Frankenstein Questions

Frankenstein

Chapter 5 Tasks

1. How has Shelley overturned the usual gothic horror convention of a violent thunderstorm to create an eerie or tense atmosphere?

Shelley has used a �dreary night’ instead of the typical thunderstorm to make an eerie atmosphere.

2. How else does Shelly create an eerie and ghostly atmosphere at the beginning of this chapter?

She uses very descriptive words that make the surroundings more eerie. E.g. glimmer of the half-extinguished light, rain pattering dismally, etc.

3. What is Victor’s attitude towards his creation?

As amazed he is by his creation, Victor sees it as a monster. He’s disappointed and possibly even scared about how his creation will turn out. This is evident when he describes his monster as a �catastrophe’.

4. How does Shelley provoke fear and revulsion in the reader by use of description?

Fear is provoked well when Shelley describes the monster in detail by explaining how �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’. By describing such horrific features it creates the image of a deformed monster with ghastly features just thrown together.

5. How does Shelley use a juxtaposition of ideas to describe the monster? What effect is created?

By describing the monsters ghastly features but then mentioning how straight and sleek his hair is, it creates juxtaposition. With such an evil face but such perfect teeth and hair, it becomes quite scary.

6. Why does Victor feel so regretful over his creation?

Victor feels regretful because his monster turned out such a disaster instead of the beautiful being he set out to create.

7. What does Victor dream of? How is this an archetypal gothic horror convention?

Victor dreamt of his fiancÐ"© Elizabeth. As he finally embraces her, her features become lifeless and she appears to be dead. She suddenly turns into Victors mother, then worms appear. This is a typical gothic horror convention because his beloved fiancÐ"© went from full health to suddenly dying, and then she had worms emerge from her.

8. What deeper, darker concerns are revealed in Victors dream? What