Frankenstein: Setting and world
13 lenses on setting and world for Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. Count lenses are exact for our text. AI lenses are our reading and cite only quotes that passed a word for word check.
Jump to: I1 I2 I3 I4 I5 I6 I7 I8 I9 I10 I11 I12 I13
I1. Places named and how often each appears. Count
Geneva is the place named most, 36 times.
| Place | Mentions | Chapters |
|---|---|---|
| Geneva | 36 | 17 |
| England | 21 | 9 |
| Ingolstadt | 16 | 8 |
| London | 8 | 4 |
| Scotland | 5 | 2 |
| Chamounix | 5 | 3 |
| Archangel | 5 | 4 |
| Ireland | 4 | 2 |
| Montanvert | 2 | 1 |
| Orkney Islands | 1 | 1 |
I2. Setting by chapter, as a map. Both
The place named most in each chapter. A rough setting map. (rough estimate from word lists)
| Chapter | Place named most |
|---|---|
| 1 | England |
| 2 | Archangel |
| 3 | England |
| 4 | England |
| 5 | Geneva |
| 6 | Geneva |
| 7 | Ingolstadt |
| 8 | Geneva |
| 9 | Ingolstadt |
| 10 | Geneva |
| 11 | Geneva |
| 12 | Geneva |
| 13 | Chamounix |
| 14 | Montanvert |
Settings progress from Geneva (chapters 5 to 7, 10 to 13, 26 to 27) to Ingolstadt university (chapter 7 to 8), the Arctic (chapters 1 to 4, 28), the De Lacey cottage (chapters 15 to 19), England and Scotland (chapter 22 to 23), an Orkney island (chapter 23 to 24), Ireland (chapter 24 to 25), and back to the Arctic (chapter 28). Each location marks a stage in Victor's and the creature's journeys.
Chapters: Ch 1, Ch 5, Ch 7, Ch 15, Ch 22, Ch 23
I3. Setting shown in blocks or woven into action? AI
Setting is woven into action rather than dumped in blocks. Victor's emotional state mirrors his surroundings: he finds solace in the Alpine valleys (chapter 13) and despair on the Orkney island (chapter 23). The creature's observations of the De Lacey cottage emerge through his daily actions, not exposition.
Chapters: Ch 13, Ch 15, Ch 16, Ch 23
The blue lake and snow-clad mountains—they never change; and I think our placid home and our contented hearts are regulated by the same immutable laws. (Ch 10, para 5)
The family, after having been thus occupied for a short time, extinguished their lights and retired, as I conjectured, to rest. (Ch 15, para 18)
Thus situated, employed in the most detestable occupation, immersed in a solitude where nothing could for an instant call my attention from the actual scene in which I was engaged, my spirits became unequal (Ch 23, para 22)
I4. Weather and light used for mood. Both
Weather and light words: 3.21 per 1,000 words.
Weather and light words, chapter by chapter
Weather and light create mood throughout. The dreary November night of the creature's animation (chapter 9) matches Victor's horror. The sublime beauty of Montanvert glacier (chapter 14) provides temporary solace. Darkness and ice dominate the Arctic pursuit (chapter 28), reflecting Victor's despair and the creature's isolation.
Chapters: Ch 9, Ch 13, Ch 14, Ch 28
There, Margaret, the sun is for ever visible, its broad disk just skirting the horizon and diffusing a perpetual splendour. (Ch 1, para 4)
It was on a dreary night of November that I beheld the accomplishment of my toils. (Ch 9, para 1)
The blue lake and snow-clad mountains—they never change; and I think our placid home and our contented hearts are regulated by the same immutable laws. (Ch 10, para 5)
I5. The social world: class, money, rules. AI
Class and wealth shape the narrative. Victor's family is distinguished and wealthy (chapter 5). Elizabeth is an orphan raised by the Frankensteins, marking her lower status. The De Lacey family's fall from wealth to poverty (chapter 18) drives the creature's despair. Money enables Victor's education and travel but cannot buy happiness or redemption.
Chapters: Ch 5, Ch 6, Ch 18, Ch 22
I am by birth a Genevese, and my family is one of the most distinguished of that republic. (Ch 5, para 1)
There was a considerable difference between the ages of my parents, but this circumstance seemed to unite them only closer in bonds of devoted affection. (Ch 5, para 6)
Some time elapsed before I learned the history of my friends. It was one which could not fail to impress itself deeply on my mind (Ch 18, para 1)
I6. Rules of the world (magic, science) and when each is shown. AI
Science is the book's governing rule. Victor discovers the secret of life through chemistry and natural philosophy (chapter 8). The creature learns language and reason through observation (chapters 15 to 19). Magic and the supernatural do not exist; all events follow natural law, making the creature's existence scientifically possible but morally monstrous.
Chapters: Ch 6, Ch 7, Ch 8, Ch 15, Ch 19
They penetrate into the recesses of nature and show how she works in her hiding-places. They ascend into the heavens; they have discovered how the blood circulates, and the nature of the air we breathe. (Ch 7, para 16)
After days and nights of incredible labour and fatigue, I succeeded in discovering the cause of generation and life; nay, more, I became myself capable of bestowing animation upon lifeless matter. (Ch 8, para 4)
The book from which Felix instructed Safie was Volney’s Ruins of Empires. I should not have understood the purport of this book had not Felix, in reading it, given very minute explanations. (Ch 17, para 14)
I7. Lore: dripped in or dumped? AI
Lore is dripped in rather than dumped. Victor's discovery of alchemy (chapter 6) emerges through his childhood reading. The creature learns human history through Volney's book (chapter 17) and the De Lacey family's story (chapter 18). Knowledge accumulates gradually, shaping understanding and despair.
