Mary Shelley describes the monster he has created with phrases that are used to describe animals or other living species that are not human. Shelley calls his creation a ‘creature’ or a ‘thing’, which contradicts his previous statements on how beautiful it looked and how marvelous it was when life surged into the corpse. Shelley also refers to the movements of his creation as ‘convulsive’, which creates a sickening atmosphere with the intention of making the readers illustrate the creature as a frightening demon.
Mary Shelley used religious or phrases of divinity to project the thought of fear and helplessness in the readers. Shelley included that ‘no mortal’ could stand fearless against the facial expressions of the monster. The word ‘mortal’ categorize the audience as a whole, giving them the impression that there are other laws of nature out there that are not meant to be disturbed with. Shelley even compared the horror Frankenstein experienced with a Christian icon. “Even Dante could not have perceived”. Dante is a poet known for his journey through the nine stages of hell in search for his lover. To face something more terrifying than what Dante had faced would certainly prove how horrendous Frankenstein’s creation is.
Mary Shelley describes the monster through Victor Frankenstein thoughts even when Henry Clerval came to visit him. Thoughts and imagination of Frankenstein’s creation stirred in his head even when his friend came to ask about him. “I imagined that the monster seized me.” This creates a tense feeling in the audience. Although a close friend of the protagonist came to console him, he still feels the horror that burns within his creation, giving the audience the impression of lingering terror.
The arrangement of events in chapter 5 also adds to the effects Mary Shelley intends to put the audience under. The sudden arrival of Henry Clerval creates a suspension in the audience, which are all horrified and excited about the creation. The arrival of Clerval distracted Frankenstein’s thoughts of the monster, thus creating a sudden halt in the audience’s imaginations and illustrations.
