“tion of creature and creator. ” Do you agree?The chapters when the creature and creator confront each other are verytense, and play an important part in creating power and energy in thisnovel. However, there are actually only two confrontations throughout thewhole novel.
As this novel has been very successful since it was firstpublished, there must be other areas of the book that also create suspenseand energy. The first time that the creator and creature see each other is whenFrankenstein is going home to Geneva. Shelley uses a gothic technique toherald the creature’s arrival by describing the terrible storm thatFrankenstein is caught in “pitchy darkness” “vivid flashes of lighting”. Another time that the creature appears the weather is stormy, and so thebad weather creates anticipation and leads the reader to wonder what willhappen.
In this encounter, there is a strong contrast between when he seesthe creature, for instance the “violence” of the world when the storm ishappening and the “calm and heavenly scene” of the day before. Frankensteinfirst spots the creature “in the gloom” but only knows for sure when aflash of lighting illuminates it. He calls it “hideous” and a “filthydaemon”. These adjectives create an atmosphere of misery and melancholy,similarly, the adjectives “violence” and “darkness” used to describe theweather create a matching atmosphere.
The creature and the creator next meet when Frankenstein is travelling overthe mountains. Similarly, to again herald the creatures appearance, theweather is “melancholy” with pouring rain, and this is a also contrast tothe “sublime ecstasy” that Frankenstein had felt before. This is the firstconfrontation where the creature and Frankenstein actually converse, and itsurprises the reader, because the creatures speech is calm and eloquent,despite Frankenstein’s description of him as “too horrible for human eyes”. In Frankenstein’s speeches, Shelley uses short sentences to show his dreadat having come face to face with this “vile insect”. He repeatedlythreatens to “extinguish” the creature, and does not listen to anything hehas to say. The creature’s sentences are longer and more elegant, makingFrankenstein seem hasty and violent.
In this confrontation, the reader endsup having some sympathy with the creature, and this helps with the dramabecause it is unexpected. The second confrontation occurs when Frankenstein is irresolute aboutcreating a female for the creature. He describes how he is worried aboutcreating a “race of devils”. The creature appears at the casement window,and Frankenstein said his “heart failed” at the sight. The creaturesuddenly appearing is a shock, as there had been nothing to anticipate hisarrival.
This shock to the reader helps create energy, and keeps theirinterest. The creature is very threatening towards Frankenstein and thismakes the atmosphere one of malice and evil. His threat “I shall be withyou on your wedding night” creates a lot of tension and anticipation, asthe reader wonders what will happen when he finally weds Elizabeth. However, one of the main events of the book that also creates power, energyand tension is the creation of the creature. The line “It was on a drearynight of November” has become very famous, and is what most people think ofwhen Frankenstein is mentioned.
The description of Frankenstein’s mentalstate “anxiety that almost amounted to agony” creates a sense of uneasinessand fear, before he even puts life into the creature. Again, the weather,reminiscent of gothic novels, helps create fear, tension and misery. Frankenstein’s view of the creature as a “catastrophe” and his nightmaresafterwards, make the reader feel his distress, and this creates excitementand anxiety. At the end of chapter III, Frankenstein’s finds himself upon the shores ofIreland. Here, he is accused of “the death of a gentleman who was foundmurdered here last night”.
He says that this answer “startled” him, but hefelt his innocence could easily be proved. However, at the Frankensteinsaid “I must pause here; for it requires all my fortitude to recall thememory of the frightful events”. This creates tension for the reader. Whilst Frankenstein ends up in prison, his father gets him released and heproceeds to Paris. He receives a letter from Elizabeth, and is reminded ofthe creature’s threat. Frankenstein’s wedding night is a very tense part ofthe book, because both Frankenstein and the readers are mindful of thecreature’s threat.
When Frankenstein goes to look for the creature, hehears a “shrill scream”. The readers instantly think about the creaturesthreat and this creates and atmosphere of foreboding. Frankenstein’s seesElizabeth dead, with the thumbprint round her neck, and describing thisevent claims he lost “all sensation”. This wedding night creates a lot ofenergy. Whilst the confrontations between Victor Frankenstein and the creature areof pivotal importance, the other sections also play a very important part.
The novel has a lot of energy throughout, which could not have beenachieved if only a few sections created the tension and energy.
