Genre

Q: Genre: Gothic

Genres are categories based on shared conventions. In _‘Frankenstein’_, Shelley draws on the genres of Gothic and Romantic literature.

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Genre: Gothic

Genres are categories based on shared conventions. In ‘Frankenstein’, Shelley draws on the genres of Gothic and Romantic literature.

Genres

Although we often attempt to classify literature, art, and films into specific genres (categories based on shared conventions), this can sometimes be overly simplistic.
In ‘Frankenstein’, Shelley draws on conventions of different genres, with two of the most important being Gothic and Romantic literature.

Gothic

Gothic literature is a style of writing which combines aspects of both the horror and romance genres, and aims to create a pleasing sort of terror in the reader.
The first Gothic novel is widely considered to have been ‘The Castle of Otranto’ (1764) by Horace Walpole.
- This a story about a doomed family who encounter various complications and tragedies.

Characteristics of Gothic writing

Gothic writing is characterised by a number of features such as:
- Blood, pain, death, cruelty.
- Eroticism.
- A fascination with the past
- Particularly Medieval times, when many Gothic novels are set.
- A mysterious or dark tone, with an atmosphere of gloom, evil and terror.

Elements of Gothic writing

Isolated settings
- Such as dark castles, chambers, or haunted mansions.
Supernatural elements
- Such as the presence of ghosts, spirits, vampires, etc.

Gothic characters

Type characters
- Such as persecuted women, tyrannical men, and Byronic (dark and flawed) heroes.
Characters who mysteriously disappear and reappear.
A Gothic “double”
- Whereby one character who seems to be good is somehow linked with another, who is evil

Shelley's use of Gothic themes

Shelley draws on many of these features in her writing of ‘Frankenstein’, in particular:
- Utilising Gothic settings.
- Creating a Gothic tone and atmosphere.
- Making use of the concept of doubling.

Genre: Romantic

Genres are categories based on shared conventions. Romanticism developed in the late 18th century and was a rejection of the rationality that had been prevalent earlier in the century.

Romanticism

Romanticism is a movement in literature, art and music which developed over a period from the late eighteenth to the mid-nineteenth century.
Romanticism was a reaction to the preceding Enlightenment period, which focused on fact and reason.
- It was this rejection of the rationality that characterised the late eighteenth century.

Importance of nature

Romanticism focuses on the importance of the individual and the subjective, of the imagination, of intense feelings, and of the vast power of nature to provoke an emotional response in humans.
This appreciation of the beauty and power of nature focused on its ability to inspire awe and to make man feel insignificant, a notion which became known as the Sublime.

Emotion over reason

As well as appreciating nature, Romantic thinkers valued emotion and the senses over reason.
This led to a deepened examination of the inner self and the view that artists (painters, authors, composers) were the supreme creators.

Romanticism in 'Frankenstein'

It is possible to see aspects of Romanticism in Shelley’s use of settings, such as the barren landscapes of the North Pole or the awe-inspiring vistas of the Alps.
We often see how these landscapes have an emotional impact on characters such as Victor and the Monster.

Romanticism in 'Frankenstein' cont.

The Monster can also be read as a Romantic hero:
- He is an imaginative and sensitive character.
- He takes a great deal from his reading of literature.