The State Of Mind And Setting In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

Throughout the novel of Frankenstein, the setting is used in a variety of ways to convey different states of mind and feelings at various points in the text.

During the time that Robert Walton discovers Frankenstein in the Arctic after he got stranded chasing the monster through the terrain, the setting can be used to display the breakdown of mental health as well as the emotions of the monster himself. The conditions such as the 'very thick fog' and the 'large loose masses' present isolation from society like that felt and experienced by Frankenstein's monster after he was rejected from society due to his abnormalities. The use of 'thick fog' almost acts as a curtain to help conceal the monster from the rest of society protecting him from

The natural beauty distracts Frankenstein with 'sublime shapes of the mountains, tempest and calm'. The use of 'sublime' indicates to the reader that Geneva is a place of great beauty and tranquility that's almost awe-inspiring. As a result of this, at the times in which Frankenstein is present within Geneva, his mind is the most at ease with his mental health in a better place than when he's in the city or the Arctic pursuing the monster. The serene description of the setting used by Shelley soothes the reader's anxiety similarly as it does Frankensteins and helps the reader suppress the tension along with stress that has accumulated across the text. The use of this technique helps build tension for other parts of the novel as it creates a sense that everything is peaceful now but the reader knows that more devastation will occur throughout the novel regarding the emotional well-being of both Frankenstein and his creation. However, the descriptive setting of Geneva can also be seen as a direct contrast to Frankenstein's monster. The monster is throughout the novel described as a 'hideously ugly creation' which is a direct contrast to the natural beauty of the countryside that is repeatedly detailed through Shelley's novel. Furthermore, the monster is an unnatural creation that's hiding out in the cover of the forest that almost leaves a tainted mark on the forest due to the fires lit and the general existence of the monster. Due to having to hide, the decay of the monsters emotional state can begin to show as it is one of the first times we are made to acknowledge, as the reader, the isolation, and neglect experienced by Frankenstein's