Eyes
Shelley primarily use the symbolism of eyes as ‘windows to the soul’ – for instance, Caroline Beaufort is described with the “brightness of a beloved eye,” which insinuates that she had an innate love and desire to care for her family. In contrast, however, the Creature is described as having “dull, yellow eyes,” and it can be said that these eyes are frightening not so much for how they look, but for the fact that they demonstrate that he has the autonomy to look. When Victor states that the Creature’s eyes “if eyes they may be called, were fixed on [him],” it indicates that the Creature is distinctly not human. Considering this further, when Victor makes eye contact with the Creature, he is horrified and immediately attempts to abandon his creation. To continue the idea of eyes as the window to the soul, perhaps Victor looking into the Creature’s eyes is a form of self-confrontation; he is merely looking into his own soul, and thus he runs away because he cannot reconcile with the monstrosity of his own self.
Justine Moritz
Justine becomes representative of the cruel and biased institutions prevalent in the 19th century, and is an embodiment of all degraded demographics; she is an outcast, a woman, and a servant. Her journey is portrayed in a way that reveals and condemns the class conflict that shaped Shelley’s society.
Language
Language itself can be considered a form of alterity and in this novel is symbolic of the entrenched master-slave relationship whereby knowledge, and therefore power, was reserved for the upper classes. The Creature recognises that only in becoming a “master of their language” would he be able to successfully transition into human society. Yet, it appears a cruel delusion, as in learning to read and write, he finds Victor’s diary which even more so confirms the discrepancies between himself and mankind. In this manner, Shelley suggests that in a society that favours appearance over character, there is a breakdown in the power of language. Indeed, Safie who, like the Creature, cannot speak the same language as those around her, is embraced by the De Lacey family despite her language barrier, because physically, she is described as beautiful. This inconsistency draws attention to the ways in which society is prejudiced against physical differences.
Pathetic fallacy and the sublime
Shelley’s use of pathetic fallacy and the sublime pervades the entire text and constantly represents nature as omnipotent and bound by immutable laws. Firstly, the use of pathetic fallacy helps to highlight the unnatural essence of the Creature. That the idea for his creation was spurned in the “cramped” and “isolated” bounds of Ingolstadt University, whereas humankind is born within the “citadel” of nature, points to the Creature as being unnatural. Moreover, the repeated use of storms and references to winter when the Creature is present reflect nature’s disapproval of his existence, and act to foreshadow the horrible actions and outcomes of this existence.
In addition to this, Mother Nature is presented as having the capacity to heal and restore those who have lost their sense of human spirit. In this sense, we can observe Shelley’s feminist intentions, as the demise that Victor experiences when he shuts himself in and allows “winter, spring, and summer to pass” points to the necessity of Nature and by extension, female presence, to act as a moderator of male ambition in a patriarchal and Enlightened society. Like nature, the role of women is an intrinsic element of our humanity. Finally, Shelley reiterates the immutable laws and power of nature in demonstrating that where individuals such as Victor are susceptible to death, natural order is always restored. In this way, she leaves a lasting message that no matter how hard we may try to best nature and discover her secrets, nature will always retain or regain its power.
The seasons
Shelley uses the changing of the seasons to reflect time passing in the text. As well as this, she embraces the idea of the inversion of the seasons to depict nature’s disapproval of the Creature’s birth. Spring is usually considered the season of new life, yet the Creature’s birth occurs in November, which is Autumn, on the cusp of Winter. The beginning of Winter is not linked with new life and new beginnings, but rather death and isolation. Thus, from his birth, Shelley foreshadows a dangerous and bleak future for the Creature.
Geographical locations
Frankenstein takes place in a number of different cities. Furthering Shelley’s use of pathetic fallacy, each location closely aligns with her characters’ internal states at different points throughout the text. For instance, Belrive in Geneva and Ingolstadt University are Victor’s hometown and the location of his initial studies. They are densely populated, and allow Victor to have frequent interaction with family, friends, peers, and professors. When at these locations, Victor can be seen to be at his most human.
The cottage that the Creature finds the De Lacey’s living in is portrayed as idyllic and peaceful, mirroring the attitudes and interactions of the De Lacey family, who are seen to embody the goodness of mankind.
Considering Shelley’s celebration of the sublime, the Alps through which Victor traverses are depicted as almighty and beautiful when Victor seeks nature’s comfort and refuge. Yet, when he encounters the Creature at the summit of Montanvert, the subliminal nature of the mountains takes on a Gothic, rather than ominous feeling. In this way, the Alps are used as a device for pathetic fallacy to reflect the emotions of Victor.
Furthermore, the Arctic ocean that Walton sails through radiates feelings of coldness and isolation. It is in this location that Walton is forced to grapple with the prospects of allowing a lack of human connections to blunt his sense of moral compass.
Shelley’s use of pathetic fallacy is most evident when we loosely track Victor’s journey in terms of his locations from beginning to end:
Geneva → Ingolstadt → The Alps → The Arctic Death
His journey more or less mirrors his descent into monstrosity and madness. He was at his most considerate and sympathetic when in the company of his family and friends, and it was in Geneva that he was still able to temper his ambition with an appreciation for boundaries. However, when he moves to the “cramped” and “isolated” Ingolstadt University, his perverse idea for the creation of a human being was conceived; in becoming only slightly removed from the consistency of company and reason every day, Victor began to lose his sense of humanity.
Against the rugged backdrop of the Alps, Victor began to reconcile with the fact that in creating and abandoning the Creature, he had committed an act of betrayal against human nature. Finally, his journey north is symbolic of his loss of humanity. That the Arctic marks the end of civilisation’s reign and is still untouched by human endeavours suggests it is unfit for human existence. Thus, Victor going there on his crazed hunt for the Creature and dying there signifies Shelley’s belief that his betrayal of nature, lack of paternal responsibility and foresight, and pursuit of selfish gains, led Victor to lose the very essence of what made him human.
