Let's pin the places associated with the novel.
GENG 513 2022 Dashboard
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Introduction to Graduate English Studies
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From "The Polar Voyage in Frankenstein"
"We used the information from these voyages to get a sense of where Walton may have been traveling after his departure from Arkhangelsk. There were effectively two routes that he could have taken, considering the fact that his was a scientific expedition. The first would have been to travel northeast from Arkhangelsk with the intention of following the retreating ice sheets and round the northern tip of the Novaya Zemlya archipelago. To ascertain whether this was a possibility, we used data sets collected between 1860 and 1920 (provided by the ACSYS Historical Ice Chart Archive) as proxy data sets for where sea ice may have been a century earlier. If Walton followed this route, the furthest that Walton's ship would have been likely to travel by August, when the final scene of the novel was set, was likely just north of the Novaya Zemlya archipelago. If instead, Walton traveled through the Kara Strait it is possible that that...
moreVictor travels to Planpalais after William's death.
The use of the sublime in nature in the novel and other adaptations of Frankenstein is very important. The aesthetic appeal of the Orkney Islands plays a part in Victor Frankenstein’s reasoning for the destination. The Orkney Islands are traditionally windy and the water surrounding the islands produces large waves because of the windiness, while a thick fog is typical of the islands as well. This atmosphere contributes to the aesthetics of the reader’s imagination in the scene where Victor runs off to Scotland, leaving behind his friend Henry Clerval. Knowing that a monster has already been created and that the reason for Victor’s sudden trip to the Orkney Islands is to create a mate for “the monster” is reason enough to allow the reader’s mind to produce thoughts of hidden characters and underling concern for Victor’s safety.
At the time of Frankenstein’s birth, the University of Ingolstadt in Bavaria, Germany, a well-known medical school, would have been equipped to support Victor’s scientific experiments. Not only did Ingolstadt provide the perfect setting as the home of the medical university, but also provided the mystery needed as the home of the Order of the Illuminati.
The Illuminati was reported to be a secret society founded in Ingolstadt, specifically the university. The members, said to be students and faculty, are known to have favored freethinking and radical politics and are allegedly tied to the Jacobins. Specific knowledge about the group is unverified, but the myths that were created around their legends provide sufficient influence for believers and for those attracted to the mystery surrounding their existence. Because of the Illuminati, the city of Ingolstadt itself was...
moreVictor meets his friend Henry Clerval here.
"This is the most favourable period for travelling in Russia" (Shelley).
"This is the most favourable period for travelling in Russia" (Shelley).