Frankenstein Research Paper

Whilst the nature of a monster is subject to interpretation, gothic fiction generates a sense of curiosity within readers. The notion of a ‘gothic monster’ first emerged in the 19th century with the release of Mary Shelley’s novel ‘Frankenstein.’ This provided the fundaments for future gothic monsters within literature and acted as a catalyst for the science fiction genre. Both gothic novels, Dracula and Frankenstein, were produced at a time when scientific advancements and interests in supernatural and mythological creations were at their peak. The argument as to whether a monster is created through nature which is biological, or nurture which is influenced by surroundings has been at the forefront of Gothic literature for some time. Sigmund

Victor promises to establish another creation so that the monster doesn’t feel alone. However, Victor fails to do this and in retaliation to this, the monster seeks revenge by murdering Elizabeth, ‘’leaving a murderous mark of his grasp on her neck.’’ The nasal compound noun ‘murderous mark’ connotes a sense of horror within the reader. As well as this, the guttural verb ‘grasp’ highlights the monster's inner strength and what he is capable of. Shelley uses a narrative frame to present the monster as a stereotypical gothic villain through the perspectives of Victor and Walton. On the other hand, Count Dracula can also be seen as vengeful, but not for the same reasons as the monster in Frankenstein. Dracula resents his past and utilizes his powers to seek revenge in his new life. As he boasts of his domination to Van Helsing’s group in the Piccadilly house, the Count exclaims ‘’My revenge is just begun! I spread it over centuries, and time is on my side.’’ The rhotic noun ‘revenge’ is evidence of the Count trying to make himself appear cruel and misogynistic. As readers, we are aware that the Count seeks this revenge by taking and harming women as he believes that they belong to men. Historically, Dracula was influenced by Vlad the Impaler. He was known for his defeat against the Turks and was known in Europe for his war success and cruelty. Vlad the Impaler is further referenced

At the end of the novel, we witness the monster visit Victor for the last time where he asks for forgiveness. Although, as readers we are aware that the monster’s remorse for his actions eventually leads Victor to committing suicide. The monster exclaims ‘’Farewell, Frankenstein! If thou wert yet alive, and yet cherished a desire of revenge against me, it would be better satiated in my life than in my destruction.’’ The fricative exclamation followed by the exclamatory creates an atmosphere of sorrow. As well as this, the second-person singular pronoun ‘’thou’ reinforces a formal tone within Frankenstein’s speech. Perhaps, the monster is speaking in a formal tone to create a funeral-like atmosphere, this is their final goodbye. In contrast to this, whilst the monster in Frankenstein can be seen as remorseful because of his development throughout the book, the same cannot be applied to Dracula. The final elimination of Dracula and the threat he posed occurs at the end of the play with the ‘’sweep and flash of Jonathan’s great knife’’ which resulted in Dracula’s body being ‘’crumbled into dust.’’ The sibilant verb ‘’sweep’ almost makes Jonathan’s attack seem effortless, however, the fricative verb ‘’flash’ is a term we associate with lightning. Perhaps Stocker used this to highlight how quick the attack was and the light it brought to