Language, form and structure in Frankenstein

Romanticism was an arts movement which occured in the late 18th and early 19th century. They were concerned with:

• The power of nature- There are many storms in the book and electricty brings The Monster to life. There is a theme of conflict between the power of nature and man.
• Wild and rugged landscapes- some of the settings in the novel include The Swiss Alps, the Orkney Islands and The Arctic
• Intense feelings- Victor and The Monster are döppelgangers of each other, they both feel isolation and extremes of emotion
• The 'Isolated Romantic Hero'- The Monster is rejected by society
• Social responsibilty and justice- A key theme in the novel

Gothic fiction can be seen as the more sinister sister of Romanticism. The tone of Frankenstein is undoubtedly gothic. 

• The settings- Dimly lit laboratories, graveyards at night and hostile foreign landscapes 
• The weather- Thunderstorms, driving rain and icy blizzards. Pathetic fallacy is featured throughout.
• 'Damsels in distress'- Caroline Frankenstein dies of a fatal illness, Elizabeth is murdered, and Safie (a guest of the De Lacey's) is victimised
• Extreme emotions- Both The Monster and Victor vow revenge
• The Monster- Horrific to look at, a murderer, and made of corpses

Shelley writes in an 'embedded narrative' in Frankenstein- the novel is framed by Walton's letters to his sister, then moves onto the main narrative which is Victor's story, and contained is the Monster's story of survival and how he learns from the De Laceys.

Why does Mary Shelley write in this structure?

• To lead the reader gradually to the central ideas of the novel to create a Gothic sense of suspense, and if revealed suddenly, would be dismissed by the reader.
• So the reader is interacted with the novel, like a scientist piecing together evidence to form the truth using the 3 narrative perspectives given. 

The Döppelganger-

Motif of light and fire:

Motif of Prometheus:

• Full title of the novel is 'Frankenstein or The Modern Prometheus'
  • In the ancient myth, Prometheus creates man from clay then steals fire from The Gods to make his creation more godlike. 
• Frankenstein also trespasses on what should be God's role.
• Prometheus was also punished in the same way Victor and The Monster both live lives of torment
• The fact that The Tale of Prometheus is a myth and not a biblical story shows how Victor has strayed away from religious teachings and morals and is instead, following an unrighteous and unspiritual path 
• Mary Shelley's good friend Lord Byron published a poem called 'Prometheus' shortly before she began wok on her novel.
• Her husband Percy Bysshe Shelley later wrote a poem named 'Prometheus Unbound'

Allusion of Paradise Lost:

Allusion of The Rime of the Ancient Mariner:

Mary Shelley uses allusions to...

• Provide a deeper meaning to her texts 
• To connect her writing to the contect of the real world
• To aid the reader in understanding emotions and feelings conveyed

Mary Shelley uses motifs to...

• To reference a specific theme dominating the literary work
• To define the nature of the story and fabric of the piece 
• To make the readers focus on a specific aspect of the story and think of deeper meanings regarding the motif 

Shelley references Dante by saying that The Monster was so horrific 'even Dante could not have conceived it'. 

This links to 'Dante's Inferno', part of Italian poet Dante Alghieri's epic poem Divine Comedy. Dante is led through the '9 circles of Hell' by a fellow poet, Virgil. He writes about the horrors and terrors he sees there, so saying that even 'Dante couldn't have conceived' the horrific monster Victor created emphasises the horror aspect of it. 

Dante says, “…But to that second circle of sad hell, were’ mid the gust, the whirlwind and the flaw of rain and hailstones, lovers need not tell their sorrows”

 Victor says, “the wind, which had fallen in the south, now rose with great violence in the west”

Both use pathetic fallacy to create a dark ambience of emotion