Man and monster: Gothic horror

Man and monster: Gothic horror Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Chapter 5 It was on a dreary night of November that I beheld the accomplishment of my toils. With an anxiety that almost amounted to agony, I collected the instruments of life around me, that I might infuse a spark of being into the lifeless thing that lay at my feet. It was already one in the morning; the rain pattered dismally against the panes, and my candle was nearly burnt out, when, by the glimmer of the half-extinguished light, I saw the dull yellow eye of the creature open; it breathed hard, and a convulsive motion agitated its limbs. How can I describe my emotions at this catastrophe, or how delineate the wretch whom with such infinite pains and care I had endeavoured to form? His limbs were in proportion, and I had selected his features as beautiful. Beautiful! Great God! His yellow skin scarcely covered the work of muscles and arteries beneath; his hair was of a lustrous black, and flowing; his teeth of a pearly whiteness; but these luxuriances only formed a more horrid contrast with his watery eyes, that seemed almost of the same colour as the dun-white sockets in which they were set, his shrivelled complexion and straight black lips. The different accidents of life are not so changeable as the feelings of human nature. I had worked hard for nearly two years, for the sole purpose of infusing life into an inanimate body. For this I had deprived myself of rest and health. I had desired it with an ardour that far exceeded moderation; but now that I had finished, the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart. Unable to endure the aspect of the being I had created, I rushed out of the room and continued a long time traversing my bedchamber, unable to compose my mind to sleep. Colour code and annotate: • • • • • • • •

Horror conventions / ingredients Connotations of dramatic / horror words Narrative style What is happening in this section Words to show this was written in the 1800s The character’s fear The character’s mixed feelings about his creation Words to describe the monster

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Chapter 5: The Creation of the Monster! Name: ...................................................................................................

Gothic Horror Checklist • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Grotesque elements The mysterious Desolate environments The horrible The ghostly Abject fear is aroused in the reader Set in unfamiliar environments, alien from the readers’ experiences Sense of remoteness in character’s situation and mind Sense of indefiniteness; nothing is exactly explained or described Creation of a ghostly, eerie atmosphere A monster that can’t function in the “normal” world The characters seem to possess some sort of psychic communication Communication between the living and the dead The possibility of life after death (immortality?)

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Chapter 5: The Creation of the Monster! Name: ...................................................................................................

Gothic Horror Checklist • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Grotesque elements The mysterious Desolate environments The horrible The ghostly Abject fear is aroused in the reader Set in unfamiliar environments, alien from the readers’ experiences Sense of remoteness in character’s situation and mind Sense of indefiniteness; nothing is exactly explained or described Creation of a ghostly, eerie atmosphere A monster that can’t function in the “normal” world The characters seem to possess some sort of psychic communication Communication between the living and the dead The possibility of life after death (immortality?)


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Frankenstein Research Questions: 1. Who was Mary Shelley married to and why was he famous? 2. Who were Shelley’s parents and what were they famed for? What were their achievements? 3. Who wrote ‘The Rime of the Ancient Mariner’ and what was this narrative poem about? 4. Who was Dante? What is he most famous for writing? 5. Who or what were the Luddites and what did they believe? 6. Who was Prometheus and what happened to him? 7. What was the first gothic novel and when was it published? 8. What are the conventions (ingredients) of the gothic horror genre? 9. What is the story behind the creation and writing of Frankenstein (e.g. where was Shelley, who was she with etc.)?


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The Setting Draw this scene from chapter 5 and annotate your work with quotations. It was on a dreary night of November that I beheld the accomplishment of my toils. With an anxiety that almost amounted to agony, I collected the instruments of life around me, that I might infuse a spark of being into the lifeless thing that lay at my feet. It was already one in the morning; the rain pattered dismally against the panes, and my candle was nearly burnt out, when, by the glimmer of the half-extinguished light, I saw the dull yellow eye of the creature open; it breathed hard, and a convulsive motion agitated its limbs.

Name: ............................................................................................................ © 2005 www.teachit.co.uk

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Chapter 4 Find evidence to support the following points. You can then use these in your essay on Frankenstein.

1. Shelley is dissociating her story from the superstitious, backwardlooking, irrational terrors that typify most Gothic novels. 2. Victor places his trust in scientific development, rejecting the belief in the supernatural. 3. Victor is the archetypal Gothic protagonist. He is a loner and isolates himself from natural ties such as family and friends. 4. The chapter deals with the Gothic pre-occupation with life after death or eternal life. 5. There is a sense of fear and fascination provoked in the reader. 6. Shelley leaves an air of mystery, not divulging or describing how the monster is actually made. 7. Victor’s quest is both noble and sordid or grotesque. 8. Victor is like Prometheus, stealing fire from the Gods. As such the reader recognises that he will be punished. 9. Victor is already a broken man by the end of the chapter, hovering on the verge of insanity. 10. It is ironic and pitiable that Victor is so pre-occupied with creating life and becoming a father by grotesque, unnatural means, that he neglects the natural path to fatherhood: his relationship with Elizabeth.


