The Role of Communication and Language in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein

Language is a powerful tool. It can be used to start wars, win the hearts of a nation, or create deceptive illusions. Throughout the novel, Frankenstein, the author, Mary Shelley, highlights the key role communication and language plays in relationships, in how we perceive things, and its importance as a tool. One can be the most eloquent speaker and the most creative in their choice of words, but choosing not to communicate or use negative forms of communication can have dire consequences. Frankenstein failed to realize that the creature he created was his and he was solely responsible for it. Instead, he chose to ignore its presence and neglect it. If he had communicated with it on first account and received him well, despite his horrible physical appearance, he would have saved himself much trouble. The Creature, upon being abandoned, discovers language and realizes its importance as a tool for him to integrate into society and perhaps get accepted. In the meantime, Shelley creates fascinating imagery and sets the mood in scenes, using only words, taking the reader on an emotional ride through the life of Victor Frankenstein and his monster.    

The Creature was like a newborn baby ready to absorb and learn from its surroundings. As he later relates, he first sought after “the love of virtue, the feelings of happiness and affection”. However, the first thing he ended up experiencing was the face of his creator, freaking out at the sight of him and running away from him. If the Creature perceivedFrankenstein as his father, then he had just been rejected by his parent, causing great damage to his self-worth. According to an article from the Centre of Effective Parenting, “parents can show their children they accept them through gestures, facial expressions, and other non-verbal behaviors” and they should “eliminate behaviors like yelling and not paying attention to them.” Miscommunication is detrimental, according to the study, making the child “feel rejected, unloved and inadequate”. The creature continues to receive the same treatment of horror at his sight, repulsive behaviour and animosity wherever he goes. This body language is then transformed to verbal abuse when he starts to understand the language. The first words he hears from his father figure (Frankenstein) is again hurtful. Victor recalls how “rage and hatred had at first deprived me of utterance, and I recovered only to overwhelm him with words expressive of furious detestation and contempt” (Shelley, 113). Due to his failure to communicate adequately with his own creation, Frankenstein had to suffer all these losses until he himself perished.    

Seeing that his creator cared not for him, the Creature runs away to find solace someplace else where he may be accepted. In these years, he manages to spy on families and learn the art of the spoken word. He became so skilled at it that Walton at the end of the novel had to heed his “powers of eloquence and persuasion” as he had been warned (Shelley, 273). The creature realizes that language is the key to make people understand him and hopefully accept him for who he was. Alas, his own maker does not care about him, how can those who don’t know him? He uses his language skills at the end of the novel, where we get to hear his part of the story directly. In the final scene, he expresses his thoughts to Walton and tells him his side of the story. The Creature makes a point when he says: “Once I falsely hoped to meet with beings who, pardoning my outward form, would love me for the excellent qualities which I was capable ofunfolding. I was nourished with high thoughts of honour and devotion. But now crime has degraded me beneath the meanest animal. No guilt, no mischief, no malignity, no misery, can be found comparable to mine. When I run over the frightful catalogue of my sins, I cannot believe that I am the same creature” (Shelley, 274). Here, the reader is finally able to see the Creature’s deepest and darkest thoughts and desires, his regrets and his guilty conscience. Just this form of communication says a lot about his character and the humane being hiding behind that horrifying mask.    

As a brilliant writer, Shelley makes excellent use of words that create imagery and set the mood of a scene in whatever light she desires. Also using a clever choice of words and adjectives, she sways our emotions along with the character’s, heightening our joys, sorrows and fears respectively. This persuasive language is clear in the opening scene of Chapter 5 when the reader witnesses the miraculous awakening of the Creature: “It was on a dreary night of November that I beheld the accomplishment of my toils. With an anxiety that almost amounted to agony, I collected the instruments of life around me.” Words like dreary, toils, anxiety and agony, all paint a clear picture of the gloominess of the evening and the state of suffering Frankenstein was in. These words create a heavy atmosphere, setting the stage for the Creature’s entrance. Shelley continues painting the scenery in the reader’s mind when she adds: “the rain pattered dismally against the panes, and my candle was nearly burnt out, when, by the glimmer of the half-extinguished light, I saw the dull yellow eye of the creature open; it breathed hard, and a convulsive motion agitated its limbs” (Shelley, 58). The way Shelley describes the creature, using words like dull, breathed hard, convulsive, and agitated all in a negative connotation, making the reader feel uneasy and on edge. If the scene was described differently, the same effect will not be achieved. Similarly, the media nowadays distorts and exaggeratesinformation just by the choice of words being used. In an article titled ‘How the media uses Language to Manipulate you’, the author highlights how the same news is broadcasted differently in different news outlets in the UK and the US; different styles of reporting resulted in different reactions from the public.    

It is clear that language is a common theme in the novel, Frankenstein. Frankenstein’s lack of effective use of language with his Creature created misfortunes for him. This proved to be a bad move on him since the Creature viewed him as his father and creator. Language served as an important tool for the Creature, helping him express his thought and defend his stance. Finally, Shelley uses language to cleverly set the mood for her scenes and is able to sway the reader’s emotions to match that of the characters, similar to how the media uses language to manipulate the public. Language can make or break a nation, create peace or war. That is why it is crucial to be honest with our choice of words.

Works Cited

• Adams, Kristina. “How the Media uses Language to Manipulate You”. Writer’s Cookbook, https://www.writerscookbook.com/media-uses-language-manipulate. Accessed August 23, 2019
• Shelly, Mary. Frankenstein, e-book, Planet e-book, www.planetebook.com/free-ebooks/frankenstein.pdf, accessed August 23, 2019.
• Zolten, Kristin and Nicholas Long. “Parent/Child Communication”. Center for Effective Parenting, http://parenting-ed.org/wp-content/themes/parenting-ed/files/handouts/communication-parent-to-child.pdf. Accessed 23, Aug. 2019.