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1 Undisputed masterpiece Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
Gothic fiction is the subgenre of Gothic horror. It is mode or genre in film and literature that has the combination of fiction, death, horror, and sometimes romance.This genre was originated by Horace Walpole with the publication of his novel The Castle of Otranto in 1764. The novel was subtitled as “A Gothic Novel” in the second edition. The main characteristic of the gothic literature is that it focuses on the emotions and terror (pleasurable terror).Gothic fiction also serves as an extension to the literary movement of Romanticism. The movement was relatively new and not widespread when Walpole published his novel.Many critics regard the genre of gothic fiction response to the 18th century British and European movement “Age of Reason.” The movement was both political and artistic and focused on the power of the human mind than anything else.Sanctioned by an unrestrained belief in humanity, the masses set forth to restructure society as a result of which The French and The American Revolution exploded.Moreover, the Industrial Revolution forced common people into long exhausting days in factories. In response to these gloomy days, the Gothic literature started presenting the dark sides of the age in which “materialistic” human progress is at peak.The writers of the “Age of Reason” had sometimes started believing in the “infinite perfectibility of man.” However, gothic literature presented man as miserably imperfect and dependent on the mercy of higher and powerful forces of nature and death. The gothic novel flourished until 1820. The novels belonging to gothic literature focus on horror and mystery. It contains castles, dark forests, the trap door, the supernatural, the secret rooms, and other familiar dark elements.Frankenstein is one of the famous gothic novels. It was written during the time when the gothic literature was slowly developing into Romanticism. Frankenstein, like Romanticism, is based on the “sublime” power of nature.The main influence of 2Shelley while writing Frankenstein was Paradise Lost by John Milton, written in the 17th century. The epic poem deals with the fall of humankind from grace. An epigraph of Frankenstein, Shelley quotes the verses from Paradise Lost in which Adam blasphemies God for crafting him, just as Victor Frankenstein is cursed by the Monster for creating him.The novel opens with Robert Walton writing a letter to Margaret Saville, his sister. Robert Walton is the captain of a ship that is headed towards the North Pole. In the letter, Robert Walton writes that his crew members recently found a man wandering at sea. The man they found is Victor Frankenstein, who told him his story.In Switzerland, Frankenstein has been living a perfect childhood. He has a loving family that adopts needy orphans. Among the orphans, there was a beautiful Elizabeth who then became the closest friend, love, and confidant of Victor Frankenstein. Frankenstein also has another best friend, Henry Clerval, who was also wonderful and caring. His mother died due to scarlet fever when Victor turned seventeen years old and went to the University of Ingolstadt. At university, Victor starts studying natural philosophy with pleasure. He starts studying the secrets of life with such passion and zeal that he loses his connection with his family. Soon he becomes a leading figure in his field of study, and suddenly one night, he comes to the secret of life. Victor sets his knowledge of life into work and envisions, creating a new and noble race.However, when he produces his first creation, its horrifying appearance makes him abandon it. Frankenstein expects the Monster to disappear forever, however, after a few months, he receives the message of the murder of his youngest brother William. Victors see the Monster wondering at the murder and become assured that his brother is killed by the Monster.However, he remains silent as he knows that no one would believe him. An adoptee in his family named Justine Moritz is wrongly accused of the crime of murder and is imprisoned and then executed. Frankenstein is overwhelmed with guilt.The Frankenstein family goes on vacation to escape the tragic event. To lessen his guilt and suffering, Victor frequently climbs the mountains and spends time in the beauty of nature.One day, suddenly, the Monster appears and begs Victor to listen to his story. The Monster tells him that just because of his dismaying appearance, he is living a life of suffering and rejection. He also tells him about how he learns to speak and read. The Monster blames the inability of a human to notice his inner goodness that made him angry and thus results in his isolation. He demands the creation of the female Monster from Victor so that she can give him love and affection that no human will ever give. At first, Victor refuses. However, he then agrees. When they return to Geneva, Victor’s father proposes that Victor should marry Elizabeth. Victor declines the proposal saying that he will first travel to England. Frankenstein meets Clerval on his way to England. Frankenstein then leaves Clerval in Scotland at his friend’s house and goes to a distinct island to create the female Monster.However, one night, Victor senses that the female Monster may turn out to be more damaging than the male Monster. Simultaneously, he notices that the first Monster is seeing him throughout his work from the window. When he creates the Monster, its horrifying sight makes him destroy him. The Monster declares to avenge Victor. He warns him that he will be with him on his wedding night. Frankenstein throws the remains of the female Monster into the ocean. When he goes back to shore, the people accused him of the murder committed on that very night. He collapses and becomes delusional for two when he learns that the victim of murder is his best friend, Clerval. The next day when he wakes up, his father has arrived and clears him of the charges of murder against him.Victor goes back to Geneva with his father. He marries Elizabeth. On their wedding night, instead of accompanying him, the Monster kills Elizabeth. Soon, the father of Victor dies with excessive grief. Victor becomes alone in the world and decides to take revenge from the Monster. He follows the Monster to the Arctic Ocean, and on breaking ices, he is entrapped. He is then rescued by the crew of Walton’s ship. In another letter to his sister, Walton writes to his sister, telling her that they have failed to reach the North Pole and also could not rescue Victor Frankenstein. Frankenstein dies soon after he is rescued from the sheets of ice. In his final letter to his sister, Walton writes about the discovery of the Monster, who grieves over the corpse of Victor. The death of Victor marks the accomplishment of his revenge, and he then ends his own life.3
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