Frankenstein: form

Basic Form

“Frankenstein” is a Gothic novel, a popular literary genre during the late 18th and early 19th centuries, characterised by elements of horror, supernatural occurrences, gloomy settings and endangered heroines.
The novel has an epistolary structure, where the story is relayed through a series of letters written by the explorer Robert Walton to his sister Margaret Saville. This provides a frame story offering multiple perspectives.

The novel showcases a non-linear narrative with several shifts in time and place. This fragmentation builds suspense and reinforces the unsettling mood of the story.
“Frankenstein” is a story within a story, through Walton’s letters that narrate his encounter with Victor, and then Victor’s own narrative recounting his creation of the creature and its aftermath.
This is followed by the creature’s narrative, giving a voice to the ‘other’ and further complicating reader’s sympathies.

The novel’s first-person perspective provides a subjective view of the events and emotions, drawing readers more intimately into the inner world of the characters.
The switching narrative voice highlights the idea of unreliable narration where each narrator, namely Walton, Victor and the creature, might embellish and omit details to serve their purposes.

The story is heavily laden with dramatic monologues, predominantly from Victor and the creature, serving as a form of self-reflection and a vehicle for expressing their emotional turmoil.

“Frankenstein” embodies elements of the Romantic Movement, including the celebration of the sublime (awe and terror of nature), the exploration of human passion and the emphasis on individual experience and imagination.

Although rooted in Gothic tradition, “Frankenstein” is often considered as a precursor to the Science Fiction genre. It challenges the boundaries of natural philosophy, questioning human interference with nature and the ethical implications of scientific advancement.