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Shelly, Mary: Frankenstein: Lack Of Verisimilitude

In Mary Shelly’s novel Frankenstein, one must use their imagination in order to believe the story line. Throughout the novel there are many obvious inconsistencies along with impossibilities. This can be called a lack of verisimilitude, which means that the plot of the story isn’t quite believable. An example of the lack of verisimilitude in the novel is how the creature came to life and was instantly capable of living unaided. Things like walking are acquired, but instantly as soon as the monster came to life he walked away.

Another example is how the monster found the hereabouts of his creator from a piece of paper in a pocket. From this piece of paper he was able to find him. The monster also starts talking fluently and learns to read in a short period of time just from watching the De Lacey’s through a hole in their cabin. The monster understands things that even an educated man wouldn’t, and thinks of things also. Like how he framed Justine for the murder of William by placing the locket in her pocket while she slept. Than there are also many coincidences that are just too much to believe.

The fact that Victor himself is accused for the urder of Henry Clerval for one. Another is how the monster manages to be in the right place at the right time all the time. In conclusion, the lack of verisimilitude in the novel doesn’t make Mary Shelly any less of a brilliant writer for her time period. Since the writing of her novel there have been many other books and movies using her unique plot, which was one of the first science fiction novels of that time. We also must realize that the movies we watch today have even less verisimilitude than Shelly’s novel and we still go along with it.

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