Why Ice Is Part Of The Setting In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

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There are a numerous amount of reasons as to why ice is important in Mary Shelley's, Frankenstein. The evidence supported throughout the novel shows the way the book is perceived. Without the scene being set in the Arctic, the tone of the book would change. Thus changing the overall feel that Mary Shelley was trying to convey throughout Frankenstein. One of the main reasons why the icy land is part of the setting is because, in a way, it relates directly back to Victor. This icy place is isolated, unexplored and “virgin” therefore giving it a fascinating quality, a quality that hasn’t been found yet. In the book, Victor gets caught up in his fascination with creating life which doesn’t allow him to make any friends, giving him more of a remote quality. On page 19 in letter 4, Walton writes that they are stuck in the ice. After comparing Victor to the ship getting stuck in the ice it is easy to see the relationship. Victor was so obsessed with creating life and then finally, after completing his dream, he realizes that …show more content…

This is due to the lands reputation; the land was seen as empty, depressing and uncared of. After reading that the creature was crying over Victor’s body in chapter 24 on page 18, the ironic pull makes people feel for the creature after realizing that he just wanted to be accepted. After comparing the feelings of both the reputation of the icy land and the stature of the creature, the reader can imply that the icy land is not only an appropriate place for the ending of this book to take place, but is also the most fitting. When something is said about crying, normally the reader doesn’t imagine sunshine and rainbows in the background. So for the book to end with the sorrowful creature crying over Victor’s dead body, the ice land, known for its dry uninhibitedness, it’s the perfect background for the