Life and death are essential elements in Gothic fiction. Life conveys hope; whereas death, hopelessness. These two words interlock with each other. In Frankenstein, Mary Shelly suggests that there is a fine line between life and death. Frankenstein's life becomes dedicated to analyzing life and death. He pursues the living body but neglects emotions and spirits of humans. Life begins with birth and ends with death. What happens in-between is left up to the individual. Frankenstein is completely preoccupied with all that is life and all that is death. Life and death can be seen as opposites and Frankenstein's thoughts about both are often directly after one another. Contrasting specific references to life and death is a convention used frequently within the passage on page 32-34 and throughout the rest of the story as well.
             Throughout the passage on page 32-34, Frankenstein continuously refers to his pursuit of creation as an "occupation" and "employment". This has become his job, his work, his life. "I kept my workshop of filthy creation; my eyeballs were starting from their sockets in attending to the details of my employment (32)." Just as if he were a teacher or a plumber he is getting his work done. He is simply doing his job by going into charnel houses and stealing body pieces. During the quotation above he uses the word "eyeballs". This seemed odd, it could have easily read "eyes". Somehow, the word eyeballs paints an image that is more grotesque. That is what Frankenstein has created for himself, images that are grotesque. A life that revolves around death is what each day brings for
             Frankenstein. Living a life absorbed by death is an interesting paradox. He
             wakes every morning breathing and functioning, only to retreat to his workshop and devote his day to dead bodies.
             One particular line sticks out in the first paragraph. "One secret which I alo...