Gothic in Frankenstein

The Gothic in Frankenstein “I ought to be thy Adam, but I am rather the fallen angel...” In Frankenstein, Mary Shelley uses various mysterious situations for Victor Frankenstein to come across his creation of the monster. Shelley employs the supernatural elements of literature from where Frankenstein gathers body parts for the monster to where the monster kills everyone. She also makes sure that the setting of this gothic/horror novel takes place in Europe so that the readers are not all that familiar with the place. This guarantees the reader the chances of being taken out of their comfort zone. The first characteristic of a gothic novel is the disturbing setting. Mary Shelley sets the mood for the rest of the book. Shelley begins by saying, "You will rejoice to hear that no disaster has accompanied the comencement of an enterprise which you have regarded with such evil forebondings." (1) When in reality, Walton is stuck in the middle of the ocean, icebergs surrounding the ship while his men and himself are slowly running out of food and fresh water. Walton and the others are in the direction of having to face death if something is not done. This would be when he ends up meeting Frankenstein and commencing the real supernatural/suspenseful part of the story. Frankenstein begins to tell Walton that he still has time to change things, that he is wiser because of something that he does not reveal to Walton yet. in progress....

Mary Shelley continues the suspense in the novel by describing the night the monster came alive. Shelley sets the atmosphere when she states that it was “already one in the morning” and “...the rain pattered dismally against the panes, and my candle was nearly burnt out...” This encourages the reader to predict something is about to happen. She continues on by saying, “… by the glimmer of the half extinguished light, I saw the dull yellow eye of the creature open…” This is what makes the reader have that rush of suspense run through