In this passage of Mary Shelleys Frankenstein, we uncover a more developed realization of Victor Frankensteins character as he encounters the devastating passing of his mother.

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ENG 3U7 – BB

The Life and Death of Frankenstein:

A Commentary on Binary Elements Through Study of Rhetorical Schemes

In this passage of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, we uncover a more developed realization of Victor Frankenstein’s character as he encounters the devastating passing of his mother. In this pivotal event of the novel, Shelley fully exploits its deep and moving subject by emphasizing the binary that exists throughout the book – life and death. This contrast is especially elevated through the usage of rhetorical schemes such as imagery, personification and more specific elements such as epistrophe, periphrasis and metaphor. These devices are sewn within the prose to highlight the emotional and literary integrity of this passage. Through this use of literary devices, Shelley effectively brings forth the concept of life and death that acts as an undertone in the development of Frankenstein’s monster through characters like Victor Frankenstein’s mother and Elizabeth.  

Within this passage, Shelley employs imagery to enhance the descriptions and assertions of life and death, calling death “the most irreparable evil … the void that presents itself to the soul.” (Shelley 24) Through Victor Frankenstein’s character, death is accused to “take the brightness of a beloved eye … extinguished,” suggesting that life before one’s death is comparable to a fire being put out. This traumatic antithesis is immediately coupled with a glowing testimonial of Elizabeth, who had “recalled the sunshine of her smiles” (Shelley 24) to act the comforter. The immediate change between words such as “extinguished,” “void” and “evil” are rivaled with gleaming ones such as “sunshine,” “smiles” and “comfort” which further emphasizes the polarity of life and death. In personifying these opposites in characters such as Frankenstein’s mother and Elizabeth, they are presented in a closer way. The reader’s senses are heightened and these elements are further accentuated.

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These themes continue to develop as Mary Shelley uses personification to further perpetuate the themes of life and death, enabling a more dynamic reception of these themes in the reader. For example, in describing the passing of his mother, Victor Frankenstein says “the sound of a voice so familiar and dear to the ear can be hushed, never more to be heard” (Shelley 24) which corroborates with other phrases found in the text, such as that alluding to death extinguishing one’s life. The reader feels the vacancy associated with these emotions, fully understanding the author’s intention to provoke feelings ...

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