Gothic Elements: Frankenstein The Modern Prometheus

Remote Locations

the Arctic Sea surrounded by ice

Chapter 19

the Orkney Islands that had no inhabitants and was completed isolated with just Victor who was there to complete his construction of the next monster

on the very peak of a mountain very far away from any sort of human civialization

Letter 4

The Arctic Sea

Torture Chambers + Dungeons

Victor suffers imprisonment for 2 months as he is accused of the death of his best friend, Henry Clerval

Justine was imprisoned in a gloomy, dark and obscure jail cell

seen as a dungeon as she was locked up

Enigmatic Figures With Supernatural Powers

Assumptions about the monster based on the ideas provided by the author

because the monster was created from some form of electricity, the monster may be resistant to electrical attacks

As they are formed from dead beings, they lack most of the weaknesses of living beings, including need for sustenance or rest, pain, etc

superhuman speed and superhuman power/strength

the monster itself is made up of deceased parts and created through an artifical means, which means that it is basically impossible for the monster to age

giving it the power to be immortal - it will never ever die or age beyond its composition at the time it was created

Immortality

Chapter 14

the monster has the ability to learn and understand a brand new language, lifestyle and socitey structure so fast

proving that he is exceptionally intelligent and knowledgeable

the monster in the novel is shown to be extremely powerful as his figure is so large

in this chapter it is shown as he by himself cuts up wood to give to the De Lacey family in the woods

The monster approached Victor with a lot of speed

Wild Landscapes

Water and Lakes

this landscape represnts new beginnings and thoughts of starting over

Victor was seen in roaming through the lakes when he was thinking about the deaths of Justine and William as if he were washing away the sins that he had done

Geography-island

represents a major theme of isolation and this is where he creates the monster (the central area that can be seen where his obsessions of science have taken over his life)

the occurrence of lightning and a storm always occur when both the main characters, Victor and the monster confront one another

Chapter 24

The Arctic Sea is completed surrounded by ice

Storm is so strong that it has the ability to push Victor to Ireland

Chapter 10

mountain top

mountains also represent isolation

At the very peak of the glaciers with a storm fast approaching

Robert Walton found Victor Frankenstein in the Northern Arctic

Mysterious Creatures

the possible spirits of Victor's friends and family who have passed as a result of the monsters actions

this chapter consists of the work of Victor Frankenstein that comes alive - when the monster comes to life

described in the novel as a 8-foot-tall, hideously ugly creation, with translucent yellowish skin pulled so taut over the body

Hidden Rooms + Ruined Castles

there were castles seen on the Rhine River

Chapter 12

the hovel where the monster resides without anyone knowing

the secret laboratory that belongs to Victor and where all the work that he does in there is kept in secrecy

Genre of Science-Fiction + Scientific Tone

Science-Fiction

protagonist and all his activities in the holistic plot structure of the novel moves around the scientific subject matter together with its consequences

scientific ambition of the protagonist

monster is itself a scientific investigation of the protagonist

thoughtless development of modern science shown in the novel

Shelley shows the dangerous aspects of modern scientific world

protagonist Victor Frankenstein is a scientist and driven by ambition of scientific curiosity

Scientific Tone Elements

the monster and Victor always find one another with the connection of weather

revenge on the monster

castles seen on Rhine River

ancient, gloomy, mysterious

the idea of glorify the desire to push the boundaries of knowledge and possibility in the science world is heavily highlighted in the novel

works extremely hard towards creating the monster and continues collecting deceased parts of others to make up the monster

goes to university to only to study the world of science

the summer storm that strikes with lightning gets Victor interested and thinking about the application of electricity and connection to science

Death

Letters At The End

The main characters both die at the ending, both die in very different ways and under separate circumstances

Victor Frankenstein

he dies onyl because of natural causes

he dies as he suffers from pneumonia, which he gets as he travels across the icy wastes of the Arctic to escape his hideous creation

The Monster

the creature declared that he would kill himself soon

the monster dies by committing suicide, this is done when he jumps off the ship dies

Alphonse dies from the suffering grief after he finds out about his beloved daughters death

Elizabeth suffers a very disturbing and grotesque death

"Everywhere I turn I see the same figureher bloodless arms and relaxed form flung by the murderer on its bridal bier."

