The first chapters of Frankenstein introduce the romantic hero. He is hoping to discover the origins of life. The atmosphere is spooky. The chapters involve horror scenes and make readers scared. Frankenstein’s idealized ambitions crash against the terror and madness of their product.
Detailed answer:
Main aspects of gothic literature:
The romantic and ambitious fascination with mystery;
The spooky atmosphere and scary settings;
The contrast between the ideals and the terrifying reality.
Victor Frankenstein is fascinated with the mystery of life. At a young age, he became interested in electricity’s potential. Victor learns the importance of education and science from his father. The works of ambitious ancient alchemists encourage him to start his project. Victor’s love for mystery blinds him until the result of his experiment is out of control. His aspirations are exciting, but terrifying at the same time.
Before Victor goes to university, he faces his future wife’s sickness and the mother’s death. Soon after the traumatic events, he leaves home for two years to live in solitude studying chemistry. Isolation is typical for gothic literature since it intensifies the terror. During his studies, Victor focuses on crafting a new life. For that, he digs up corpses in a scary gothic cemetery.
The success comes on a spooky stormy November night. Victor is afraid of the beast. It causes him to faint and have nightmares about the loved ones. When the monster escapes, Victor falls ill and keeps on dreaming about his creation. The scary setting, Victor’s horror, and the corpse coming to life are common in gothic novels.