Frankenstein

Alexander Tabb Coleman Lit. 06 March 2024 Frankenstein Essay Gothic elements are heavily entwined with Mary Shelley's novel, Frankenstein. These elements, such as a gothic setting and supernaturalness, are usually depicted visually in the graphic novel adaptation in order to produce a tale that is thematically compelling. The subject of the monster's eventual brutality is created through visual elements. Shelly also explores monstrosity and the role of the outsider to depict the cautionary tale about the risk of pursuing knowledge for itself without taking into account the possible repercussions. As a result of his desire to create life, Victor Frankenstein ends up creating a creature that defies nature and blurs the line between life and death.

Victor says he “saw the monster that I had created” making it clear to the audience that he was even shocked by his creation (Shelly 17). In the graphic novel, these settings are often depicted with dark, shadowy imagery, emphasizing the ominous atmosphere of the story. In one of these images, Victor describes his heart beating harder with fear (Shelly 29). The whole graphic novel is colored darkly and overly shaded to build the overall mood of the novel. Shelly uses the role of the outsider to show how the protagonist, Victor Frankenstien, is portrayed as an outsider who defies the natural order by creating life from the dead corpse. In pursuit of knowledge, creating life from death, he later sees William's dead body and the “marks of the murderer’s fingers were on his neck” (Shelly 41). This shows Victor's role as an outsider and reflects the effect of the creature being an outsider. His pursuit of knowledge and ambition leads to the isolation from society and eventual downfall. The idea of the outsider role as both Victor and the creature, is a central element of gothic literature, reflecting the anxieties of the time regarding scientific progress and social

Shelly’s portrayal of the creature as a sympathetic figure challenges traditional gothic tropes of monstrous villains and influences the audience to question their perception of mortality and where the line between human and monster is to be drawn. The narrator expresses the feelings around his family's deaths as the people he cared for “Cried over the graves of William and Justine” calling them the creature's victims although the creature was Vitor's victim (Shelly 50). This monster is created and uses supernatural elements such as the creation of life through scientific experimentation, as well as, the reclamation of dead tissue. These elements challenge traditional beliefs modernly but more so during the novel's time period, about the boundaries of life and death overall contributing to the mood around the novel. Frankenstien, written by Mary Shelley, has a strong gothic aspect influencing the overall theme. To create a story that is thematically captivating, elements such as gothic descriptions and supernaturalness are typically visually represented in the graphic novel version of the