Frankenstein 3

Apostrophe – Mary Shelley seems to be fond apostrophes, a literary device in which someone absent or dead or something nonhuman is addressed as if it were alive and present and was able to reply. In the novel, Victor often has conversations with those whom he encountered in his past but that are no longer alive. In one of these conversations with Henry, Victor says, ““Excellent friend! how sincerely did you love me, and endeavor to elevate my mind, until it was on a level with your own” (Shelley, 55). This illustrates how Victor is incapable of escaping his past and those who are a part of it. Interestingly, this theme can also be tied to the character of Frankenstein’s monster. Frankenstein was unable to move on from the torture inflicted on him by the village people. As a result of this torture, the monster proceeded to kill all those that he came in contact with that acted similar to those from his past.