Frankenstein: Illustration from a Edition

Above is an illustration taken from the title page to The 200th Anniversary Edition of Frankenstein. The edition is illustrated by David Plunkert. The image conveys the darker side of the novel, and has a Gothic feel. The coloration of the paper makes it look like parchment that could’ve been used by Walton in his letters to his sister. The branch of leaves on the right pages is in interesting juxtaposition with the skull on the right. Skulls commonly symbolize death, and the two images paradox each other and speak to the theme of life and death present in the novel.