Frankenstein Genre Gothic and Science Fiction

Frankenstein Genre: Gothic and Science Fiction

''Frankenstein,'' tells the story of a scientist who builds and animates a "monster." This lesson discusses the two genres of literature the book falls under: Gothic novel and science fiction.

What Is a Genre?

You've probably heard the word genre in your English class, but what exactly does it mean? In literature, a genre is the category that a work falls under based on different similarities between texts. Some common genres include epics, fairy tales, or ghost stories. But what about the story of Frankenstein? Mary Shelley's novel actually falls under two different genres: Gothic novel and science fiction.

What Is a Gothic Novel?

• First thing's first: What is a Gothic novel? Gothic novels were a popular genre during the late 1700s and early 1800s.

• Think of them as a combination of mystery and horror all rolled into one.

• Most Gothic novels take place in creepy settings like dark castles, damp dungeons, and dusty passageways.

Gothic Elements in Frankenstein

Shelley's Frankenstein falls under the genre of Gothic novel because of its general themes and content. Gothic novels typically explore the mysterious and unexplained like supernatural phenomena and ghosts. In Frankenstein, Shelly describes reanimating a dead body. For most people, even the thought of bringing something dead back to life is terrifying, let alone something built with parts from multiple dead bodies!

Poll

Many films, tv shows, video games and novels are about reanimating the dead. Have you seen or heard of any of the following?

• The Walking Dead

• Plants vs Zombies

• The Evil Within

• Resident Evil

• Dying Light

Frankenstein and Gothic Continues

Shelley leads her readers to ask many questions about Dr. Frankenstein and his monster. It's perfectly normal for a scientist to study a cadaver for research purposes, but why does this guy want to bring something dead back to life? Where did he get the body parts? How did he bring the monster to life? Can this even happen in real life?! Throughout Frankenstein, Shelley builds a sense of suspense for her reader, a classic hallmark of Gothic novels. The combination of ominous scenery, mysterious characters, and of course the monster itself, create the feeling of impending doom.

Frankenstein as a Science Fiction Novel

Some book critics argue that Frankenstein is not a Gothic novel. Instead, it's often considered a science fiction novel because it emphasizes new and unseen technologies.

Frankenstein: Science Fiction

Most Gothic novels include some sort of evil villain, but that's not quite Dr. Frankenstein. Even though he created a 'monster', his intentions weren't for it to be destructive or damaging to society.

Dr. Frankenstein brings his monster to life with some sort of scientific procedure completely unheard of in the 1800s, not because he invokes the supernatural.

If Shelley's book had been published in, let's say, 2010, the reaction to the story might not have been as extreme. After all, we live in a time where people who suffer heart attacks can be resuscitated even if they've been legally dead for several minutes, while other people survive thanks to organ transplants.

Lesson Summary

• Mary Shelley's Frankenstein falls under two different genres of literature: Gothic novel and science fiction.

• As a Gothic novel, Frankenstein embodies many of the setting and plot elements associated with the genre.

• The book takes place in dark and ominous spaces in a distant and unfamiliar land.

• Frankenstein can also be considered a science fiction novel because Dr. Frankenstein does not embody the evil villain character that's typical of Gothic novels.

•  Instead of using mystical and magical powers of the occult to bring his monster to life, he uses some sort of unknown technology to reanimate it.

  
  

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is not an element of Gothic novels?

• A feeling of suspense or doom

• Dark and ominous settings

• New and advanced technologies

• Mysterious and unexplained happenings

Multiple Choice

Science fiction is characterized by:

• Diabolical characters

• Shadowy settings

• Strange and weird occurrences

• New or advanced technologies

Multiple Choice

Some people consider Frankenstein to be a science fiction novel because:

• The main character uses an unknown technology to animate his monster.

• One of the settings of the book is a secret laboratory.

• The story includes mystical elements related to the occult.

• The story has an evil villain.