Chapters: Ch 6, Ch 17, Ch 18, Ch 19
Ah! Cornelius Agrippa! My dear Victor, do not waste your time upon this; it is sad trash. (Ch 6, para 7)
The book from which Felix instructed Safie was Volney’s Ruins of Empires. I should not have understood the purport of this book had not Felix, in reading it, given very minute explanations. (Ch 17, para 14)
I eagerly seized the prize and returned with it to my hovel. Fortunately the books were written in the language, the elements of which I had acquired at the cottage (Ch 19, para 3)
I8. Real history used, and how. AI
Real history appears sparingly. The creature reads Volney's Ruins of Empires (chapter 17), a real 1791 work on human civilisation. The De Lacey family's exile references real political upheaval (chapter 18). The Arctic setting (chapters 1 to 4, 28) uses real geography. History grounds the fantastic premise in plausible reality.
Chapters: Ch 1, Ch 17, Ch 18, Ch 28
The book from which Felix instructed Safie was Volney’s Ruins of Empires. I should not have understood the purport of this book had not Felix, in reading it, given very minute explanations. (Ch 17, para 14)
Some time elapsed before I learned the history of my friends. It was one which could not fail to impress itself deeply on my mind (Ch 18, para 1)
I9. Journeys: distance and time taken. Both
Journeys span vast distances and months. Victor travels from Geneva to Ingolstadt, then across the Alps, England, Scotland, and the Orkney Islands. The creature's pursuit of Victor crosses deserts, seas, and frozen wastelands (chapter 28). The Arctic expedition (chapters 1 to 4) takes months. Distance emphasises isolation and the scale of obsession.
Chapters: Ch 7, Ch 22, Ch 23, Ch 24, Ch 28
And now my wanderings began which are to cease but with life. I have traversed a vast portion of the earth and have endured all the hardships which travellers in deserts and barbarous countries are wont to meet. (Ch 28, para 3)
I10. Objects that matter, where they appear. Both
creature is the object named most.
| Object | Mentions | Chapters |
|---|---|---|
| creature | 44 | 18 |
| ice | 43 | 7 |
| sledge | 13 | 2 |
| books | 12 | 6 |
| wedding-night | 5 | 2 |
| portrait | 3 | 1 |
| cabin-window | 1 | 1 |
Objects carry symbolic weight. The portrait of Caroline (chapter 20) links the creature to Victor's family. Books shape both Victor and the creature: alchemy, chemistry, and Volney's Ruins. The locket with Elizabeth's portrait (chapter 20) becomes a murder weapon. The creature's female companion, destroyed before completion (chapter 24), represents Victor's broken promise.
Chapters: Ch 6, Ch 8, Ch 17, Ch 20, Ch 24
Ah! Cornelius Agrippa! My dear Victor, do not waste your time upon this; it is sad trash. (Ch 6, para 7)
The book from which Felix instructed Safie was Volney’s Ruins of Empires. I should not have understood the purport of this book had not Felix, in reading it, given very minute explanations. (Ch 17, para 14)
I eagerly seized the prize and returned with it to my hovel. Fortunately the books were written in the language, the elements of which I had acquired at the cottage (Ch 19, para 3)
I11. Density of period detail. AI
Period detail is moderate. Shelley includes references to chemistry, electricity, and natural philosophy of her era (chapter 7). Clothing and social customs appear (chapter 12). The Arctic expedition uses period-accurate navigation and ship details (chapters 1 to 4). Detail grounds the story in early 19th century reality without overwhelming the narrative.
Chapters: Ch 1, Ch 7, Ch 12, Ch 22
They penetrate into the recesses of nature and show how she works in her hiding-places. They ascend into the heavens; they have discovered how the blood circulates, and the nature of the air we breathe. (Ch 7, para 16)
At length we saw the numerous steeples of London, St. Paul’s towering above all, and the Tower famed in English history (Ch 22, para 26)
I12. Setting as an enemy. AI
Setting becomes an enemy in the final chapters. The Arctic ice traps Walton's ship (chapter 4) and later breaks beneath Victor's feet (chapter 28), preventing his revenge. The Orkney island's isolation (chapter 23) torments Victor. Nature, initially a source of solace, ultimately defeats human ambition and pursuit.
Chapters: Ch 4, Ch 23, Ch 24, Ch 28
Thus situated, employed in the most detestable occupation, immersed in a solitude where nothing could for an instant call my attention from the actual scene in which I was engaged, my spirits became unequal (Ch 23, para 22)
The sun sank beneath the horizon as we landed, and as I touched the shore I felt those cares and fears revive which soon were to clasp me and cling to me for ever. (Ch 26, para 41)
I13. Indoors against outdoors. Both
Outdoor words outnumber indoor words 230 to 182. (rough estimate from word lists)
Indoor share %, chapter by chapter
Indoors and outdoors carry contrasting meanings. Indoors, Victor suffers illness and isolation (chapter 9). Outdoors, he finds temporary peace in nature (chapter 13). The creature observes the De Lacey cottage from outside (chapters 15 to 16), excluded from domestic warmth. The final Arctic setting is entirely outdoor, barren, and hostile to human life.
Chapters: Ch 9, Ch 13, Ch 15, Ch 16, Ch 28
The blue lake and snow-clad mountains—they never change; and I think our placid home and our contented hearts are regulated by the same immutable laws. (Ch 10, para 5)
The family, after having been thus occupied for a short time, extinguished their lights and retired, as I conjectured, to rest. (Ch 15, para 18)
Thus situated, employed in the most detestable occupation, immersed in a solitude where nothing could for an instant call my attention from the actual scene in which I was engaged, my spirits became unequal (Ch 23, para 22)
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