Read the passage.
excerpt from Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
Letter I.
To Mrs. Saville, England.
St. Petersburg, Dec. 11th, 17--.
You will rejoice to hear that no disaster has accompanied the commencement of an enterprise which you have regarded with such evil forebodings. I arrived here yesterday; and my first task is to assure my dear sister of my welfare, and increasing confidence in the success of my undertaking.
I am already far north of London; and as I walk in the streets of Petersburg, I feel a cold northern breeze play upon my cheeks, which braces my nerves, and fills me with delight. Do you understand this feeling?
How does Shelly's use of time affect the reader's introduction into the world of the novel?


A. Shelley describes the letter writer's past and present, drawing the reader into a mysterious present.

B. Shelley places the action in the letter writer's present, pulling the reader into the immediate scene.

C. Shelley places the action in the letter writer's past, drawing the reader into an important flashback.

D. Shelley places the action in the letter writer's future, disorienting the reader.