The term pathetic fallacy was originally coined by John
Ruskin in order to define the use of poetic language (normally imagery and/or
personification) to allow readers to attach emotion to natural or inanimate things. For
example, language which appeals to the heightened senses of the reader acts as a
pathetic fallacy.
In regards to the use of pathetic fallacy
in Mary Shelley's novel Frankenstein, one particularly poignant example is found in
chapter five (where Victor is describing the circumstances under which the Creature came
to life).
The chapter opens upon a "dreary night of
November." Shelley continues, from this point on, to compound the anxiety and fears of
the reader. The rain hitting the window pane, the burnt candle, the "lifeless thing"
which lay at Victor's feet are all meant to play upon the heightened emotions of the
reader.
When the Creature does come to life, its yellow
eye, agitated limbs, and labored breathing all compound the already horrific scene set
in the opening of the chapter. Victor's fear of the Creature, his race from his
apartment, and the thought the Creature is following him (again) all add to the fearsome
mood established through pathetic fallacy.
No comments:
Post a Comment