Frankenstein Close Reading
In Frankenstein, lighting and electricity are a reoccurring motifs that demonstrates the dangerous side of nature or science. The first mentioning of lighting occurs at the end of chapter two. Victor Frankenstein witnesses a ” most violent and terrible thunder-storm… and the thunder burst at once with frightful loudness from various quarters of the heavens” (22). While Mary Shelly uses aggressive and hostile languages such as, violent, terrible, burst, frightful, to describe the thunder storm, Shelly reminded the reader that the is from “heavens”. Shelly did this to indicate that this is not a human doing, and the reader is surprised at the natural occurrence.
Shelly uses an interesting language or pun when describing the creation of Frankenstein’s monster, “spark of being” (35). While “spark” in means beginning or life, “spark” is also associated with electricity. When Frankenstein uses “science” to create his monster, there is a implied dangerous element being infused into the monster. Even Frankenstein, the character, uses the pun when he tells the monster he wishes to “extinguish the spark which [he] so negligently bestowed” (68).
Perhaps the most obvious linkage of the monster and danger of misuse nature is when Frankenstein saw glimpses of monster after he learns that William is murdered. Shelly set the scene as a dark and stormy night. When the lighting flashes Frankenstein’s eye, it “[illuminated the lake, making it appear like a vast sheet of fire”. Shelly uses imagery to link lighting to danger. While the lake is a lake, under the shine of lighting, it appeared to be dangerous, and perhaps is a biblical reference to hell. This imagery and mood setting is all a build up toward the Frankenstein realization that it was the monster that killed his brother, which illustrates that Frankenstein’s creation is the wrong choice and he committed a terrible mistake.
After hearing Frankenstein’s story, Captain Walton is faced with a choice, to continue his journey to the north pole or retreat back home. Interestingly, Shelly also uses lighting to introduce the choice to Walton: “the ice began to move, and roaring like thunder were heard at a distance… we were in the most imminent peril” (160). Shelly uses “thunder” as a warning that something dangerous is up ahead, but unlike Frankenstein, Walton chooses to retreat. Wrapping up the story as a cautionary tale.
So you have a follow the trail close reading here. I think you do a good job of narrowing your focus specifically to the lightening. And I also think you have the right impulse to describe the quoted material and how you are reading it. I have two main comments. 1) I’m a little concerned that while you are explicit about wanting to look at lightening you also seem to conflate lightning storm and thunder. Your last example in particular doesn’t seem to reference lightening. I understand that thunder is so associated with lightening that it’s easy to pair them together. However they are not the same and they don’t always happen together. It actually might be worth considering why there is thunder here but not lightening. 2) I’d like to see you push yourself a little more in thinking through and/or articulating the connection between natural lightening and the spark of life. Indeed you might think about Frankenstein’s discussion of galvanization or of the tree … and this idea of a force man desires to harness.