Symbolism

Test yourself

Symbolism: Victor's Dream

In the novel, Shelley utilises symbols to signify more complex and abstract ideas.

Shelley's use of dreams

One example of symbolism is the dream Victor has when he finally falls asleep after bringing the Monster to life:
- "I slept, indeed, but I was disturbed by the wildest dreams."
He thinks he sees Elizabeth, "in the bloom of health, walking in the streets of Ingolstadt."

Victor's description of his dream

"Delighted and surprised, I embraced her; but as I imprinted the first kiss on her lips, they became livid with the hue of death; her features appeared to change, and I thought that I held the corpse of my dead mother in my arms; a shroud enveloped her form, and I saw the grave-worms crawling in the folds of the flannel." (Chapter 5)

The Kiss

There are many aspects of this dream which can be read symbolically.
Firstly it is necessary to notice that in this dream scenario, it is Victor's kiss which leads to the death of Elizabeth.
- This could foreshadow the fact that it is Victor's romantic relationship with Elizabeth which is the cause of her murder.
  - The Monster targets her specifically in order to enact revenge for Victor's destruction of the second creature.

His mother

Secondly, in the dream, Elizabeth's corpse suddenly mutates into that of Victor's mother, Caroline.
This could suggest the similarity of these women for Victor – each of them has played a similar role in his life, and so they are more or less interchangeable.

The corpse

Finally, the fact that Victor physically holds the corpse could anticipate his own involvement in deaths later in the novel.
He holds the corpse in his hands, just as he holds the fate of his friends and family in his hands when he makes his decisions about how to respond to his creation.

1Plot Summaries

1.1Volume I

1.1.1Letters I-IV

1.1.2Chapters 1-3

1.1.3Chapters 4-6

1.1.4Chapters 7-8

1.1.5End of Topic Test - Volume I

1.2Volume II

1.2.1Chapters 1-3

1.2.2Chapters 4-6

1.2.3Chapters 7-9

1.2.4End of Topic Test - Volume II

1.3Volume III

1.3.1Chapters 1-3

1.3.2Chapters 4-6

1.3.3Chapter 7 & Walton in Continuation

1.3.4End of Topic Test - Volume III

2Characters

2.1Victor Frankenstein

2.1.1Role

2.1.2Quotations

2.1.3End of Topic Test - Victor Frankenstein

2.2The Monster

2.2.1Role

2.2.2Quotations

2.2.3End of Topic Test - The Monster

2.2.4Grade 9 - The Monster Question & Extract

2.3Other Characters

2.3.1Robert Walton

2.3.2Elizabeth Lavenza

2.3.3Alphonse Frankenstein

2.3.4Henry Clerval

2.3.5Justine Moritz

2.3.6The De Laceys

2.3.7End of Topic Test - Walton, Elizabeth & Alphonse

2.3.8End of Topic Test - Henry, Justine & the De Laceys

3Key Themes

3.1Ambition & Pursuit of Knowledge

3.1.1Presentation

3.1.2Key Quotations

3.2Prejudice

3.2.1Presentation & Key Quotations

3.3Justice

3.3.1Presentation & Key Quotations

3.3.2End of Topic Test - Ambition, Prejudice & Justice

3.4Companionship & Family

3.4.1Presentation & Key Quotations

3.5Revenge

3.5.1Presentation & Key Quotations

3.6Monstrosity

3.6.1Presentation

3.6.2Key Quotations

3.7Gender

3.7.1Presentation

3.7.2Key Quotations

3.7.3Key Themes - Companionship, Revenge & More

4Authorial Method

4.1Genre & Intertextuality

4.1.1Genre

4.1.2Intertextuality

4.1.3End of Topic Test - Genre & Intertextuality

4.2Form & Structure

4.2.1Form

4.2.2Structure

4.3Settings & Symbolism

4.3.1Settings

4.3.2Symbolism

4.4Imagery & Doubling

4.4.1Imagery

4.4.2Doubling

4.4.3End of Topic Test - Structure, Settings & More

5Context

5.1Context

5.1.1Mary Shelley

5.1.2Time of Writing

5.1.3End of Topic Test - Context

Jump to other topics