The novel’s narrative structure is set out…
Walton → Frankenstein → The Monster → Frankenstein → Walton.
This allows the monster to be in the centre of the novel, which is important and emphasises his story that is 6 long chapters. Also the layout is symmetrical, going back to where it started.
Mary Shelley was part of the Romantic Movement and she shows through the ideas of this in the novel. This was the concern that scientists were too busy pursuing their own goals to stop and see the beauty of nature. Chapter 5 shows the creation of Frankenstein’s monster. A classic gothic horror scene is set for this to take place, a dark November eve with rain pounding on the windows. Up until this point in the novel Frankenstein has been keen on the creation of new life but as soon as life is breathed into his monster his opinions change. The creation of the monster is deemed a catastrophe immediately in which Frankenstein instantly regrets ever creating his monster. He finds his monsters appearance revolting and he is horrified. He uses profane language and uses blasphemy such as ‘Great God’. Blasphemy was very strong language in the days in which the novel was written so Frankenstein had a strong reaction to his creation. All of Frankenstein’s negative views on the monster are based purely assumption. Despite the monster not having chance to do anything to justify itself, Frankenstein assumes that because it is hideous it is also evil.
After the creation of his monster, Frankenstein suffers terrible after-effects and has many nightmares. He falls ill for an unknown length of time in which his monster flees. During this time, the monster is forgotten and the sympathy of the readers is shifted onto Frankenstein. The letters from Elizabeth in the following chapters seem irrelevant at the time, and are unusual for letters, telling Frankenstein what he already knows in a lot of detail. This information becomes relevant later in the novel however when William is found dead.
When William is found murdered, Victor knows it was the monster but he doesn’t speak out against it. The monster is shown to be devious and cunning by planting William’s belonging on Justine. Justine is wrongly hung and the readers feel sympathy towards her, while bitterness is shown toward the monster.
In chapter 10, Mary Shelley shifts the narrative onto the monster that allows him to tell his story. This story spans several chapters and being at the centre of the novel, it is a main focal point. The monster is very polite and uses very good vocabulary. Frankenstein is the opposite and they seem to switch roles; Frankenstein becomes more of a monster than the monster. The monster tells his tale and the readers sympathise with this due to his unnecessary suffering. After the monster makes his request for a partner, Frankenstein acts in monstrous rage while the monster remains calm. The monster then asks Frankenstein. Throughout the monsters story, he degrades himself (p111) ‘I was a poor helpless miserable wretch’. At the start of chapter 11 the monster describes all of his new found sensations. He talks of the beauty of nature and things that people take for granted for example the song of a bird (p112) ‘I was delighted when I first discovered that pleasant sound’. He is feeling everything for the first time and is new to the ways of life, good and bad (p112) ‘I felt light, and hunger, and thirst, and darkness’. A lot of these new found feelings and experiences he doesn’t know how to react to. When the monster discovers fire he finds it gives warmth and light, except he doesn’t not realise the negative of fire and he is naïve to the world (p113) ‘I thought, that the same course should produce such opposite affects!’. When the monster leaves the forest he soon experiences his first encounter with humans. He is confused when the farmer flees from him though. Later he found his way to a village, in which he is violently driven from. The monster is learning how to give pain to others and he feels very rejected. The reader feels much sympathy for him because no one will give him a chance.
The monster soon finds a small cottage, home to the DeLacy family. The monster stays in a hut next to the cottage. He finds this luxury compared to what he had before (p116) ‘It was paradise compared to the bleak forest’. He takes delight in the family and the smaller things like how beautiful the woman is.
In chapter 12 he wants to join the family (p117) ‘I longed to join them, but dared not’. The monster sees they can also be unhappy and learns of their life and hears Safie’s story. The reader feels sympathetic towards the family because of their loss and mistreatment. Once the monster realises their food shortages and lack of money, he stops taking their food and reverts back to eating berries and nuts (p120) ‘I satisfied myself with berries and nuts’ this shows it is unselfish. The monster helps the family out as much as he can by collecting firewood. It is unconditionally helping the Delacy family, in return for all this he is cast away by them. The monster feels more rejected than ever, after learning their language from books he found he thought they could be friends. This coupled with the monster seeing its own reflection makes it hate itself. The monster got on well with the old man who was blind, but it was only when the rest of the DeLacy family saw him that he was cast out, people still made assumptions on his looks.
When the story reverts back to Walton Frankenstein asks Walton to promise him he will stop Frankenstein. Once the monster finds the Frankenstein is dead he proclaims that he never wanted to hurt him and that he just wanted him to feel his pain. The readers feel sympathy for both Frankenstein and his monster at the end as the monster casts itself into the sea. The monster was misunderstood throughout the novel and if people had just accepted him and given him a chance, it would have saved everyone from suffering.
