Literary Elements: Setting - Satire
Setting
The novel Frankenstein takes place in the 18th century, during a time when science was getting big and people were trying to figure out the secrets of humanity, which was controversial at the time and other people believed they should just let God do what he wanted to.
Geographically, the novel is all over the place. It starts off somewhere in the North Pole, on an iceberg, but other than that it takes place throughout a lot of Europe. Victor Frankenstein is born in Italy, raised in Geneva, and studies in Ingolstadt. Victor and the monster travel back and forth between Geneva and Ingolstadt, but some smaller appearances include Holland, Paris, Russia, and a town on the Mediterranean. This setting is critical, as the distance helps Frankenstein get away from his monster, but they can also travel back to find each other as it keeps happening in the story. |
Climax
The climax is the turning point in a novel, or the highest point of tension.
In Frankenstein, this point is when the monster takes his revenge on Victor by killing his love, Elizabeth. After killing everybody else Frankenstein held dear to him, this really sets him over the edge. After this, Frankenstein dedicates the rest of his life to finding and destroying the being that he brought into this world. This unfolded the rest of the plot and set Victor on the course of chasing the monster that would eventually lead to his death and the death of the monster. |
Denouement
Denouement is when the strands of a plot are resolved and everything is finally explained.
This occurs in Frankenstein after Victor dies and the monster is found weeping over his dead body. The monster explains to Walton that he did not intend for any of this to happen and he informs him of his intense solitude, hatred, remorse, and suffering. He explains that now that his creator is dead, he too can end his suffering, as he has finally gotten what he wanted, revenge. |
Protagonist
The protagonist of the story is Victor Frankenstein. The story revolves around him and the struggles he faces while trying to resolve all of his conflicts. He finds himself to be the victim of fate in this story, but what he doesn't realize is that everything that happened is based around his decision and yearn for more knowledge. He is a victim of his own self.
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Antagonist
The antagonist of the story is Frankenstein's monster. He spends the entire story trying to take revenge on Victor for abandoning him and not treating him as he should have been treated. He is angry with the world since society has shunned him due to his appearance. It could be argued that he isn't necessarily an evil character, he is just a victim of creation and did not have a proper parental figure to raise him right and teach him right from wrong. However, that is definitely no excuse to go around killing people because he was mad at his dad.
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Satire
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