Frankenstein Group

Question:

rere
rere
Student
High School - 10th Grade

How has the writer used language in Chapter 5 of "Frankenstein" to develop atmosphere?

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Posted by rere on Saturday February 2, 2008 at 10:50 AM and tagged with atmosphere, chapter 5, frankenstein, language, setting.

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  1. dymatsuoka

    Mary Shelley uses imagery and strategic repetition of key descriptive words to create an atmosphere of horror and gloom in the first part of the chapter, when the monster comes to life.  She uses variations of words such as "dreary", "dismal", "horrid", "disgust", "miserable", and "wretched" liberally, and paints vivid images of ugliness and decay.  An especially vivid example of this is when she has Victor Frankenstein describe holding "the corpse of (his) dead mother...a shroud enveloped her form...the grave-worms crawling in the folds of the flannel".

    The gloominess of the atmosphere is further highlighted when, halfway through the chapter, Clerval arrives.  Frankenstein is lifted from his morbid situation and responds manically, jumping over chairs, clapping his hands, and laughing out loud.  The extreme intensity of Frankenstein's apparent joy emphasizes the heaviness of the previous scene by sheer contrast, and the fact that his reaction is based in madness only serves to underscore the darkness of the scene.

    Sources:
    http://www.enotes.com/frankenstein/

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    Posted by dymatsuoka on Friday February 8, 2008 at 1:13 PM

  2. bubblegumpink
    bubblegumpink Student
    High School - 10th Grade

    she uses pathetic fallacy to create atmosphere.

    'it was a dreary night of November' refelcts on victors moods.

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    Posted by bubblegumpink on Wednesday January 7, 2009 at 11:26 AM