Some elements of the gothic novel as seen in Frankenstein are as follows: 1. Dark Settings-There are lots of dark settings in Frankenstein. When the monster is created, Frankenstein describes how it was a, ' on a dreary night of November'. This pathetic fallacy sets the scene for the birth of the monster. 'black and comfortless sky' Massive pathetic fallacy is used here to make clear that what Frankenstein has done is
Although the setting of Frankenstein cannot be considered desolate and macabre the themes of the natural and supernatural are certainly prevalent. The origin of Frankenstein itself stems from a challenge from Byron to write a ‘ghost story’. Shelley took this challenge to mean the creation of a story which inspired fear in its reader. The appearance of the monster itself generates fear in the reader and fits into the gothic theme. “His yellow skin scarcely covered the work of muscles and arteries beneath” reveals Victor’s horror when he first sees his creation come to life.
‘Dracula’ contains all of the criteria of for a Gothic novel. The book’s main antagonist is the infamous Count Dracula, a vampire: a fiend who sucks the blood from the living, turns into mist and wolves, and spreads pestilence and insanity. The main protagonists of the books, mainly Jonathan Harker, Mina Murray, and Dr. Van Helsing, are on a quest: to slay the vampire and his evil intentions on humanity. Along the way, they encounter sickness, madness, deception, pain (emotional and physical) and death. Whilst not being classed as a piece of Gothic Literature Stephanie Meyers ‘Twilight’ does contain a lot of the similar conventions to that of ‘Dracula’.
Shadow of the Vampire Essay Shadow of the Vampire is a post-modern appropriation of the past texts Dracula by Bram Stoker and the silent film Nosferatu. Through omission, subversion and transformation a new text is created for a new context. This is done through both the use of gothic elements and post-modernist techniques. These aspects shape and modify the characterisation, the plot and the setting. The films story line is based around the creation of the silent film Nosferatu, and the director Murnau’s lust for modern-day immortality with an underlying conceit of the traditional vampire who is embodied by Max Schreck.
‘Some Houses are born Bad’ (Shirley Jackson, The Haunting). Discuss the Representation of the House or ‘Home’ in a Range of Writers Studied on the Course Throughout the history of both European and American gothic fiction, the setting has played an important role in ensuring the correct atmosphere is achieved; ‘that atmosphere of gloom and decay which adheres to the crumbling abbey and ruined castle in the gothic novel. In few other genres does the setting play such a significant role’ During the ascendancy of European Gothic, novels were typically set in remote structures such as Manfred’s castle in The Castle of Otranto, and, in The Monk the Castle Lindenberg and the Abbey. These settings were inspired by a fear of what lies beyond the borders of civilisation , remote catholic countries generally provided the location for these settings. By the gothic revival of 1850-1880, with the exception of Castle Dracula, the setting had moved from grand, mysterious structures of foreign lands to the urban dwellings and labyrinthine streets of Victorian cities such as Edinburgh and London, the setting for Hogg’s The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner and Stevenson’s Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde respectively.
She was obsessed with immortality and youth. Another trait that Stoker brought into his novel. As far as fiction goes, Dracula is by far one of the darkest most horrific tales, yet, very entertaining. To know that the character alone is based off of some of the cruelest people in world history still to this day astounds me. However, what is interesting is how vampires have gone from being hated and feared dark monsters of the night to the romanticized creatures of young girl's dreams.
Brian Barros Mrs. Neshan English 3 19 September 2014 Washington Irving Mood Analysis Washington Irving is a very mysterious and suspenseful writer as is evident in “The Devil and Tom Walker” and in “Sleep Hollow.” In both stories Irving writes with a very gloomy, melancholy mood. Most of his stories are mystifying, infused with a bit of horror and fantasy. Irving uses elaborate language in his work to make the stories mood seem extremely dark and eerie. In the excerpt of Sleepy Hollow you can infer the movie will be very mysterious and dark. In the beginning it shows Ichabod Crane riding his horse threw a foggy, ominous forest, similar to the one described in “The Devil and Tom Walker.” When reading Irving’s story and reading all the adjectives he uses to describe the setting, it makes you think of a place as you see in Sleepy Hollow.
Alex Boord 10/4/13 Frankenstein: a Gothic Film The classic gothic film, Frankenstein, is about an obsessed scientist who assembles a living being with the body parts of dead corpses. When a person thinks of gothic literature and movies, he or she may think of a mysterious, suspenseful atmosphere, a gloomy castle setting, and a great amount of emotion. In the 1931 film version of the story Frankenstein, Mary Shelley utilizes these gothic elements to bring an overall feeling of terror to the viewer. There are several gothic elements in the film Frankenstein, and one of the most important, is displayed from the very beginning of the film. From the beginning to the end of Frankenstein, there is an atmosphere of mystery and suspense.
Charlene Keeler Writing 39a -Final Draft 10/25/2011 Thriving For a Companion Novelist Mary Shelley, in her gothic romance novel, Frankenstein, introduces a man named Victor, whose obsession with science and philosophy leads him to create a living creature from dead materials. Victor sacrifices everything to create this monster, but eventually he abandons the creature and leaves him to be a helpless outcast. The main themes that the author conveys in the novel are loneliness and rejection. Feelings of loneliness and rejection make it harder to regulate behavior and can lead to serious violence and danger. Shelley tries to differentiate emotions and logic expressed by the creature to appeal to Frankenstein's sense of integrity and responsibility
Heather Medeiros Toni J. Weeden Honors Senior English 13 November 2017 The ‘Monster’ Imagine being brought into the world one cold night and your parents think you look disgusting and like the most wretched creature on the planet. You are forced into the bitter night to fend for yourself and to try to comprehend what the world is. You dare not go next to any human, they find you equally disgusting and horrifying. You discover you are alone in this world and abandoned by the man who created you. This was the case for the creature in Mary Shelley's gothic novel, Frankenstein.