Frankenstein has been described as a 'novel of the Gothic genre' do you feel this adequately describes the novel?

Frankenstein does correspond with the many conventions of the Gothic genre however the traditional term 'Gothic novel' does not adequately describe this text. This essay will explore the many underlying themes and ideas of Frankenstein that make it more than simply, just a 'Gothic novel'. Frankenstein was written by Shelley at the age of 18 in 1818, a period when the Gothic genre was fully established. The term Gothic is usually associated with things that can be described as 'medieval' or 'uncouth'. Some traditional Gothic novels that comply to these descriptions are: 'The Monk', 'The Mysteries of Uldolpho' and ' The Castle of Otranto.' Standard Gothic novels are also very melodramatic with their tone and follow certain generic conventions of the Gothic genre and themes such as: the supernatural, the pursued protagonist, distressed heroine, fallen hero etc. The traditional Gothic genre novel does not venture beyond these conventions.

Knowledge and education are major themes in Frankenstein, all the main characters seem to have a thirst for knowledge. The novel starts with Walton writing letters to his sister;' I shall satiate my ardent curiosity with the sight of a part of the world never visited, and may tread a land never before imprinted by the foot of man.' Walton's passion for venturing into the unknown and learning presents the idea that exploring is thrilling, therefore setting the tone for the rest of the novel. Victor has a craving for knowledge; 'From this day natural philosophy, and particularly chemistry...became nearly my sole occupation.' This suggests that Victor has a dedication to learning, he is always questioning and his ambition to take ideas further is extremely risky. Victors obsession with knowledge can be linked to the theme of light and fire; '... my imagination was too much exalted by my first success to permit me to doubt of my ability to give life.... It was with these feelings that I began the creation of a human being.' This expresses the idea that knowledge can be compared to light and excitement, however Victor takes the excessive power he gains too far, creating something hostile and dangerous which is associated with fire. Victor's character highlights the fact that Frankenstein is more than a simple Gothic genre novel; his level of intellect and passion for learning leading to such misery is not typically explored in traditional Gothic novels. Furthermore, in the 1800s British society was still under heavy influence of religion and morals which was reflected in the characters in Gothic novels. Therefore, it is unusual for any of the characters to express enthusiasm for knowledge rather than for their religion.

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Victor introduces a conflict between science and religion as he decides to create and design the monster; 'A new species would bless me as its creator and source... No father could claim the gratitude of his child so completely as I should deserve theirs.' This conveys the idea that Victor is playing God as he attempts to create life using scientific knowledge. The theme of science is not often found in Gothic novels, however the idea of the supernatural found in Gothic novels can be related to the mystery of how exactly the monster was created as there are no scientific details. Victor creates the monster in a laboratory with conditions that can be compared to other Gothic style architecture of the time, such as castles, abbeys and mansions. The laboratory is isolated, the conditions are dirty and the area seems mysterious to the reader 'In a solitary chamber, or rather cell, at the top of the house, and separated from all the other apartments by a gallery and staircase. I kept my workshop of filthy condition...' The setting is commonly used to create emotions of terror, here the laboratory creates feelings of horror and illustrates the isolation usually found in gothic novels in a less traditional manner; Victor describing it as a 'solitary chamber, or rather cell' gives the impression of the unpleasant conditions that are associated with Gothic genre novels. Although the creation of the monster was magnificent in theory Victor realises the extent of his actions and is left in horror of his creation; 'Great God!...His yellow skin scarcely covered the work of muscles and arteries beneath; his hair was of a lustrous black...' This description uses verbose language which was typical of the Romantic Movement when people started looking for meaning and beauty in everything. It uses detailed complex and compound sentences which contrasts to the very blunt tone that is distinctive of Gothic genre novels. The sublime is used to reveal the monstrosity of Victor's creation; '... I had selected his features as beautiful. Beautiful!... these luxuriances only formed more horrid contrast with his watery eyes.' Although the nature of the creation is an astonishing achievement it is now causing intense disgust. Mysterious sublime is used in 'The Mysteries of Udolpho': 'whose summits veiled in clouds.. were sometimes barren, and gleamed through the blue tinge of air.' The sublime was used during the Romantic Movement and Enlightenment and is commonly found in Gothic novels.

