Frankenstein (Grades 9–1) York Notes

The beginning and end of 'Frankenstein' bring the relationship between Victor and his creation to a climax. In the middle section, Victor tells Walton his story.

Shelley uses three narrators – Walton, Victor and the monster – who tell their own stories and leave readers to react to their behaviour and evaluate their accounts.

The language of the novel is frequently intense and the emotions described are strong, often extreme. Repetition, rhetorical questions and exclamations help to achieve this Gothic intensity.

The moon, stormy weather, hands, eyes and windows are examples of images that recur in 'Frankenstein.' These motifs contribute to the development of theme and mood.

As well as using metaphors and similes throughout her novel, Shelley also makes extensive use of adjectives and adverbs to intensify her descriptions, for example, ‘grievously bruised by stones’ (p. 109).