the description of how her body looked or a description of the scene makes the event more gothic and dark as it sets a fear in the readers mind reading it (also sets sad and scary mood)

there is a mark on her neck when she is found

this chapter the reader is revealed the death of Henry Clerval

the death is caused at the hands of the monster, but the accusation ultimately goes to Victor

Victor kills and destroys the half constructed mate that he had begun for the monster that is already alive

in a fit of anger and enragement he quickly destroys it and tells the monster he will not continue

Chapter 8

Justine dies after being accused of William;s murder and put on trial

she is put at trial, which at she calls herself guilty and hung the following day

in this chapter the audience is informed about the death of Frankenstein's darling and youngest member, William Frankenstein

Justine was then accused of committing this murder

Victor's youngest brother was murdered by the monster once he discovered that this young boy was associated with the Frankenstein family (family of his creator)

Victor's mother, Caroline Beaufort's death occurs due to the scarlet fever she had gotten ill with

death was caused of natural occurrences

Unnatural Acts of Nature

there are 2 types of unnatural acts of nature that we are presented throughout the novel that impact the gothic side to this novel

storm

"The wind, which had fallen in the south, now rose with great violence in the west. The moon had reached her summit in the heavens and was beginning to descend; the clouds swept across it swifter than the flight of the vulture and dimmed her rays, while the lake reflected the scene of the busy heavens, rendered still busier by the restless waves that were beginning to rise. Suddenly a heavy storm of rain descended."

storms are always coming in the story when something bad or evil is approaching a character or affecting the plot of the story

storms are an element that we know to represent harbingers of evil, and present both a mirrored image of the inner self of the main character

it emphasizes internal fears and approaching conflict

lightning

lightning is a clear representation of destruction as when lightning strikes the surface of the Earth it bring upon damage

Victor creates this monster basically out of what has already been destroyed, messing up the natural order of things

this is reflected in the book whenever the monster and the protagonist, Victor make an encounter

Dark, Gothic Setting

when the chain of events happen starting from Elizabeth's death caused by the monster as he strangles her, there is a storm appraching

its almost as if the storm approaching is telling the reader that there is something bad going to happen, which is the case

Chapter 21

Setting takes place in Ireland that the author shows to have dark skies and storms during the event of Victor being accused of a murder he did not commit (Henry Clerval's murder)

Chapter 20

Orkney Islands is where the female monster's construction by Victor took place

this location is known to be very foggy and mysterious

most of the places in this setting don't have any inhabitants proving further highlighting gothic element of isolation and dark setting

Victor sets to sail at 2:00 in the morning where the sky is still dark and gloomy

Chapter 16

William is murdered at the hands of the monster in the night time

the setting he is killed in can be seen as gothic as it was dark and in the middle of the forest

Chapter 7

Victors return to Geneva, his travel is described as dark and with lightning

"I quitted my seat, and walked on, although the darkness and storm increased every minute, and the thunder burst with a terrific crash over my head."

foreshadowing the horrors he will face with the monster that's been created

Chapter 5

"It was on a dreary night of November, that I beheld the accomplishment of my toils. With an anxiety that almost amounted to agony, I collected the instruments of life around me, that I might infuse a spark of being into the lifeless thing that lay at my feet. It was already one in the morning; the rain pattered dismally against the panes, and my candle was nearly burnt out, when.."

this quote from chapter 5 helps the readers mind paint out a picture of the gloomy setting that is used to establish a dark setting and mood

Chapter 4

Chapter 2

Victor experiences a summer thunderstorm that sparks his mind about the wonders of electrcity and the realtions to science

this storm kind of is what starts the whole notion of the science related behind the creation of the monster

the author uses this element throughout the novel to create an air of suspense and to make the atmosphere of where the characters are playing out the plot to appear more mysterious and engaging to the audience

Women In Distress

Chapter 23

the event of Elizabeth's death

Chapter 13

this idea of woman in distress occurs when Safie decided to run away with Felix

Chapter 9

Elizabeth is completly broken after losing a very dear friend who was basically a sister figure in her life

the death of Justine brought a lot of sadness into Elizabeth's life