Another apparent theme throughout the novel is the monstrosity of the characters, this is a common theme in Gothic genre novels, Victor is presented with a monstrous character; 'I had desired it with ardour that far exceeded moderation; but now that I had finished, the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart.' Victor creates a ghastly monster and soon after shows his true monstrous character as he abandons it. He is constantly fleeing; 'Unable the endure the aspect of the being I had created, I rushed out of the room...I threw myself onto the bed in my clothes, endeavouring to seek a few moments of forgetfulness.' Victor runs away to remote areas to be ill and weary of his creation, this isolation of Victor creates an isolation of the reader. This is commonly used in novels of the Gothic genre as reading about places away from reality makes everything more intense and mysterious. Bertrand Evans points out that the hero in the Gothic novel is consistently weaker than the antagonist and usually flees from it rather than defeating it. This shows that Frankenstein is comparable to other Gothic novels of the time; however the villain is not usually created by the hero as Victor created the monster. The secrecy of his actions and the guilt he feels and enhances the his monstrous and shameful behaviour. This presentation of monstrosity in Victor, the hero of the novel is not distinctive of traditional Gothic novels Victor is used to present the theme of prejudice that runs throughout the novel, therefore enhancing his monstrosity. When he sees his creation come to life he says 'I beheld the wretch- the miserable monster whom I had created... he might have spoken but I did not hear; one hand was stretched out, seemingly to detain me, but I escaped...' This demonstrates prejudice in the novel as Victor has initial perceptions of the monster and automatically feels threatened based on its ghastly appearance, as the monster may have been innocently reaching out for guidance from his creator. This presents Frankenstein as more than a Gothic novel as prejudice would not often be explored as they are written mainly to scare the reader. Victor decides to take monstrous revenge as members of his family are killed by the monster: 'I will preserve my life: to execute this dear revenge... Let the cursed and hellish monster drink deep of agony; let him feel the despair that now torments me.' This highlights ideas of murder and abortion that could be linked to the loss of Shelley's baby showing that there are more underlying themes than typical Gothic novels.

The monster, who is supposedly the villain of the novel, is portrayed as a victim, his viewpoint is placed in the centre of the novel's circular narrative structure making it seem more significant. The theme of nature versus nurture is used as the monster learns about his surroundings and discovers that society see him as a vulgar monster. The monster learns solely through theorems and observations of the family. The monster finds 'a leathern portmanteau, containing several articles of dress and some books...they consisted of Paradise Lost, a volume of Plutarch's Lives and the Sorrows of Werter'. The books the monster reads are from highly regarded works of literature and would influence him, giving him a broader knowledge of issues in society. Shelley would have read these books as she was growing up so the monster could be a metaphor for herself and her feelings as she matured, which would explain why she does not give it solely evil intentions on destruction. This emphasises that Frankenstein is not just a Gothic novel as the monster would only be presented as a villain causing immense devastation and grief. The more he reads the more he recognises his situation and feels neglected by society; 'I applied much personally to my own feelings and condition... I sympathised with, and partly understood them...' The use of the monsters perspective presented in an innocent manner creates sympathy as he is given a chance to express himself. This stresses the fact that the monster isn't just a cruel creature with no emotions, which is in contrast with the characteristics of the monsters found in conventional Gothic genre novels. The monster becomes philosophical and starts to question his reason for living; 'My person was hideous, my stature gigantic. What did this mean? Who was I? What was I?' This creates sympathy for the monster as after this self-education he is left feeling isolated and vulnerable. This harmful knowledge directly influences his actions as he feels unwanted by society and offers some sort of explanation for his brutal behaviour. This proves that Frankenstein is more than a Gothic novel as this opportunity that the supposed villain has to present its perspective would not be found in a traditional Gothic novel. The monster rebels against society and his creator for being so hideous by killing Victor's family; 'If I returned, it was to be sacrificed, or to see those whom I most loved die under the grasp of a daemon whom I had myself created.' Shelley's mother died as a result of her birth; she could be conveying the idea that the creator is punished by the created. This shows that this novel has many underlying themes of Shelley's life to be explored unlike a Gothic genre novel.

