Frankenstein Layers Of Storytelling

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Keegan Brink Mrs. C CWII Frankenstein Essay 2/15/12 In many stories, readers are left wondering about the feelings of secondary characters, due to a natural curiosity. In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, there are many points of view and many layers of storytelling. The structure has been frequently referred to as being like an onion, with so many layers. At one point there are even five layers of storytelling: In a letter, a man tells of a man, telling a story, in which a creature is telling a story, in which a family's story is told. This plot structure uniquely allows Shelley to frame the story, add depth to it, and allow readers to see and appreciate the strong similarities between the three narrators. By constructing the story in this fashion, Shelley is ultimately able to give purpose to this unusual method of writing and create an original and intriguing plotline. Shelley’s interesting method of framing the story, while at first seems awkward and unnecessary, eventually develops into a recognizable and admirable framing of the story, putting events in a more presentable order and allowing for much greater suspense and foreshadowing. By starting the novel from the perspective of Walton, Shelley allows Victor’s story to be told in the form of that, a story, where such a style would usually seem an odd way to start a book. It also presents the opportunity to foreshadow future events and build suspense, both of which are important aspects of popular literature in the time that the novel was written. By presenting Victor at his weak, despaired state at the beginning of the story, the reader is encouraged to try to think about what might happen to Victor to make him this way. In this way suspense is built up. Later in the story, the creature’s past is detailed in the form of a story, inside of Victor’s story. While many books have separate chapters, following
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