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Name:.................................................................. Date: ...........................

Connotations of words Look at these words that are used to describe the monster. Add ideas about the connotations (associations) and effects of the words Mary Shelley chose to use. An example has been done for you. Word(s) used

What this tells you about the monster

Connotations / effects

dull

Not at all inspiring or exciting, seems very dead, still, not life like.

Boring, tarnished, uninteresting, lifeless.

creature

wretch

beautiful

yellow skin

Not healthy or human, almost as if it’s ill or sick.

muscles

lustrous

Unusual word to use. As though there is beauty but horror too.

Thick, shiny, healthy, flowing.

black

pearly whiteness

watery eyes

shrivelled complexion


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Man and monster: Gothic horror Frankenstein by Mary Shelley Pre 1914 Prose Language and Literature Coursework Full Title (To be put at the top of your essay): Gothic horror has been described as “delightful horror”. Focusing on Chapter 5 of Frankenstein, how has Shelley use the gothic genre to explore deeper issues? Important Reminders!

•

Remember to include an introduction, main body and conclusion when structuring your essay.

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When using quotations as evidence, remember to “introduce” them in external quotes by using phrases such as “For example …”, “Shelley writes …”, “The novel describes …” and “Shelley describes how …” etc.

• •

Use PEE. Use cluster and internal quotations more than external ones. Work quotations into a sentence. For example: Shelley subverts the norm of typical horror texts by describing the weather as being “on a dreary night of November” when Victor finally reveals how “I beheld the accomplishment of my toils”. Although using a cold season to create an appropriate atmosphere, the weather is not a gothic thunderstorm full of awe and power. Perhaps this is preparing the reader for the “dismal” disappointment that awaits Victor as he sees his creation for the first time. Checklist (of points to consider in your essay):

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A definition of gothic horror; its conventions and origins. Consider how the genre could be used to explore taboo issues of sexuality. Why is the oxymoron “delightful horror” an apt one?

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Background to Mary Shelley’s life and how this may have some influence on the writing of Frankenstein.

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How the chapter creates a specific atmosphere, looking at the genre’s conventions and whether Shelley uses or subverts them. Look at any mental landscapes.

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The use of narrative and how this is used as a whole to influence the reader.

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Symbolic details such as the dream and how this reflects deeper, psychological issues perhaps.

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How does the novel give a warning? What is this warning perhaps? How has the novel a feminist subtext? How is it relevant to today’s society as well as the times in which Shelley herself was writing? How is the novel “A Modern Prometheus” (Shelley’s subtitle)?

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Use of pre-1914 language (NOT CALLED OLD ENGLISH!) It uses complex sentences with commas, semi colons, clauses etc. and the vocabulary is more formal and complex. Perhaps you could incorporate this point into the “Explanation” when analysing language and quotations.

Characterisation: how does Shelley create her characters and how typical of the genre are they?

Useful Quotations: “Gothic fiction was, and is, essentially a reaction against comfort and security, against political stability and commercial progress. Above all, it resists the rule of reason.” “… delightful horror” “… indulging in waking dreams” (Mary Shelley) “I busied myself to think of a story …One which would speak to the mysterious fears of our nature and awaken thrilling horror – one to make the reader dread to look round, to curdle the blood, and quicken the beatings of the heart.” (Mary Shelley) Check spelling and punctuation. 800 words minimum 1,500 maximum! © 2005 www.teachit.co.uk

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Chapter 5 Tasks Use full sentences and quotations to support your ideas. 1. How has Shelley overturned the usual gothic horror convention of a violent thunderstorm to create an eerie or tense atmosphere? 2. How else does Shelley create an eerie and ghostly atmosphere at the beginning of this chapter? 3. What is Victor’s attitude towards his creation? 4. How does Shelley provoke fear and revulsion in the reader by use of description? Focus on the monster’s description in particular. 5. How does Shelley use a juxtaposition of ideas to describe the monster? What effect is created? 6. Why does Victor feel so regretful over his creation? 7. What does Victor dream of? How is this an archetypal gothic horror convention? 8. What deeper, darker concerns are revealed in Victor’s dream? What does it reveal about Victor? 9. What grotesque image is waiting for Victor as he awakes? 10. How have Victor’s views on creation and perhaps fatherhood, changed since chapter 4? 11. How is a mental landscape created in this chapter? 12. How are Victor and the Ancient Mariner from Coleridge’s narrative poem linked? 13. Who is waiting for Victor as he returns? 14. Explain why Victor is both fearful and elated when returning home. 15. What is Victor’s frame of mind at the end of chapter 5?


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