Frankenstein Reading Journal: Volume One ^ Chapter 8

Letter I:

• The address of the letters show of a foreign setting; unfamiliar, alien, mysterious gothic setting.
• "evil forebodings" - gothic convention.
• "breeze play upin my cheeks...fills me with delight" - joy of the unfamiliar is naive "ever presents itself to my imagination as a region of beauty".
• Repeated reference to solitude; foreshadows Frankenstein's lose of family/friends and the creation's loneliness.
• Much talk of his fascination - more romantic than scientific. Walton was a failed poet, now turned explorer.
• Walton has an obsession for knowledge, knowledge is power; conformity to the gothic 'power-hungry tyrant'.

Letter II:

• "I have no friend" - emphasises the importance/recurring theme of companionship in the novel. Romantic.
• My best years under your gentle and feminine fosterage" - Like Victor, Walton has lived a sheltered life.
• "if I should come back to you as worn and woeful as the 'Ancient Mariner'" - reference to Samuel Coleridge's epic poem of ambition.

Letter III:

• "Why not still proceed over the untamed yet obedient element?" - Reference to Walton's perceived power of man over nature.
• Outlines the ambitions of Walton and his endearing passion to succeed.

Letter IV:

• Trapped and surrounded by ice, Walton's ship is found by Frankenstein who is ill and nursed by Walton.
• "'we are unfashioned creatures," - Frankenstein speaks of wisdom and nobility as a trait of only born humans rather than 'fashioned' ones i.e. the creation.
• Frankenstein's condition foreshadows Walton's future if he continues on his path of ambition and glory.
• Narrative changes at the end of the chapter to Victor's voice being written down by Walton.

Chapter I:

• Like Walton, Victor describes a blissful and tender childhood. Both were captured by the thirst for knowledge.
• Suffering taking place before and during Victor's childhood e.g. Beaufort's death and Elizabeth's life pre-adoption. Juxtaposes suffering alongside joy as a natural part of life. Emphasises the creation's suffering as he lives a sad life, but without the joys that Frankenstein is afforded.

Chapter II:

• The character Henry Clerval contrasts Victor's character as a boy with an objective to study science and pursue knowledge. Henry is a romantic, he finds bliss in literature and is more a man of the arts. Similar to the young Walton.
• The thunderstorm not only inspires Victor over the possibilities of science and electricity but demonstrates the power of nature in its destruction of the tree.
• The perfect and sublime nature of Frankenstein's childhood elevates the severity of his loss when it is contrasted with his current state in the ship.

Chapter III:

• Victor's mother dies from contracting scarlet fever as a result of caring for Elizabeth, the death of Victor's mother shows the harm that can come from trying to do good and misguided intents i.e. Victor's losses from creating life. It also shows the harm of that comes from loved ones Victor essentially causes the death of his family.
• "I felt as if my soul were grappling with a palpable enemy" - Mention of soul; romanticism.
• Victor's pursuit to further knowledge in the sciences is mirrored by Walton's pursuit to reach the North Pole.

Chapter IV:

• Victor's immersion in his studies takes over and shrouds him from all else; including his beloved family whom he ignores for two years. His obsession introduces the theme of insanity, synonymous with gothic concepts.
• "but was engaged, heart and soul," - Ties the soul with Victor's passion for enlightenment. Through devoting his 'heart and soul' to his quest in the name of science; Shelley, like Romanticism, is criticising the Age of Enlightenment by depicting Victor as taking his heart and soul away from the focus of his loved ones to his new obsession with knowledge.
• "then drive away incipient disease;" - Victor's toils clearly show a negative impact on him; may be interpreted as nature trying to stop Victor from creating this unnatural creation.

Chapter V:

• "Dreary night of November." - eerie pathetic fallacy; gothic setting
• "I had selected his features as beautiful." - Victor like God fashions his creation to be perfect and imagines it to be wonderful, but the reality of his creation is disgusting and detestable. Like Adam, it was unrealistic to imagine a being without perfection.
• During Victor's childhood in Geneva, he was innocent and pure and this is replicated in the mountains and rivers (all natural scenes) but having carried out his dark pursuits in Ingolstadt, the streets (man-made) are 'black' and have a 'comfortless sky' on the eve of his success.
• The security that comes with the arrival of Clerval amongst such distress gives the reader a false sense of safety, furthered by the fact the monster is no where to be found.

Chapter VI:

• Under the influence of Clerval, Victor once again appreciates all the beauties of nature, this is amplified by his own failure to replicate it and witnessing the hideousness of man-made creation.
• Victor's character may be argued as selfish; after not having returned home for 6 years, he delays further by going on a walking tour.
• Justine is referred to as a servant with rights; this shows the equality that may come from mankind, an equality that is lacking with the monster who shares similar concepts with Justine.
• The mood of the chapter is nostalgic with appearances/voices of characters from Victor's past and Victor is quite queasy; as if he has woken from a nightmare and is reminded by its details through minor details such as seeing scientific instruments in the university.

Chapter VII:

• The effect of finding out William's murder changes Victor's overwhelming by creation into an overwhelming by loss. There are contrasts in the polars of emotion.
• The heavy use of letters that is becoming apparent in the novel undermines the reliability of the narrator as Victor could not have remembered that accurately the details, it brings in to question the potential for bias narration.
• Henry's character is also very pure, this is contrasted with Victor's ill health and immoral conducts.

Chapter VIII:

• The recognition of Justine's isolation and suffering by Victor demonstrates his irrational denial of his creation's misery as he can see it but chooses to ignore it because of the creation's monstrosity.
• Victor may have such detail of the trial out of guilt from causing Justine's situation; as he cannot liberate Justine out of fear for being labelled insane (a gothic theme), he must do her justice and seek liberation from within himself by being able to account the entire truth of Justine's case.
• "How shall I ever again believe in human goodness?" - Justine, like the creation and like God, loses faith in humanity.
• Justine puts her faith and devotion to religion "God raises my weakness and gives me courage", her character plays the role of showing dedication to religion and God "Learn from me...to submit in patience to the will of heaven!" - Victor should not have tried to go against God by creating life and defying death.
• Justine also tried helping Victor's mother on her deathbed but now she is condemned to death. There is a motif that those who try to help others will pay a price. Victor pays his price through helping science in creating life.
• Justine very clearly outlines the gothic character of the weak and submissive female; she admits to her crimes even though she knows she is innocent and the only one that can save her is a man losing his sanity.