Mary Shelleys Frankenstein A Gothic Novel - 1595 Words

Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein is one of the greatest Gothic novels to come out during the Romantic Period. Frankenstein is a prime example of what a Gothic novel should present to its reader through the genre’s twisted themes. Even though it was written in the Romantic period, Mary Shelley still wrote Frankenstein to be a Gothic work of literature. Many characteristics of Gothic novel can be seen within this novel. Mary Shelley’s outstanding novel Frankenstein is a prime example of a Gothic novel because of the many characteristics of a Gothic novel that point it to being a Gothic work. The Gothic genre, or otherwise known as a Gothic romance, was a popular form of literature during the time that Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein. Mary†¦show more content†¦(Abrams 117-118). Frankenstein shows these characteristics in the way that Mary Shelley structured the complex and fascinating story. It can easily be seen that Frankenstein is a Gothic novel. For instan ce, Frankenstein definitely evokes terror through both the physical and psychological violence (Abrams 117-118). Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein uses this Gothic characteristic through the monster both physical and phycological. In Frankenstein, the monster is described as being hideous and physically grotesque. Victor Frankenstein describes him as, â€Å"His yellow skin scarcely covered the work of muscles and arteries beneath; his hair was of a lustrous black, and flowing; his teeth of a pearly whiteness; but these luxuriances only formed a more horrid contrast with his watery eyes, that seemed almost of the same color as the dun-white sockets in which they were set, his shriveled complexion and straight black lips (Shelley 42).† The use of this terrifying description of the monster shows how Mary Shelley was trying to show the Gothic theme of the novel. People wanted to be scared when they read a Gothic novel, so the usage of a terrifying description like this made it G othic (Williams 2). MaryShow MoreRelatedMary Shelley and Flannery OConnor: Gothic Isolationists1724 Words   |  7 Pages Gothic fiction is a genre of literature that combines fiction, horror and Romanticism with a particular focus on the mysterious and supernatural aspects. Gothic fiction originated in England during the latter half of the 18th century. This distinctive genre of literature soon developed into a 19th century phenomenon. The success of this dominant genre in England is frequently attributed to Mary Shelley. Despite its success during this time period, gothic fiction ceased to be a dominant genre byRead More Mary Shelly Essay examples1564 Words   |  7 PagesMary Wollstonecraft Shelly has written many books in her life. She has received much criticism about one of her books inperticular, Frankenstien. Frankenstein was one of her most famous novels. Shelly had written Frankenstein in order to enter a contest but what few people realized was that Frankenstein was one of many nightmares that Shelly had during her rough childhood. Shelly has become one of the most renowned Gothic authors because of her use of graphic descriptions and settings and herRead MoreComparing Emily Brontà «s Wuthering Heights to Mary Shelleys Frankenstein911 Words   |  4 PagesThe gothic genre created both a lot of films and novels, some of which are debatable as to if they were categorized properly. The Films Emily Bront#235;s Wuthering Heights directed by Peter Kosminsky, and Mary Shelleys Frankenstein directed by Kenneth Branagh are both based on novels. Both films display many different ideas, and are structured differently, but Mary Shelleys Frankenstein is an archetype for the gothic genre. Although the two are very different films, through the use of gloom andRead MoreMary Shelleys Frankenstein1689 Words   |  7 PagesDiscuss the extent to which one of the following novels is informed by contemporary social issues: Great Expectations Fathers and Son, Fr ankenstein. The novel I have chosen to discuss is Frankenstein. Written in 1818 by Mary Shelley, Frankenstein is classified as a gothic novel, however, Shelly uses both realist and non-realist techniques. I will be looking at her reasons for writing the novel and what influenced her, as well as the realist and non-realist techniques used. I will be looking atRead MoreFemale Gothic The Monsters Mother Essay1534 Words   |  7 PagesFemale Gothic: The Monster’s Mother In Ellen Moers’ critical essay Female Gothic: The Monster’s Mother (1974) on Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein, she argues that Mary Shelley’s story is greatly influenced by her experience of motherhood. This essay uses the historical approach, biographical, and formalist approach at point. Moers references the cultural context of the novel, Mary Shelley’s experience as a woman and mother and how that influenced her writing, and focuses on the genre of the novelRead MoreThe Mother Of The Novel Frankenstein By Mary Shelley1202 Words   |  5 Pages Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, the mother of the novel Frankenstein, was born on August 30, 1797 in London, England, child of Mary Wollstonecraft and William Godwin. Wollstonecraft wrote about the struggle of women and promoted women’s rights, while Godwin wrote pieces that aimed toward achieving a philosophical goal. Mary Shelley was unfortunately only to really experience literary expertise thr ough her father, for her mother died due to puerperal fever early within one month of giving birth toRead MoreThe Romantic Era Of Mary Shelley s Frankenstein1502 Words   |  7 Pagesthrough the first decades of the 19th century, the romantic ear took over the styles of novels. This was a time of disagreement and confusion over principles and aesthetics; there were many philosophies, agendas, and points of interest that competed in all types of literature. Frankenstein, written by Mary Shelley, is a work from the Romantic Era, and you can see some characteristics of this era in her novel. Romanticism was an era where the individual became more important than society. InsteadRead More Significance of Chapter 5 in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein Essay1212 Words   |  5 PagesComment on Chapter 5’s significance in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. Famous writer, Mary Shelley was born in London in 1797. She was the daughter of writer William Godwin and Mary Wollstonecraft. Shelley’s mother sadly died while giving birth to her. This was an influence included in the later successful novel ‘Frankenstein’. At 19, she married poet Percy Shelley, who she married in 1816. Together, Mary and Percy had five children, but only one survived past childhood. This tragedy, alongRead MoreMary Shelley s Modern Prometheus1365 Words   |  6 PagesFrankenstein was Mary Shelley’s modern Prometheus, a literary form of the forbidden flame bestowed upon the human race – the science of electricity. Yet, the story of Victor Frankenstein’s creature is not one strictly of science, or of a caution against it, or of a vendetta against the popular Calvinist belief of predestination. What Victor Frankenstein, and Mary Shelley, created for the world was a story of how far a man dared go with the forbidden flame – greater natural knowledge – that was spreadingRead MoreAnalysis Of Mary Shelley s Frankenstein And Caleb Williams 1168 Words   |  5 PagesIn A.D Harvey’s article â€Å"Frankenstein and Caleb Williams,† he explains that Mary Shelley’s famous work, Frankenstein; was not intended to be of any actual scientific evidence, but rather written just only with the intention of a gothic horror pie ce â€Å"we will each write a ghost story† (Frankenstein Author’s introduction vii). Harvey’s target is to reach out to the science community and to sway them to look past the mechanics of how Frankenstein’s monster is created and focus on other points of interest