Frankenstien - Look at the significance of chapter five to the novel as a whole. Focus on the relevance and effect of writers use of language to describe setting, character and what it shows about social and historical influences.

Look at the significance of chapter five to the novel as a whole. Focus on the relevance and effect of writer’s use of language to describe setting, character and what it shows about social and historical influences.

By Charley Richardson 10CAT

Frankenstein was written by Mary Shelley when she was only eighteen years old. It was first published on 1st January 1818 and was a huge success. Using the style of the 'Gothic Novel', Frankenstein was the probably the first science-fiction book ever written. It has become not only a widely read classic, but a very influential novel. Frankenstein has a moral that deals with issues and ethics of medical and scientific advancement and how far humans should go in tampering with nature. The story raises questions as to who should have final power over life and human nature, God or humans.

The novel is written as a narrative, but consists of many layers and deeper meanings. The story is told by Robert Walton, who has written in a letter to his sister what Victor Frankenstein has relayed to him. Although this is the actual narrative, the reader feels as though it is actually Victor Frankenstein who is telling the story.

Mary Shelley wrote the novel for many reasons. As a child, she was exposed to lots of weird, off the wall ideas. Her father William Godwin and his colleagues had experimented Galvanism. (Passing an electric current through the limbs of a dead frog). Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin was born on the 30th of august 1797. Mary Shelley’s mother, Mary Wollstonecraft, was an author. She wrote ‘A vindication of the rights of women’ a feminist book encouraging women to think and act for themselves. Wollstonecraft died giving birth to Mary, so she had very early experiences of death. Mary Shelley wrote the story during a trip to Switzerland in 1816. She went it was a wet summer and they had to stay in a lot. It was written after a visit to Lord Byron's residence where she was challenged to write a ghost story. Shortly after this Shelley had a dream in which a 'hideous corpse' came to her bedside. She wanted people to feel the same fear with which she had in this dream and so she made 'Frankenstein'.

It shocked people that she wrote this story because at the time there weren't many women writers around and it was unusual to find a woman writing a book. Also you would find very few horror stories around during this century so at the time it was one of the most horrific books around.

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Chapter 5 starts with 'It was on a dreary night of November', the word dreary means very miserable and dull, and this could be referred to Gothicism. Mary Shelley opened the chapter like this because it sets the mood for what is going to happen throughout the chapter and also gives the reader a hint of what to expect. 'With an agony that almost amounted to agony,' Mary Shelly uses alliteration here, to give an effect on the reader. Mary Shelly uses word like; 'anxiety,' and 'amounted to agony.' These also are gothic references because they are building up sadness and emphasize Frankenstein's stress and worry. 'The rain pattered dismally,' the word dismally means gloomy or melancholy, these are negative word associated with gothic genre. 'The candle was nearly burnt out,' Mary Shelley uses this sentence because it symbolizes Gothicism, she also uses this sentence because when a candle burns out there is no light and when there is no light darkness takes over causing stress and panic'. In chapter 5, is Frankenstein’s reaction to the ‘creation’. Shelley conveys Frankenstein’s horror at the creature he has brought to life and his reaction to it. ‘How can I describe my emotions at this catastrophe, or how delineate the wretch whom with such infinite pains and care I had endeavoured to form?’ This quote shows how Frankenstein is amazed that although he worked so hard to create a being, it has ended badly. ...The beauty of the dream had vanished and breathless horror, and disgust filled my heart.” Chapter 5, page 56. Frankenstein therefore has reacted with horror at his creation. Rather that creating a superior healthier human, he ended up creating a monster. In the few moments after the creature has been brought to life, Frankenstein realizes that he has been deluding himself; he did recognise that the creation was not as beautiful as he wished it to be whilst he was putting the body parts together. However, once life was instilled in his creation he realised that it was truly ugly. "How can I describe my emotions at this catastrophe, or how delineate the wretch whom with such infinite pains and care I had endeavored to form?" His most immediate response is running away from the creature. He escapes to his bedroom where he has a dream. Here his subconscious mind responds to the horrors of the sight he has just witnessed. The body of Elizabeth turning into his mother's rotting corpse is interpreted in various ways. It may show guilt at neglecting his family for so long; it may also represent guilt at going into charnel houses and graveyards.