The passivity of women is a motif used throughout Frankenstein and is used to convey many themes of Shelley's life. The monster asking for a woman symbolises the need for women in society, even though they were overlooked in the 18th century. Victors reaction to the monsters request for a women presents opinions of women in society at the time; 'I was alike ignorant, she might become ten thousand times more malignant than her mate...had I right for my own benefit to inflict this curse upon everlasting generations...' Using morals when talking about women suggests that there should be a proper way for women to behave and a respectable way for them to be created. This also depicts that woman are very strong willed; Victor is worried that it will be 'more malignant' in the ruin of society and the human race. Shelley is implying that women should be seen as powerful rather than passive in society, possibly because her parents were feminists. This differs from the traditional Gothic novels as the writer would not introduce personal views on society. Justine is used to create the idea of passive women in the novel; she confesses to a murder that she did not commit: 'I must be condemned although I would pledge my salvation on my innocence... I did confess; but I confessed a lie.' This conveys the motif of passive women as she is being completely selfless. The motif of passive women was a characteristic of 18th century Gothic novels, such as, 'Castle of Otranto’ where woman are portrayed as very submissive and calm. However, in Frankenstein, Justine also illustrates women as very strong and courageous as she says 'I do not fear to die...God raises my weakness and gives me courage to endure the worst. I leave a sad and bitter world.' This shows that she is a very dedicated and strong willed woman as she could tell the truth but she doesn't, she just accepts her consequent death. Shelley exaggerates the passivity of women in her novel; she seems to be making a point that women are being treated badly in society, as the men (Victor and the monster) are obviously more destructive in the novel, proving that it is not a simple Gothic novel. As women were generally overlooked, Shelley may have had to use some of the Gothic genre conventions in her text in order for it to be accepted by society but she has obviously adapted the gothic novel to suit her style by using underlying complex themes and ideas.

The description of Frankenstein as a 'novel of the Gothic genre' does not do this text justice. The purpose of this text is to make the reader aware of the many crucial issues of society at the time whilst maintaining the look of a Gothic novel, it holds greater meaning than a story written to only chill and scare the reader. In the publisher's introduction it says: 'Frankenstein is not a simple battle between good and evil; it is not a ghost story, nor really a gothic novel. It defies a single interpretation, engaging instead with some of the crucial social and public questions of the period.' Frankenstein is more than just a gothic novel as although it's fulfilling many of the gothic conventions it pushes the boundaries by raising some of the key themes of Shelley's life and exploring the moral and social issues of the time.

Peer Reviews

Here's what a star student thought of this essay

groat

9th of Apr 2012

Quality of writing

I feel through arguing against the question, there is a lack of structure in the essay. There is no counter argument other than the text is more than a gothic text, so it's hard to collect ideas. If the essay agreed with the quote, then paragraphs looking at individual concepts of gothic would suffice. Here, they have looked at themes, and I feel there is a lack of coherence because of it. The paragraphs are well signposted, but I just feel there is a slight loss of focus on the question. This essay just seems to be a collection of themes and analysis, which is good if brought together to form an argument. I liked how this essay had a strong critical voice, and this is rare from a GCSE student. Being able to craft an argument needs to be worked upon, however.

Level of analysis

The analysis here is good. There is a strong knowledge of the novel here, and this is evident through the large number of quotes used. Language is sometimes analysed well, looking at the connotations and effects of Shelley's writing. For example "Victor describing it as a 'solitary chamber, or rather cell' gives the impression of the unpleasant conditions" shows the ability to do this. I would've liked to have seen this sort of analysis with more quotes, as this essay tends to retell the story rather than analyse. Examiners don't want to see a simple narration of the plot, as this doesn't show any analytical ability. I would've liked to have seen this essay write about Shelley's constructions, rather than saying things happen. "Victor introduces a conflict between science and religion" is an obvious example of this. You shouldn't be writing as if the characters are real or making decision, as it only inhibits your ability to discuss why Shelley chooses to construct her novel in this way. It is evident here, as this essay tends to explain what quotes mean, rather than look at how the techniques shape meanings, and beyond that shape the genre of gothic. I was slightly confused how this essay was arguing it isn't a gothic novel when so often they say "this is commonly used in novels of the Gothic genre". I particularly liked the use of critical interpretations here, as these are looked strongly upon at A-Level, let alone GCSE. Strengthening an argument with interpretations such as "Bertrand Evans points out that the hero in the Gothic novel is consistently weaker than the antagonist" will gain credit.

Response to question

This essay engages well with the task, and I liked how they weren't afraid to take argument with the question and disagree with the quote. I've read many examiners reports and so often do they say that the best candidates decide to disagree with the question, as their argument isn't forced and is always focused on the task, rather than trying to superimpose an essay they've practiced before. However, I do feel some of the discussions here are a bit basic. For example, arguing that the gothic genre is restricted to its conventions is naive, and to argue that Frankenstein isn't a gothic story as it's more than a ghost story is poor. This is a difficult task, and gothic is an area which is further explored at A-Level, but I still believe at GCSE there should be some awareness that a gothic text must not tick all the boxes. It is worrying how there is a focus on the word 'simply' yet there is no evidence that this was in the quote. Be careful that you don't answer a question that's not there!

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