Explore some of the ways in which Mary Shelley uses different settings to contribute to the gothic effects of the novel

Shelley uses settings to create many gothic effects for the reader, such as isolation, horror and a dark insight into the human psyche. However, there are often more effective narrative methods that Shelley uses to create the gothic tone of the novel, such as structure and characterisation.

  Shelley appears to use the Orkney Islands to evoke a sense of gothic alienation. The use of the superlative “remotest” connotes how this is the most isolated place that Victor can reside in; there is nowhere more “vacant” and empty. The setting is “barren” and lifeless, as well as the perfect place for Victor to create the female creature in “solitude”. This “remote spot” appears to have been used to evoke a gothic sense of isolation for the reader. It really emphasises how removed from society Victor has become- he is utterly “alone” on this island. However, Shelley’s use of structure proves to be more effective at creating this gothic tone of the novel. This novel is told in a framed narrative; Victor’s narration is being told to Walton rather than narrated to the reader directly. This more effective at creating this sense of isolation about Victor because we are distanced from him. Everything he tells us is filtered through the character we are structurally closest with: Walton. Furthermore, Victor never replies to the letters from his “dearest Elizabeth”, which highlights how alienated this character is from his own family. Whilst settings are used to create the gothic effect of isolation and alienation, it is clear that the use of the novel’s structure is more effective.

  Pathetic fallacy may have been used to evoke a sense of horror and misery from the reader. When Frankenstein’s creature comes to life, the weather appears to reflect the atrocity of his crime. The setting is described as a “dreary night”, and the rain “pattered dismally”. This lexicalisation of synonyms of misery and depression serves to emphasise the horror of what Frankenstein has done. His laboratory is shrouded in darkness- “half-extinguished light”, “candle was nearly burnt out”- as well as this melancholic use of weather. The setting appears to reflect how an 1800s reader may have interpreted Victor’s creation: a monstrous and sacrilegious act against God. The darkness and the despairing weather appear to symbolise the horrifying nature of his arrogance as he tries to become a divine figure: “a new species will bless me as its creator”. It may have been received as an utterly abhorrent usurpation of God’s by a reader in the 1800s, and the setting may be a catalyst for these gothic effects. However, a much more effective narrative method for creating horror is Victor’s characterisation. He describes his creation as a “catastrophe” which suggests that it is completely wrong and should never have happened. He is presented as filled with “disgust” and “breathless horror”, as well as completely repulsed by what he has done. Shelley appears to be using Victor’s role as narrator to evoke a sense of horror from the reader. His point of view is that this is a “horrid” abomination, and we as readers may be influenced by his perception because it is through his eyes that we see the novel. Thus, the use of Victor’s characterisation proves to be a more effective source of horror and despair than the use of setting.

  In fact, natural settings in Frankenstein are most effective at creating romantic effects in the novel, rather than a gothic tone. Shelley presents nature as romantically sublime, after possibly being influenced by the romantics, who were her contemporaries. Natural settings have many positive and beneficial effects on the narrator: it “elevated my spirits”; “greatest consolation” and subdued his pain. Nature is presented as a source of relief and treatment in this novel. It is presented as healing and soothing, which is the antithesis of what is considered to be a gothic effect. It “tranquilised” pain rather than provoke more horror and despair. Whilst some may argue that the “terrific” and “violent” weather, apparent when Victor first meets the Creature, may symbolise the darkness and turbulence of his psyche, this is not the primary use of nature. Shelley appears to use natural settings in this novel to contribute to a sense of sublime beauty and the healing powers of our world, rather than to reflect the horrifying and gothic aspects of our psyche.

  Whilst it does appear that Shelley uses settings to create a gothic tone to her novel, developing many of the gothic themes such as isolation, horror and the darkness of the human psyche, setting is not the most effective method Shelley uses to evoke these effects. Often, narrative devices such as characterisation and the novel’s structure appear to be much more successful at contributing to the gothic effects of her classic novel.

To what extent do you agree with the view that, in Frankenstein, Mary Shelley is exploring “the dark side of the human psyche”?

In Frankenstein, Shelley appears to explore various elements of the dark side within the human psyche; the darkness within our mind and how it is affected by the subconscious. There are many aspects of the human psyche, or mind, that Shelley explores through Frankenstein and the Creature: violent and impulsive instincts within one’s id; an arrogant desire to play God and the effects of guilt. However, it is important to note that Frankenstein is a Gothic novel. Thus it is just as plausible that Shelley may be trying to explore many Gothic themes instead, such as punishment, the dangers of science and the monstrous.

