Tales within tales within tales ‘what devices and techniques does Mary Shelley use to make Frankenstein such an engaging story?’

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Mary Shelley was an extremely talented writer who used many different techniques to make Frankenstein so engaging. Her most notable tool was how she managed to entwine stories within each other. Other books may do this once in their story but Mary Shelley repeatedly does it allowing us to see the story in other peoples perspectives. This technique is introduced at the beginning of the book when Robert Walton begins to tell us the tale of a mysterious man who they found wandering on the ice searching for what he describes as a daemon; this is done through letters to his sister. This intrigues the reader from the beginning and almost tempting us to read on and discover how this strange man, who we soon found to be Victor Frankenstein, found himself on the ice hunting a creature he created. Once the letters end we begin the tale being told by Frankenstein. He describes his childhood with an extense of detail before explaining why and how he created the monster. Once the monster has become animated and is living Frankenstein becomes horrified at what he had once called beautiful and flees his apartment. In the morning he comes across his friend henry Clerval and invites him back to his apartment. When they enter there is no sigh of the creature but he soon falls ill with nervous fever. Henry nurses him to health and after a few months when Frankenstein has recovered, gives him a letter that arrived from Frankenstein’s sister Elizabeth during his illness. This adds another viewpoint as the letter explains what has been happening at home while Frankenstein has been away, including gossip of his previous neighbours and acquaintances. She also explains the story of a girl named Justine who is now living with them. As the story continues... ... middle of paper ... ...s a European who then comes abroad the ship. It’s soon discovered that the European is in pursuit of the first man that Walton saw. This tells us that somehow the story will end with Frankenstein on the ice hunting for the monster. There are many points of foreshadowing in the story another example is at the end of chapter 2. ‘It was a strong effort of the spirit of good, but it was ineffectual. Destiny was too potent, and her immutable laws had decreed my utter and terrible destruction.’ This shows how strongly Frankenstein believes in fate, but it also tells us that something terrible will happen to him. This hooks the reader, as they want to find out what will happen to him. Mary Shelley uses foreshadowing very well in the story this is because it makes the reader eager to know more, willing them to keep reading on and making it so hard to put the book down.

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