Frankenstein gothic elements
Since time immemorial, the gothic theme had been manifested in novels, especially in the 19th Century. Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein or the Modern Prometheus is the epitome of a book where this theme is clearly illustrated. Gothic as the term may be taken to mean that which is strange or frightening and is mired in mystery, especially of ancient times. The term can be expounded to include darkness and death in a cruel manner. As it is widely known, choices have consequences, and there are several characters in this novel that have been used to assert this fact, the major one being Victor.
To begin with, Beaufort, a friend of Victor’s father, was a man filled with pride. Victor narrates that he was a man of ” proud and unbending” disposition. (40). After clearance of his debts, he set to live in the small town of Lucerne, where he lived in abject poverty after losing his employment in his former residence. Once his savings got depleted, his health deteriorated, and he eventually succumbed majorly as a culmination of his actions due to pride (Harris 17).
Robert Walton endeavors to go on a voyage of unknown lands to satisfy his curiosity without regard to the repercussions of his actions. In his second letter to his sister, he says, “I shall satiate my ardent curiosity with the site of a part of the world never before visited.” (3). However, this action fills his mind with doubt, and while writing to his sister Margaret, he affirms his fears when he says, ” My courage and my resolution is firm, but my hopes fluctuate and my spirits often depressed. ” Walton further experiences loneliness as a result of his expeditions, and he admits this when saying, ” I have no friend Margaret when I am glowing with the enthusiasm of success, there will be no one to participate my joy.” (11, the second letter). Walton also exposes himself to grave danger, and he writes in his fourth letter to his sister, “Last Monday we were nearly surrounded by ice which closed in the ship on all sides.” (21). As a result of his dangerous expedition, Robert Walton got to meet Victor’s monster at last. He must have shuddered with fear at the sight of its grotesqueness. Although the beast was mourning the death of its creator Victor, one could only wonder how many chills ran down the spine of Robert while listening to the beast regret his actions of murder and the tale of its planned and impending death. Robert’s voyage had consequences, first of all, alienation from his family, especially his sister Margaret with whom he had so much affection. This brought him unexplainable loneliness, which he could have easily avoided. This he did because he thought of the pole of the earth as not that is the seat of frost and desolation but that which presented to his imagination beauty and delight (2) (Harris 31).
Further, Victor sets himself on a dangerous path obsessed with his ambition to create a life and, as a result, creates a monster that not only destroys him finally but also takes away from him people who are very close to him. Victor neglects his father’s letters and sets to create this monster. This he does for almost two years and deprives him of sleep and nearly destroys his health. Victor narrates, ” For this, I had gone without sleep and almost destroyed my health. ” After recklessly creating a monster without regard to the results of his actions, he is horrified and runs from the room. (24). This action leads to the death of his brother, who is killed by the monster he created using his own hands. He learned of his brother’s death while he was away from home through his father’s letter. He experienced grief and so much when he was convinced that his brother William was dead because of the monster he took so much time to create. Victor narrates, “I knew right away something had killed my brother. Only something that isn’t human would have hurt such a sweet child as William.” (30). The death of Justine can also be tied to William’s action of creating a monster. Justine was accused falsely of killing William and was tried for the murder of Victor’s brother. Victor had a chance here to stop the trial of Justine but allows the trial to go on without a shred of intervention. Victor fears what the consequences of his admission would be as he thought he would be locked up in jail for his crimes. Justine was found guilty of murder and hanged after that, and this blood is clearly in the hands of Victor. Victor narrates, “The ballots had been thrown; they were all black, and Justine was condemned.” (171). Victor suffered regret for this action, and he narrates, “I cannot pretend to describe what I then felt. I had before experienced sensations of horror, and I have endeavored to bestow upon them adequate expressions. Still, words cannot convey an idea of the heart-sickening despair I then endured (Cartwright 25).”
Victor then meets the monster, and instead of finishing his creation, agrees to build him a companion. When he later destroys the companion of the beast, this leads to further misery. The monster commits to killing him further but instead murders his wife Elizabeth and his friend Henry. The creature has succeeded in destroying the life of Victor as a result. Victor does not stop here. He relentlessly commits himself to the pursuit of the monster to finally right his wrongs, but this does not happen. Victor instead wastes his health away and dies from the vagaries of weather and his own deteriorating state. When the monster comes to mourn his death, the damage is already done, and his own creation is responsible for his own downfall. His education and interest in science, which he showed at the beginning of his study in the university of Ingolstadt, has resulted in one of the worst tragedies ever, and his fate could not be any worse.
In a nutshell, Frankenstein is a masterpiece which with so much ease illustrates the theme of gothic through the actions of major characters in the novel. This is very much in practice for Victor, whose dangerous mission of creating a monster destroys his own life and those close to him in the most frightening of circumstances. This novel is horrific to the core through its imagery. Robert Walton, through his attempt to satisfy his curiosity of setting foot in unknown lands, also exemplifies this theme through his letters of affection to his beloved sister, Margaret. This novel explores this theme to great detail, as discussed throughout this essay (Cartwright 43).
Work Cited
Harris, Robert. “Elements of the gothic novel.” Virtual Salt 15 (2015).
Cartwright, Amy. The future is Gothic: elements of Gothic in dystopian novels. Diss. University of Glasgow, 2005.