Through the doubling of Frankenstein and the Creature, Shelley could be exploring the dark, violent and impulsive tendencies within the id of the human psyche. After his own framed tale, the Creature is presented as very barbaric and fierce. He is often described as a “wild beast” and as “monster” which connotes how he has lost his human characteristics and that he has become more bestial. Much like an animal, the Creature appears out of control in his rampage: he “glutted” himself in violence and allowed himself to be “borne away” by murder. This frenzied representation of the Creature mirrors the presentation of the protagonist, Frankenstein, later in the narrative. He also becomes full of “fury” and a vengeance which “moulded my feelings”. Through a paralleling structure, the Creature is thus presented as Frankenstein’s doppelganger. Furthermore, both of them are linked by an allusion to Satan in Paradise Lost- each of them “bore a hell” within. The Creature, as his double, appears to symbolise the repressed instincts within Frankenstein’s own mind, his id. Nevertheless, these subconscious elements begin to seep into his own consciousness (or superego) after the loss of his entire family. Frankenstein begins to act on the repressed instincts that his creature represents. Thus it could be argued that Shelley is exploring the ‘breaking point’ of a person, where the lines between id and ego collapse in the psyche. However, a much greater reading infers that Shelley is exploring the gothic theme of punishment. By having Frankenstein deteriorate from a passionate young student who wants to satisfy his “thirst for knowledge” to a “hellish” monster hell-bent on revenge, Shelley appears to be presenting him as damned, or ‘sentenced’ for his crimes. The character’s many sins, such as creating the Creature, appear to be condemned through Frankenstein’s declining sanity. Thus, it is a much more plausible that Shelley is exploring the idea of punishment rather than the dark side of the human psyche.

Shelley appears to be exploring more of the human psyche’s dark side, such as ambition and arrogance, through Frankenstein’s characterisation. In the novel’s opening, Frankenstein is presented as utterly obsessed, devoted and addicted to the creation of his being: it has an “irresistible hold” on him. His “heart and soul, in one pursuit”- this connotes how he is more than a man of “enthusiasm”. He is portrayed as being in “slavery” to his passion, implying that he has lost all control to this addictive obsession. It could be argued that this “ardent desire” stems from a subconscious yearning to play God. He wants to find the “hidden secrets of nature”, to “penetrate” the mystery of life. Contextually, these secrets are what a reader from the 1800s would associate with as arcane and only belonging to God. To try and find these secrets would have been considered an abhorrent usurpation of God’s role. Shelley appears to be exploring the hubris integrated within the dark recesses of the human mind, and possibly highlighting how it leads to the “emaciation” of mind and body. However, a contrasting interpretation suggests that Shelley is examining the dangers of science instead. Frankenstein is characterised as devoted to scientific research and the “secrets of life”. This appears to be criticised by Shelley, who was writing during the rise of Galvanism and the Age of Enlightenment. Science appears to lead Frankenstein to “ruin” and decaying into a “lifeless” thing. Furthermore, the product of this scientific pursuit is a “daemon” who rampages through the rest of the novel, leaving only a trail of deaths. Thus, it is much more plausible that Shelley is instead analysing the dangers of science and not the dark side of the human psyche.

Shelley is at her most probing of the dark side of the human psyche when she explores the guilt of Frankenstein. In response to Justine’s impending execution, Frankenstein is presented as remorseful and sorry: he is in a state of “living torture” and “horrid anguish”. He appears to be devastated that someone full of “joy” could be blamed for the crime committed by his creation. It could be argued that, through Frankenstein, Shelley is exploring another dark element of the human mind: destructive guilt. After all, “remorse pressed upon” the heart of this remorseful character, and it appears that the rest of the narrative hinges upon his desire to destroy the Creature and redeem himself. However, a much stronger reading suggests how Shelley is not exploring the guilt within Frankenstein’s psyche. Would a regretful character let the “innocent”, “most grateful little creature in the world” be executed for crimes they did not commit? They would not, which connotes how he does not feel guilt at all. Rather, Frankenstein is actually presented as egocentric and indifferent towards Justine. Following Justine’s execution, the words “I” and “my” are repeated often, which connotes his lack of consideration for her suffering. His only concern is for “my pain”, and this is chilling for the reader. Shelley appears to be exploring how monstrous and desensitized to death Frankenstein has become, possibly following the practice of grave-robbing. Rather than examining the dark, guilty side of the human psyche, Shelley appears to be presenting Frankenstein as monstrously indifferent. As readers, we are left wondering whether this egocentric protagonist truly has anything ‘human’ to be explored.

It is clear that Shelley does slightly delve into the dark side of the human psyche, examining many aspects such as the impulsive instincts within the id, a hubris that leads to the usurpation of God’s authority and remorse. However, it is clear that these are not Shelley’s primary concerns, as a writer of the Gothic genre. There appears to be more of a focus on themes such as punishment, the dangers of science and the monstrous. Whilst it is still an integral part of the narrative, the dark side of the human psyche appears not to be a primary point of exploration for Shelley in her classic novel.