and philosophers, and Mary Shelley’s fictional character of Victor Frankenstein. Clearly a large influence to the myth of creation the novel endures is aided by the development of electricity. Shelley uses these advances in technology to make her novel appear more realistic and therefore horrifying. She has replaced the heavenly fire of the Prometheus myth with the spark of newly discovered electricity. Although neglected in the novel, Kenneth Branagh’s 1994, film Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein draws parallels with Luigi Galvani (1737 –1798), by featuring his work of discovering a frogs legs could twitch in an electric field. The use of electricity plus the amniotic fluid, which Victor uses in his creation, mixes the idea of science with the mythical origins surrounding the birth of human life. As Mr Waldman presents and influences the work of Victor Frankenstein, the likes of Newton and Galvini coupled with discussions between Mary Shelley, husband Percy and Lord Byron at Lake Geneva in 1816 have indeed influenced Shelley’s role in creating the horror surrounding Frankenstein.

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When considering horror, we must consider what actually evokes the horror. Shelley’s use of language when Victor is developing his “workshop of filthy creation” p.52 is disturbing, although not much graphic content is written, it is more what is not said and left out that is horrific. The theme of control is central to this idea of horror. When considering the horrendous incidents of September the 11th 2001 in American, and the horrific images of planes hitting tower blocks, are response is stomach churning but the real horror is the lack of control, nobody knows when and how the attacks are going to happen and this is similar in Frankenstein. Victor is scared of the monster as he has no control over him and this permeates through to the reader. There is surely an eye opening benefit of being horrified in some aspects. We can test our courage and survival and prepare for the future and in this case we are providing with the dangerous premonitions of playing god.

Due to Mary Shelley’s experiences of death and pregnancy the novel seems to suggest her own mental torments about creation, and the horror of birth and development. Shelley lost most of her children, only one survived. Shelley may be using her novel as a way of voicing her disgust and unhappiness at how childbirth can appear. “I kept my workshop of filthy creation” p.52, may be referring to the womb, the disgust and pain a mother can feel at such unhappiness. The creation seems to depict mothers’ worst fears, being capable to accept and have endless love for a child and not reject in the horrific manner that Victor does. The description of the monster is very much similar to that of a newborn baby. Once again the 1994 film adaptation of the novel depicts the monster’s first steps similarly to that of a newborn Deer, struggling to find his feet, clutching on to his creator for dear life. As the novel reaches horrific climax in Chapter Five, Victor is awoke from a dream to find “one hand was stretched out” p.56, as his creation asks for help, like a child would to a mother. The way in which this interaction takes place is horrific in that a monster-like creature standing beside his bed awakens Victor, but the manner in which Victor rejects his monster is equally horrific. The creation has no motive for death yet and he is surely asking for help and is abandoned less than a few hours after birth. The novel could be read as a version of what occurs when a man plays god and upsets nature. Trying to create a child without woman is not natural and the horrific incidents which follow act as a warning not to mess with the origins of human life.

Depicting the development of the creation, it could be argued Shelley uses this to describe her horror of society. The creation learns through time and experience to distinguish the various sensations a child develops. He learns to gather food through his observations of the De Lacey family and learns speech and education through reading such relevant books as Milton’s, Paradise Lost. It is through creation’s reception from society that horror is created and he decides, “Evil thenceforth became my good” p.212. The injustices of several of the deaths in the novel coupled with the corruption of the church are horrifying. It is surely the materialistic views of society and the social climate that turn the creation into the monster. Similarly to the way a child develops ideals surrounding horror and what is horrific from the world around itself, the monster being born good, learns to be bad from society and rejection. Although Shelley era was a scientifically exciting time Frankenstein is distinctly related to the revolutionary period of 1780 to 1830 or the period of the first industrial revolution. It is out of this social climate that the Gothic novel grew: a developing fearful genre for a developing fearful time.

In Chapter Five the novel hits its shocking climax with the monster coming to life. In what could be considered the horrific climax of the novel Victor realises the reality of his dream. Shelley creates a tense morbid atmosphere with words such as “dreary” p.55, “lifeless” p.55 and “agony” p.55. The candle being “nearly burnt out” p.55 possibly signifying Victor’s life which will never shine brightly again as death is inevitable. The symbolic “rain pattering dismally”, p.5, is washing away Victors hopes and dreams of success. Shelley’s use of words such as “luxuriances”, p.55, “lustrous”, p.55 and “pearly”, p.55 when describing the parts which made up the monster are effective when used in conjunction with contrasting words such as “shrivelled complexion” p.55 and “straight black lips” p.55 as they covey how all the elements may be right but put together they cause disaster and in this case great horror. Victor then turns to sleep and dreams to escape the monster but instead is thrown into another nightmare. The dream that follows is out of Victors control and is a signifier of how Victor has lost control of his creation. The dream conveys Elizabeth turning into the corpse of Victors dead mother and provides a prediction for the future death of Victors loved ones. As Victor is awoken and “every limb became convulsed” p.66 parallels can be drawn between Victor and his creation who at birth had a “convulsive motion agitated its limbs” p.55. There is the thrill that goes with the sudden shock and prolonged anxiety we experience when we read this chapter. The imagery and atmosphere in this chapter is so strong but why do we read on? Shelley appears to have some bizarre control of playing with our fears.

There is no doubt that through Shelley’s language and tone she has the ability to create an atmosphere of terror evoking horrific imagery. Through examining the methods and effectiveness of creating horror in the novel I have concluded the most horrifying words of the novel are in the final chapter of the novel.

Farewell, Walton! Seek happiness in tranquillity and avoid ambition, even if it be only the apparently innocent one of distinguishing yourself in science and discoveries. Yet why do I say this? I have myself been blasted in these hopes, yet another may succeed.p.210.

We could be tricked into thinking Victor has learnt his lesson giving us a reliable moral conclusion, but similarly to the way the monster plucks out Elizabeth heart, Shelley through Victor snatches our hopes away wishing “another may succeed” p.210, fighting his quest and the horror will continue. Mary Shelley seems almost psychic, predicting recent debates surrounding human cloning and genetically modified goods, so called ‘Frankenstein foods’. This cautionary tale is very much rooted in its gothic nature in the nineteenth century although it is thoroughly applicable to the twenty first century. Mary Shelley’s novel is horrific in its bloody images of vaults and charnel houses but its real horror is in the depiction of man as a self-centred ambitious creature who can take life into his own hands.

Shelley, Mary, Frankenstein, (Penguin Group: Penguin Books, 1818; repr 1994), p. 5. Subsequent references are to this edition and are given parentheses immediately following the reference.