In the gothic genre most of the characters ate isolated and lonely, and in the novel of “Frankenstein” the main characters are all both solitary and isolated protagonists. Frankenstein had all of his greatest loves and people who he cares about are murdered by his creation, which in its self is ironic. Even before his friends and family are taken away from him, he is lonesome because in guarding his secret he is pushing others away from him for fear that they would be discussed with him, due to the advancements in medicine at the time, people were sceptical of chances. We can see this in the novel with Frankenstein’s professor, he died because ordinary people had very little knowledge of medical that could be provided and what good it would do them, and when trying to give someone a injection to benefit there health, he unfortunately didn’t see it like that and stabbed the professor, who died as direct result. The monster we can see is remote and friendless because he is so detestable, ugly and abhorrent, people attack him when they see him, and his only friends didn’t know that he existed, till they too saw him and attacked him. He explains this to Frankenstein when they meat, “solitude was my only consolation-deep dark, deathlike solitude” Using alliteration to stress the solitude. The third main character that we see is again lonely because she is left behind for years at a time when Frankenstein if off creating his monsters. We feel great sympathy for Elizabeth, who is portrayed as pure, aerial and racial beautiful. “Her hair was the brightest living gold…her face so expressive of sensibility and sweetness” This is where we first hear of Elizabeth, where she stands out from all the other children because she is so innocent and pure. Mary Shelley writes in a feminist slant when Elizabeth is concerned, this could be influence from her mother Mary Woolstonecraft who was a feminist.
As in most gothic genres writings there is a twist, when Frankenstein meats with the monster, the reader expects the monster to be vicious and violent, with Frankenstein composed and collected, however the opposite is true. “ Be gone vile insect! Or rather, stay, that I may trample you to dust” is said by Frankenstein when enraged, but the monster is not shocked by this and stays calm and answers with great intelligence, to the extent that the monster even tries to calm Frankenstein
“Be calm! I entreat you to hear me before you give vent to your hatred on my devoted head” Here we see a total character switch and not something the reader would expect. Leading on from this language also plays a important role as the monster has to learn to read, rite and become intelligent again which is not something you would expect from a typical monster. So communication is important as the monster learns to get across his views to Frankenstein and therefore request a feminine partner. (Needs more)
The setting of “Frankenstein” both starts and ends in the same place, which is typically cold, dark and lonely “stretched our in every direction, vast plains of ice which seemed to have no end”, this ties in well with the gothic genre as well as the romantic period as there are many descriptions of nature and the setting outside. The weather the reader sees has a large impact on the setting and Pathetic fallacy has a large impact on the weather. Whenever the monster comes to clam a victim the weather mirrors the mood and normally the weather takes the form of a fierce storm “Flash of lightning illuminated the object and discovered its shape plainly to me; its gigantic stature, and the deformity of its aspect, more hideous than belongs to humanity, instantly informed me that it was the wretch, the filthy demon to whom had given life.” this is yet another trait of the gothic genre.
The atmosphere in this novel is typical to a large extent of the gothic genre, suspense is built up all over the book. Most of the chapters in the book are left on cliff-hangers making the reader want to know more. Suspense is also greatly built up around the death of Victors friend, Henry Clerval, the reader knows that someone has died but for some time we don’t know who it is. There is also a lot of suspense built up around the fact Frankenstein new there was more suffering to come. “I wondered like an evil spirit, for I had committed deeds of mischief beyond description and more much more was yet behind” This leaves the reader feeling that you want to know what is the much more that he talks about.
I think Mary Shelly’s novel of “Frankenstein” is to a great extent typical of the gothic genre, it has a lot of the techniques used by gothic writers and uses a lot of the affects. However the novel is not totally typical of the gothic era because there is no proper good verses evil, the monster is meant to be evil but we as the reader feel far more sympathy for the monster and less to Frankenstein. Frankenstein is the protagonist and main character so we are typically meant sympathise with him, but the novel looses the gothic edge when we start hearing things from the monsters view and so start to feel sorry for him, and roles switch like they did when the monster and Frankenstein met the reader does not really know who to sympathise with towards the end.
