How does mary use setting to plot and character in frankenstein

The common settings found in horror genre are secluded and isolated areas where no social contact is made. These gothic type genres are set at night time and there are a lot of superstitious activities. They are usually located near woods and are obviously spooky-looking. They seem gloomy and dark. This links with Frankenstein as the story starts in the Arctic where Captain Walton sees two sledges. This is an isolated place and it emphasises the reader that this is from the horror genre.

The ‘setting’ in the book is where the story has taken place e. g. lonely or some sort of abandoned place where no touch of contact has been sensed. We’ve looked at these settings in Frankenstein as they take place in the North Pole. This is a place if once your journey gets broken basically you will not survive. This again establishes the horror genre.

Evaluation and some analysis of techniques

North Pole is a really effective beginning to the book as it signifies the genre of horror. It expresses seclusion and sets the chill in your bones. This is a basic horror convention to start with. Another convention for this setting is that it determines to break the victims’ journey. This classical convention clearly signifies the reader (dramatic irony) the victim’s root to their own death.

Laboratory

The setting shows Victor’s actions are horrible by the weather as dark clouds appear in the sky and the storm approaches. Then the lightning strikes. It was late at the day at night and this was once again a typical horror convention. There were a lot of shadows in the room; hardly any natural light was visible, this signifies the horror conventions and the reader starts getting this feeling of de-ja-vu that something bad will happening ahead of the victim.

Insight into Language

Laboratory setting show Victor’s actions are horrible byt he weather as dark cloud appear in the sky and suddenly a storm approaches. Then the lightning strikes. It was late at night and this once again is a typical horror convention. There were a lot of shadows in the room; hardly any natural light was visible, this signifies the horror conventions and the reader starts getting this feeling of deja vu that something bad will be happening ahead of the victim. Mary Shelley uses strong language to describe the dreadful atmospere. She uses words like ‘ catastrophe’, ‘wretch’ and ”anxiety that almost amounted to agoney”. These words help the reader to visualise and imagine the awful surroundings.

All this represents his feelings as he is highly anxious and enthusiastic. He was so keen in his work that he does not take one day’s holiday during the two years. He did not go home and his letters were very short to his family. He almost forgot about them. He worked day and night in his laboratory, all through a beautiful summer. All this tells me that his work had him so anxious and so nervous that even a falling leaf made jump out of his skin. Only his obsession for his work kept him alive.

The setting of the forest outside Ingolstadt shows how childlike the monster is. The setting sympathises for the monster by bringing a childlike innocence as he’s abandoned by his master who doesn’t look after him as he should. The monster is lonely and wants only to interact with others. However the monster is rejected and is abused physically by people. The reader here is simply manipulated to feel compassion for the dejected monster. The forest takes care of the monster as it provides shelter and some warmth where he feels comfortable.

He feels as if he is at home where he can feel cosy and have a good nap. However after a short he is forced to move out of the forest. The forest setting is not very typical in scary stories; this is because in horror their settings of the forest do not seem so pleasant for the victim. They mostly turn out ghastly for the victim. This is why I think this is not a very classical setting for the horror genre.

Insight in Shelley’s changing of the Genre

In the beginning the monster was childlike, kind and helpful but with the time he gains knowledge he becomes miserable. His internally boiled environment leads to burning of the hut. The monster feels sort of world-weary and it seems as if he’s tired of existence as people reflect upon him in a not so kind way. He feels exasperated because his master that is Frankenstein has abandoned him and has totally disregarded his creation. His creator, Victor Frankenstein should have cared for the monster inspite of his disgusting appearance. Frankenstein has failed to provide the monster with any type of parental guidance, instead he runs away from his responsibilities. At this point the monster faces intense rejection and feels deeply unloved; he is fearful, frightened and anxious. At monster’s point of view he wavers between loving people and hating them for their acts upon him.

The weather and the flames reflect the monster’s feelings. Flames represent monster’s aggression. The weather also tells us about the monster’s mood. The thunder may represent the monster’s feelings as he boils with anger.