Literary Elements in Frankenstein Essay Example

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is one of the most famous novels ever written during the Gothic era of literature. It consists of familiar topics like alienation, isolation, and obsession. Mary Shelley used elements in the text like natural phenomena, suspense and foreshadowing, and illnesses (mental and physical) that were all commonly used in Gothic literature during the nineteenth century. Victor Frankenstein, one of the main characters in Frankenstein, becomes so engrossed in his creation and the art of defying death that he distances himself from his family, friends, and even his sanity. He had eventually learned that too much knowledge can be dangerous and may even lead to horrific discoveries, but it ends up being too late.

Throughout the novel, there are several mentions of natural phenomena. Seasons, like harsh, icy winters and the rejuvenating elements of spring, play into the characters’ outlooks on life and their moods everywhere in each chapter. When Victor was a young boy, he witnessed a lightning storm which piqued his interest in galvanism, the act of shocking an organism to produce life, and science. With assistance from his role model and professor, Doctor Waldman, Victor pursued these goals during his time at Ingolstadt University. Another example of the use of nature is when Victor is overcome with grief and guilt after William and Justine pass. He finds refuge in the excluded portions of the mountains in Mont Blanc, France. The creature also finds nature to be calming. He narrated, “It surprised me, that what before was desert and gloomy should now bloom with the most beautiful flowers and verdure. My senses were gratified and refreshed by a thousand scents of delight, and a thousand sights of beauty.” (Shelley 204). The sudden change of seasons for the creature was strange but refreshing. It symbolized a point of rebirth and renewal within the novel. 

Another common element used in Gothic literature and Frankenstein is foreshadowing and suspense. Shelley uses storms as a way of foreshadowing the creature’s sudden reappearance. For instance, upon Victor’s arrival to Geneva, he explained, “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.” (Shelley 132). He then saw an illuminated figure, which was presumably Victor’s creation lurking in the dark behind a tree. Another example of foreshadowing is at the beginning of the book. Victor explains his childhood as being normal and seemingly perfect. He had loving parents and a small but close friend circle. Since the reader knows that this novel falls under the Gothic genre, it can be presumed that something, or someone, is going to ruin this pattern. One of the most popular quotes from Frankenstein is when the creature said, “It is well. I go; but remember, I shall be with you on your wedding-night.” (Shelley 292). This is yet another example of foreshadowing. At first, Victor had thought that the creature was going to kill him the night that he elopes, but instead, the creature kills his beloved wife, Elizabeth.

Many Gothic writers, such as Emily Bronte, Edgar Allan Poe, Oscar Wilde, and Mary Shelley, used mental illness and insanity to create the feeling of uneasiness within a novel. As for Victor Frankenstein, the reader can see his mental health slowly deteriorate as a result of his experiment. Henry Clerval, Victor’s friend and confidant, said to him, “‘But, my dear Frankenstein… I did not before remark how very ill you appear, so thin and pale…’” (Shelley 105). As a result of separating himself from the rest of his family, Victor did not realize that he was sacrificing his physical health for his experiment. An example of Victor’s mental illness was, “This state of mind preyed upon my health, which had perhaps never entirely recovered from the first shock it had sustained.” (Shelley 158). Since Victor was ultimately responsible for William’s and Justine’s deaths, the guilt ate him alive at the trial. Throughout the coming chapters, Victor deals with an internal battle of telling the truth about his monster, but being accused of being a madman. 

Gothic literature aims to reinvent the way that readers think about pieces of writing. Common elements that were used throughout Mary Shelley’s books, including Frankenstein, were natural phenomena, foreshadowing and suspense, and illnesses. Victor Frankenstein experiences all three of these elements and the reader can visualize how they impacted him as a character. He could be described as an irate scientist who has no concept of the consequences of his actions. On the other hand, Victor could be portrayed as an innocent man whose love for natural philosophy had gotten the better of him and he simply got carried away. As discussed by the creature, “It is true, we shall be monsters, cut off from all the world; but on that account we shall be more attached to one another.” (Shelley 254).