Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

The Gothic themes are a combination of horror, death, and a little of romance. The horror, in the story, focus on the characters being alone and separate from one another. In human society we are social creatures that naturally form and need a community in order to survive and we take comfort of each other’s company.  Frankenstein lost his mother and study aboard leaving behind his precious sister and only friend, Clerval. Death, in the book, is described in a poetic way as if describing a romantic painting. That death can leave a beautiful impression of the dead, reminding the Frankenstein family of how great his mother, Caroline, did for the family especially with Elizabeth. In the novel it tells even if something was pure and innocent that they are no exception to the struggles of life and death using the beautiful and innocent Elizabeth as an example. Frankenstein’s thirst for knowledge made him thought he was revolutionary and inspiring leading to insanity of creating an abnormal creature with no thought of the dire consequences. The Monster kills the beautiful maiden Elizabeth and others out of loneness, confusion, and no guidance .

Frankenstein isolated himself from his family and later the guilt of causing an indirect deaths to his only family, forever in rage and vengeance against his own creation for the rest of his lonely life. How the monster felt isolation of being the only one of his kind and the abandonment from his creator and how he is view as a monster when he himself is a victim of neglect and solitude that can drive any human or creature to insanity and hatred causing him to do drastic and terrible deeds. Both blind in rage and loneness lead to many unnecessary bloodsheds and the death of the main character. That there can be a bond with the monster and Victor Frankenstein because they’re all each other has, giving the monster and Frankenstein a sense of purpose of life that fills the void of the horrible isolation from society. This creates a small romance of how the monster cries other the dead body of Frankenstein as if he lost his only friend.     

In the movie, Young Frankenstein, it shows the obsession of Frankenstein consumes him throughout his entire life and dreams influencing him into similar path of his grand father, the original Frankenstein, of becoming a mad scientist. The horror for Frankenstein was facing unknown territory with strange people with questionable background questioning his beliefs causing fear and resentment.

                                                                                     mlee Lit. horror, fantasy, and sci-fi class