Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus Group

Question:

katystandhaven
katystandhaven
Student
High School - 11th Grade

Comment on the language in Chapter 5.

I am stuck on one of the quotes it is in chapter 5 :

"I thought I saw Elizabeth, in the bloom of health, walking in the streets of Ingolstadt.  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 graveworms crawling in the folds of the flannel." 

Thank you for helping.  xx

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Posted by katystandhaven on Saturday April 4, 2009 at 8:54 AM and tagged with chapter 5, frankenstein; or, the modern prometheus, quotes, style.

Answers:

  1. joe30pl
    joe30pl Teacher
    Community / Jr. College

    eNotes Editor

    How exactly are you supposed to comment on the quote? By what it means? The language used here can be taken as a sign of things to come (Elizabeth's eventual death due to Victor's creature) or Victor obsessing with death and the passing of his mother. The entire dream could be seen as Victor having a vision of the future and the horror that his Creature unleashes. There is also a possible Freudian interpretation about Elizabeth becoming Victor's mother. I am not entirely sure what your assignment is, however, so I am not sure what kind of comments you are looking for.

    Sources:
    http://www.enotes.com/frankenstein/style
    http://www.enotes.com/frankenstein/volume-3-chapters-5-6-...

    Rate answer:

    Posted by joe30pl on Saturday April 4, 2009 at 11:28 AM