Explanation:
The first four chapters of Frankenstein display many of the characteristics of Gothic literature, including a dark and foreboding setting, supernatural elements, and a sense of mystery and suspense. The novel opens with the narrator, Robert Walton, writing letters to his sister from a ship stuck in ice in the Arctic. This isolated and inhospitable environment creates a sense of unease and dread, setting the tone for the rest of the novel. Additionally, Victor Frankenstein’s experiments with reanimating dead tissue and his eventual creation of the monster are supernatural and macabre elements that are typical of the Gothic genre. The novel’s emphasis on the unknown and the unexplainable also contributes to its sense of mystery and suspense.