Gothic literature

                                                       Gothic literature

                                   Frankenstein or the modern Prometheus, Mary Shelley, 1818

_The literary genre that I will present is the gothic genre, the question that we will ask ourselves is why can we say that the novel Frankenstein or the modern Prometheus illustrate the gothic genre.

_Thirst of all I would like to give a definition of the gothic genre, the gothic genre is a genre of literature

That is designed to thrill the readers by providing mystery, dangerous and supernatural situations.

The gothic genre include a frightening setting such as ancient building or ruined castle and monasteries, peculiar characters such as monster, vampire and witch also appear. The ideas of excess and transgressions are frequently present in the plot.

_First I will present three extracts of Frankenstein that each illustrates characteristics of the gothic genre then I will present my complementary document.

EXTRACT 1:

In the first extract Frankenstein describe us his working environment, this extract illustrate perfectly the gothic novel atmosphere were fear, death and darkness are present. Frankenstein give us an horrific description of his experience he tells us how he tortured animals or how he recovered body parts from slaughter houses and charnel-houses. He also talk about his crazy determination toward his experience and his loneliness due to his complete isolation from the outside world.

This extract shows that the novels have incorporated an atmosphere and settings typical of the gothic genre.

EXTRACT 2:

This second extract takes place when Frankenstein give life to his creature, this extract illustrate the idea of excess on how he describe his creature. There is excess in the way he uses the words the lexical field of the monstrosity is used by Frankenstein to describe his monster.

In this extract the idea of transgressions is also illustrated, indeed there is transgressions insofar as Frankenstein abandon and reject the creature he gave life to.

This extract is a good example of how Mary Shelley included the ideas of transgressions and excess in her novel.

EXTRACT 3:

In the third extract the first encounter between Frankenstein and the monster takes on a mountain.

This extract illustrate the idea of excess, we find excess in how the mountain is described by Frankenstein,   gigantic and overwhelming nature is what is conveyed in this extract.

This extract show that the novel present the characteristic of excess.

I will present my  document, it is a painting of Fuseli entitled the nightmare  ,  this painting  seems to portray simultaneously a dreaming woman and the content of her nightmare. The Nightmare likely influenced Mary Shelley in a scene from her famous Gothic novel Frankenstein, or, The Modern Prometheus (1818). Shelley would have been familiar with the painting; her parents, Mary Wollstonecraft and William Godwin, knew Fuseli. The iconic imagery associated with the Creature's murder of the protagonist Victor's wife seems to draw from the canvas.

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