According to the definition of Gothic Literature it is,
"a movement that focused on ruin, decay, death, terror, and chaos, and privileged irrationality and passion over rationality and reason" .
Frankenstein certainly fits that definition. I will provide examples and chapters. Page numbers aren't effective, considering there are so many editions out there.
Death:Victor Frankenstein is obsessed with death and makes the creature out of body parts from the dead. (Ch. IV and...
According to the definition of Gothic Literature it is,
"a movement that focused on ruin, decay, death, terror, and chaos, and privileged irrationality and passion over rationality and reason" .
Frankenstein certainly fits that definition. I will provide examples and chapters. Page numbers aren't effective, considering there are so many editions out there.
Death: Victor Frankenstein is obsessed with death and makes the creature out of body parts from the dead. (Ch. IV and Ch. V especially)
There are also many deaths in the book, including Elizabeth, William, Justine, Henry, and Victor.
Terror: Almost immediately, the creature terrifies Victor:
"How can I describe my emotions at this catastrophe, or how delineate the wretch whom with such infinite pains and care I had endeavored to form" (Ch. V).
The description of the monster is meant to also terrify the reader. We also see that throughout the novel his appearance terrifies everyone he meets. His behavior, then, also becomes terrifying as he begins to kill people.
Irrationality and Passion: These are seen most obviously in Victor. At the beginning of his story we see how passionate he is about his science and his studies, but we also recognize (even when he does not), how irrational he is. Common sense tells us that trying to sew together a man our of dead body parts and bring it to life is probably going to end up badly, yet Victor genuinely expects perfection. He also expects that this is the beginning of a whole new race that will be grateful to him for its existence.
"A new species would bless me as its creator and source; many happy and excellent natures would owe their being to me" (Ch. IV).
As readers, we can see that this is completely irrational and his thinking is blinded by his passion.
For all of these reasons, and many others, Frankenstein is a Gothic novel.
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