How Does Mary Shelley Create Tension in Chapter 5 of 'Frankenstein'? Essays

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Mary Shelley was a writer, novelist, and biographer, best known for her Gothic novel Frankenstein. She had already written many stories and short novels, and even edited and promoted the works of her husband, Percy Bysshe Shelley . But Frankenstein; the Modern Prometheus was her first work to achieve popularity and great success, despite the initial bad reviews, claiming the novel to be ''a tissue of horrible and disgusting absurdity''. Frankenstein recalls the events of the fictional Victor Frankenstein and of his becoming an unholy creator of life. When the novel was written, science was highly debated; and Frankenstein was the first novel to give the impression that one day, science will destroy mankind. The subtle mixture of the …show more content…
This could also be a reference to the fact that many people feared science at the time of the novel being written. The use of the words “Great God!” shows that Frankenstein may have been slightly religious, or believe that he himself may be playing God.
In contrast, Frankenstein begins to note the negative features of the Monster.

In the third paragraph, Frankenstein eventually tries to sleep, but is disturbed.
“I rushed out of the room” gives the impression that Frankenstein was scared and anxious because of his creation, and had to run out of the room In fear from what he had created. The writer is trying to show here, Frankenstein's disgust and anger, that he had spent a lot of time and energy on making an immortal, beautiful creature; but instead made a grotesque monster. “Continued a long time traversing my bed-chamber” this shows that Frankenstein was pacing his bedroom, most likely while intensely thinking about what he had previously given life to. “Traversing” means to pass by something, the use of this word shows that even though he was tired, Frankenstein's mind was too busy trying to comprehend the aspect of what he had created. The writer's use of “bed-chambers” is an example of the oldness of the novel, as the modern alternative is “bedroom”.

Frankenstein eventually began dreaming of kissing his love, Elizabeth, until his dream became a nightmare.
“They became livid with the hue of