The Gothic Setting of Frankenstein

One of the most important aspects of any gothic novel is setting.   Mary Shelly's Frankenstein is an innovative and disturbing work of misery, dread, and remorse that exemplifies what a gothic novel should be.  Shelly reveals the story of a man's thirst for knowledge which leads to a monstrous creature that goes against the laws of nature and natural order.   Victor Frankenstein, in disgust, abandons his creation who is shunned by all who meet him, yet still feels and wants affection and love.  The monster then seeks revenge for his life of isolation and misery.  The setting can bring about these feelings of loneliness, sadness, and despair. Shelly's writing shows how the dramatic and gothic settings of Frankenstein can create the atmosphere of the novel and can also effect the actions of Frankenstein and his monster as they go on their seemingly endless chase where the hunter becomes the hunted.
Dark and dramatic moments stand out as the most gothic in the novel.  The setting sets the atmosphere and creates the mood. The dreary night of November where the monster is given life is a perfect example of where Shelly uses gothic elements.   Victor recites the following: “It was already one in the morning; the rain pattered dismally against the pains, 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 his limbs.” (43)   This scene displays many gothic elements. The fact that it is in the middle of the night is one prominent element. The rain, which is featured frequently throughout the novel, is another element that emits a feeling of dread.
Also, there were grand scenes; the thunderstorm of the Alps, the valleys of Servox and Chamounix, the glacier, the smoke of rushing avalanches, and on that last journey with Elizabeth which were his last times of happiness.   Shelly can keep the mood and create a mental picture and it is in...