Frankenstein as Booker’s Seven Basic Plots Analysis: Tragedy Plot
Plot Type :
Anticipation Stage
Victor wants to uncover the secret of bringing things to life.
Victor becomes aware of the vast power and destructiveness of nature. He seeks an education at the university of Ingolstadt. Unfortunately his interest in alchemy is unappreciated by his professors. He sets out studying, attempting to uncover the "secret of life," or rather the secret of making corpse pieces move. We think this has something to do with the fact that his mother died quite recently.
Dream Stage
All of Victor’s dreams have come true when his scientific endeavors prove fruitful. This lasts about five seconds.
Shortest lived dream stage ever.
Frustration Stage
The monster is scary and ugly instead of wonderful. Also, he kills William. Victor agrees to create a second monster in an attempt to fix his mistake.
The monster isn’t what Victor meant to create, but once he has brought the creature to life, he can’t undo it. Not to mention, the monster kills William and brings about Justine’s death. We’re feeling rather frustrated. This is all Victor’s fault and he can’t undo it except by giving in to the monster’s wish of having a companion. But he’s caught between an ugly rock and hard, uglier place: if he makes another monster, things could get worse.
Nightmare Stage
The monster is angry with Victor for destroying what would have been his mate, and he kills Henry and Elizabeth.
Everything goes wrong for Victor. One by one, the monster takes away everyone in Victor’s life until he is as lonely as the monster he created. Everyone has to die because Victor screwed up. What a nightmare.
Destruction or Death Wish Stage
Victor chases after the monster and, in a sense, his own death.
Victor’s chase after the monster leaves him sick, emaciated, and near death. Once he is aboard Walter’s ship, it becomes obvious that Victor has killed himself in his attempt to destroy the monster once and for all. Finally and fittingly, Victor and the monster die.
