Elements of Horror, Grotesque Bodies, and the Fragmentation of Identity in Mark Shelley’s Frankenstein

Abstract

Gothic books emphasise the occult and the strange. Old buildings (especially castles or apartments with secret passageways), dungeons, or towers serve as the backdrop for the enigmatic events in Gothic literature. Obviously, ghost stories are a well-known form of Gothic fiction. In addition, distant locales that appear strange to the reader serve as part of the setting of a Gothic tale. Even the idea of resurrecting the dead is horrifying. Mark Shelley makes full use of this literary trick to heighten the eerie sentiments generated by Frankenstein in the reader. The idea of resurrecting the dead would have caused the typical reader to recoil in horror and unbelief.