of science.  Truly, Victor corrupts what is natural and innocent as his lack of nurturing for the creature transforms him into the monster that he becomes.

The human capacity to corrupt natural goodness

Human nature often corrupts what is by nature innocent. For, the creature is totally without sin until he is rejected.  Influenced by the writings of the English philosopher, John Locke, Shelley depicts how important the creature's social conditioning is to his nature.  When he is reviled and rejected by Victor and all others that he approaches, the creature vows revenge upon humans and his killing begins, whereas before he is rejected, all he has wanted is love.

The agony of the questing, solitary hero

Possessing a life filled with fear and agony, Frankenstein in Chapter 18 (Volume 3, Chapter 1) is unable to enjoy the beauties of nature while he is with Clerval, who observes the scenery "with an eye of feelig and delight."  Instead, Victor declares himself,

“I am a blasted tree; the bolt has entered my soul. . . .” (An image that recalls the giant oak Victor watched destroyed by lightning when he was 15.)

The power of the sublime

While Victor follows the Rhine, however, he sees many lovely towns, hills, and ruined castles on cliffs surrounded by black forests.  In this journey of natural beauty, with the majesty of the Alps and the musical loveliness of the Rhine, Victor feels his soul somewhat restored.  He declares that his "gush of sorrow" is but a "slight tribute to the unexampled worth of Henry," soothing his heart.

One way in which Shelley goes beyond the stereotypical horror story is how she depicts the complexity of thematic development in Frankenstein. Within the text, there is a strict critique of Science as well as its competing intellectual force of Romanticism. She manages to indict the full embrace of scientific process and industrialization in raising the potential harmful implications in the singular pursuit of the good. In addition to this, she indicts the self indulgent pursuit of Romanticism, when it fails to incorporate the social responsibility and connection to others. Shelley was ahead of her time in her demonstrating the complex grasp of the ethics in parental responsibility. This might be where the most amount of transcendence from the traditional horror story is most present. The ongoing debate of who holds more responsibility for what happens in the novel is something that is almost beautiful in its inability to be resolved. Even here on enotes, the discussions as to whom bears more responsibility is present, as individuals are almost split in their assigning of blame to the monster or to Victor. These elements, ones which show a great deal of analysis in who we are as humans and how we shall live represent qualities that make the work much more than the samples from the horror genre.

By using letters to tell the story, Shelley establishes a first person narrative that is surprisingly intimate. If one interprets the 'monster' as Victor's repressed homosexuality, that part of himself he cannot face but that must find expression, as has been discussed by a number of literary scholars, then the ominous statement "I will be with you on your wedding night" takes on a double meaning. It means the monster will be physically present and possibly bring physical harm, but also that Victor's latent homosexuality may prevent him from consummating his marriage or from becoming fully devoted to his wife. To Victor, this signifies a possibility even more frightening than his or his wife's potential murder.

In addition the highly descriptive and detailed passages create an authentic visual landscape that amplifies the frightening events of the novel.