Freeze Frame

Frankenstein is an example of a frame story, or a story within a story. The book starts with letters from Walton, an explorer on a voyage to the North Pole. At the end of the letters, Walton has rescued a stranger, who we later find out is Victor Frankenstein. By introducing Walton as the main character, Mary Shelley is able to add suspense to the novel. The reader is left with questions of how Victor Frankenstein became sick and why he is in a remote location. The use of a frame story allows Mary Shelley to tell the story in the present and flash back to the events that led to the current situation. Also, the use of a frame structure allows for the story to be told from different perspectives throughout the story. The reader is able to hear different events from several different narrators to gain a full understanding of what is going on.