How far can 'Frankenstein' be considered a 'Gothic' Novel?

Have a little read: ... How far can 'Frankenstein' be considered a 'Gothic' Novel? The 'Gothic' genre was first conceived in 'The Castle of Otranto', a novel written by Horace Walpole in 1764, while trying to find a new way to write fiction. The result was a classic ghost story, involving a lonely castle, suits of armour, hidden passages and more. These seem very cliché, but 'The Castle of Otranto was the first novel ever to include these kind of things, and hence was the origin of these modern clichés. 'The Castle of Otranto' reads like an episode of Scooby-Doo, but altogether more complicated and bizarre. The following features are included in the modern definition of 'Classic Gothic': * Use of isolated & lonely scenes (e.g. ruins, castles) * Weakness and insignificance of women * Presence of supernatural * Use of Epistolary (i.e. letters, diary entries) * Sense of evil, unscrupulousness * Darkness, gloominess Common sub-genres of the 'Gothic' style are 'Classic Gothic', 'Victorian Gothic', 'Gothic Horror' and 'Neo-Gothic'. 'Gothic Horror' expresses a taste for the macabre and disturbing, while 'Neo-Gothic' novels seek to probe the human mind, and interpret the sub-conscious, often focusing of dreams and nightmares. 'Victorian Gothic' novels have science as their main theme. Upon first glance, 'Frankenstein' fulfils all the requirements for a 'Classic Gothic' novel, though when one makes a more precise examination, two of the 'Classic Gothic'; characteristics are found to be slightly awry in 'Frankenstein' - the presence of 'haunted' castles and ruins; the presence of the supernatural. As an initial example, I would like to show the only scene in the book which actually contains castles: "Still, as I ascended higher, the valley assumed a more magnificent and astonishing character. Ruined castles hanging on the precipices of piny mountains; the impetuous Arve, and cottages every here and there peeping forth from among the trees, formed a scene of singular beauty." Sure, we have castles and ruins in an isolated position and moody settings, but the protagonists are merely passing these castles and ruins. None of the story takes place inside these settings, the characters do not even go near them, their mention is merely part of Frankenstein's commentary on his surroundings. Therefore can we consider this aspect of the 'Classic Gothic' genre fulfilled? The answer is not helpful - castles and ruins; desolate landscapes and loneliness all come under the same broad point, and though the castles and ruins are glossed over in Frankenstein, there is no shortage of