Susan Hills Women in Black and Mary Shellys Frankenstein :: English Literature

Susan Hill's 'Women in Black' and 'Mary Shelly's 'Frankenstein' The word gothic means 18th Century literature referring to a frightening manner of content being used. I have chosen two gothic novels to indicate the typical features of a gothic novel. One is Susan Hill's 'Women in Black' and 'Mary Shelly's 'Frankenstein'. These two gothic novels concentrate on the two major worries within society when these books were published. Frankenstein concentrates on the pre-curser on science fiction. This pre-curser in Frankenstein is man's objective to play god. Frankenstein was written in a period of time when science was elevating but society in general was afraid to accept a progress being made by man they preferred progresses justified by God. Mary Shelly could relate to her novel of 'Frankenstein' to the period of time when it was written because the many people living in the 18th century when she was alive, were driven by religion not by science and new revelations being made by man were considered to be playing god. In Mary Shelly's Frankenstein she states in the introduction of the book that, during the time period when Frankenstein was written the majority of published novels were not gripping or new and her novel would make an unusual change to which society can relate to. The Women in black concentrates on the grief when losing a young child. This was published in 2000 and it is relatable towards today's society because a lot parents today can relate to having children and know how protective they are towards their own children. Personally since I do not have children of my own I found it difficult to relate with the grief the characters posses and from that my general interest in the story began to sway. The typical feature a gothic novel possesses is setting the scene. The second chapter of The Women in Black concentrates on the surroundings, the author portrays the weather on a Monday afternoon in November as a lightning heart of change, never seeming to come fully light and also raw to and a yellow fog, a filthy fog, evil smelling fog, a fog that choked and blinded, smeared and stained. Susan Hill instantaneously creates a felling of ill being and fear. The novel begins in November which is a symbolism of death, creating negative atmosphere to begin the novel with. In comparison with Mary Shelly's Frankenstein this is very similar. When the creature Frankenstein is created, the Author portrays the weather and time of day as a, dreary night of November. Also instantaneously Mary shelly has created a felling of fear describing the event to occur again in the month of November and also