The major theme in Frankenstein is the great emphasis placed on appearance and acceptance in society. In modern society as well as in the society of Frankenstein, people judge people just on their appearance. Social prejudice is often based on looks, whether it is the colour of someone's skin, the clothes that someone wears or even the way a person carries them self. People make instant judgments based on these social prejudices.

The main reason that Chapter Five is so crucial to the book “Frankenstein” is because this is the chapter in which the monster is brought to life. In this chapter, after being created, the monster is rejected by Victor, who then goes to bed and dreams of Elizabeth, whom turns onto his dead mother when he kisses her. Victor then leaves the apartment and walks the streets of Ingolstadt to clear his head “I continued walking…to ease the load that weighed upon my mind”. When he eventually returns to the apartment he is uneasy about what he might find in his residence “my heart...sickened in fear” but he is relieved to find that the monster has departed. This influences the rest of the novel because the monster leaving leads to many deaths, e.g. Justine Moritz, William Frankenstein, Elizabeth and Henry Clerval. The monster will also take revenge as well as love from Victor Frankenstein. When the monster asks for a friend and Victor refuses the monster vows to have revenge, and murders Elizabeth. Victor then recreates Elizabeth, but she is then made to choose who to love, Victor or Frankenstein’s monster.

Chapter Five tells you a lot about Victor Frankenstein’s character. He shows his anxiety and concern when he says “How can I describe my emotions at this catastrophe” (Paragraph 2). By exclaiming the monster as “a wretch” you can recognise his disgust and hatred of the creature. When Frankenstein returned to his apartment you could sense his fear from when he said “I dare not return to the apartment” in paragraph six, and you can feel his exhaustion when he says “I nearly felt the bitterness of disappointment” in paragraph 4. “I nearly sank to the ground through langer and extreme weakness” paragraph five shows that Victor was exhausted and worn – out. Victor is repulsed by the monster because it’s so unattractive, (white teeth and black hair but then on contrast watery eyes and black lips.) Chapter 5 shows that Victor has been doing arduous work to create the monster and turned a blind eye to the fact that he has been creating an ugly creature the whole time.

In Chapter 5, Mary Shelley uses language about the weather to develop the atmosphere. When Victor says “dreary night of November” in paragraph 1 we automatically think of the weather to be dull. You can also tell that it is raining from “rain pattered dismally”. When Victor Frankenstein’s “candle was nearly burnt out” we find out that it is obviously gloomy. “By the dim and yellow night of the moon, I beheld the wretch”, so the moon is obviously out that night and is causing half light shadows “by the glimmer of the half-distinguished light”. So the scene at the start of this chapter is a dull night, raining and the moon was half out, or behind a cloud.

Chapter 5 links in with the themes of the novel very well. Chapter 5 shows emotions of regret, the need for love or belonging, the responsibility of a parent and society judging by appearances. Chapter 7 is William’s death and Victors regret of creating the monster. In chapter 15 the monster gets rejected by the family, and shows his need for love. It also shows that society does judge by appearance because he thought they were a nice family but they actually weren’t. Chapter 16 shows the monster’s desire for a mate, and again the need for love or to feel like he belonged somewhere. Chapter 23 is Elizabeth’s death which shows Victors regret for creating the monster. In chapter 25 the monster commits suicide and the role of parental responsibility! It also shows the need for love.

Studying this chapter has given me a better understanding of 19th century prose by showing how Mary Shelley uses it to explore the themes of regret, the need for love, and to belong, and of parental responsibility. She also uses it to show more about the character e.g. Victor Frankenstein, and the changing of the atmosphere of the settings.

Charley Richardson