Writer Techniques

Mary Shelley employs a sophisticated range of literary techniques throughout Frankenstein to create a compelling Gothic narrative that explores themes of ambition, isolation, and moral responsibility. Understanding these techniques will help you analyze how Shelley crafts meaning and emotional impact in her groundbreaking novel.

Narrative structure: Frame and epistolary form

Shelley constructs her story using a complex layered narrative structure that creates multiple perspectives and builds suspense throughout the novel. The entire tale is presented through a series of letters written by Robert Walton to his sister, creating what's known as a frame narrative.

This epistolary approach (storytelling through letters and documents) adds several layers of perspective that enhance the reader's understanding. When Victor tells his story to Walton, we see how his account mirrors Walton's own dangerous ambition.

Victor's narrative voice is deeply personal and subjective, as he admits: "I am by birth a Genevese, and my family is one of the most distinguished of that republic." This personal tone reminds us that the entire tale is filtered through his emotions and self-justifications, making the story feel intimate yet unreliable.

The Monster's embedded narrative adds another crucial layer when he declares: "I am alone and miserable: man will not associate with me." Through this epistolary structure, Shelley provides insight into the Monster's suffering, adding emotional depth and moral complexity that wouldn't be possible with a single narrator.

Gothic genre conventions

Shelley masterfully blends science fiction elements with traditional Gothic literary conventions, incorporating the sublime, supernatural elements, and atmospheric horror that define the genre.

Weather and atmosphere play a crucial role in creating Gothic mood. Consider the description: "The rain pattered dismally against the panes, and my candle was nearly burnt out." Shelley's use of dark, foreboding weather heightens emotional tension while reflecting Victor's troubled internal state.

Natural phenomena mirror the chaos of Victor's dangerous ambitions: "The thunder burst at once with frightful loudness from various quarters of the heavens." These dramatic natural events reinforce the Romantic idea of sublime nature overpowering human ambition, suggesting that Victor's transgression against natural order brings cosmic consequences.

These Gothic elements work to dramatize the psychological and emotional toll of Victor's transgression while building suspense and dread that permeates the entire narrative.

Language and diction: Elevated and emotional

Shelley employs formal, emotional, and often poetic language throughout the novel, particularly in the speeches of both the Monster and Victor. This elevated diction gives philosophical weight to their moral struggles.

Victor's diction reflects his Promethean ambition and detachment from ethical boundaries: "Life and death appeared to me ideal bounds, which I should first break through." His dramatic and arrogant word choice reflects his dangerous ambition while showing his disconnection from moral limits.

The Monster's concise emotional declarations create powerful impact: "I am malicious because I am miserable." Shelley often uses these succinct emotional statements to elicit sympathy and highlight the novel's moral complexity, forcing readers to consider the relationship between suffering and evil.

This heightened language gives the novel philosophical weight, drawing attention to moral dilemmas, emotional suffering, and the tragic consequences of unchecked ambition.

Symbolism

Shelley uses recurring symbols throughout the novel to reinforce central themes of knowledge, danger, and isolation, creating layers of meaning that deepen the narrative's impact.

These symbols work to deepen meaning throughout the novel, allowing readers to track major themes such as isolation, power, innocence, and transgression as they develop across the narrative.

Intertextuality and allusions

Shelley weaves numerous literary and biblical references throughout Frankenstein that add thematic depth and connect her work to broader moral and philosophical traditions.

Greek Mythology and Prometheus infuse the entire narrative, with Victor serving as a "modern Prometheus." This reflects Shelley's central warning about human overreach and divine punishment, suggesting that stealing the secrets of life (like Prometheus stealing fire) brings terrible consequences.

These literary references align Frankenstein with established moral and philosophical traditions, adding layers of meaning to the characters and events while connecting Shelley's work to broader questions about human nature and responsibility.

Duality and foil characters

Shelley uses contrasting character pairs to explore moral ambiguity and the complexity of human nature, forcing readers to question simple judgments about good and evil.

Victor and the Monster mirror each other in their isolation, intellect, and longing for belonging. The Monster explains: "I was benevolent and good; misery made me a fiend," while Victor admits: "I pursued nature to her hiding-places." This duality highlights the nature versus nurture debate and forces readers to consider the relationship between creator and creation.

Setting as mood and symbol

Shelley's use of natural landscapes, particularly sublime settings, enhances emotional impact and reinforces thematic content throughout the narrative.

Physical Coldness symbolizes emotional emptiness: "The bleak damp air... chilled me to the heart." Shelley uses physical coldness to represent emotional emptiness and moral failure, creating a direct connection between environment and internal state.

The settings serve not merely as backdrop, but as emotional landscapes that reflect the characters' internal worlds, enhancing the psychological depth of the narrative.