MARY SHELLEY AND FRANKENSTEIN

MARY SHELLEY

Born Mary Godwin, in 1797

Daughter of two famous radical intellectuals

Ran away with the poet Percy B. Shelley at age 17

Spent part of 1816 (the year without a summer) in Byron's Villa Diodati near Geneva in Switzerland, where she got the inspiration to write Frankenstein

Had a lot of intellectual stimulus in her house

Was interested in the science of her times (chemistry, electricity)
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FRANKENSTEIN or THE MODERN PROMETHEUS (1818)

PLOT Follow the link

EPISTOLARY NARRATIVE STRUCTURE

  1. Walton's point of view in his letters to his sister
  1. Frankenstein' s point of view in the story that he tells Walton, who then writes to his sister
  1. The monster's point of view as told to Frankenstein who then tells Walton, who writes to his sister

THEMES

Quest for forbidden knowledge (like Prometheus) # # #

The over-reacher

The double

Frankenstein and his monster are both alienated and isolated

Frankenstein and Walton are both curious, ambitious and adventurous

Social prejudices #

Frankenstein wants to go beyond what is considered acceptable

The monster becomes an outcast because of the way he looks

How far can science go?

INSPIRATION

The gothic and ghost stories, popular at the time

First draft of the story inspired by a dream during the dark and cold summer of 1816 at Villa Diodati, where Mary, Percy, Byron etc. held a competition for writing ghost stories

The scientific developments of the time (chemistry, electricity, evolution)

Mary was curious about science but she was also aware of the dangers of science when used against the rules of nature

The myth of Prometheus

An over-reacher like Frankenstein; both suffer the tragic consequences of their actions

Rousseau's man in primitive state #

When the monster comes to life, he has to teach himself everything, like Rousseau's Emile

"The creation of the monster" (Chapter 5)

The creature comes to life but Frankenstein is so horrified by it that he flees to bed. During his troubled sleep, he has terrible nightmares. He is woken up by the monster, who is near his bed trying to grab him, but he manages to escape it (the monster subsequently escapes too)

Gothic atmosphere

The monster, described with horrifying details

The night setting

The stormy November setting

The nightmare

Science

The use of electricity to revive a dead body

"Frankenstein and the monster" (Chapter 10)

Frankenstein has been chasing the monster in the Alps and he finally meets him. He feels horrified and faint but is revived by the cold and by rage. He verbally attacks the creature, who, in turn, declares his wretchedness, accuses Frankenstein of playing God and threatens to kill his friends and family if he doesn't comply with his requests.

Romantic influence

Nature as a symbolic backdrop of what happens to man (in this case cold and desolate)

Science

The monster accuses Frankenstein of not taking responsibility for his actions (for his inappropriate use of science)

"Frankenstein's death" (Chapter 24)

Frankenstein's point of view

Frankenstein's and the monster's points of view

Walton witnesses Frankenstein's death. When he returns to Frankenstein's cabin, he sees the monster by F's bed. He resists the urge to attack him and listens to him declaring his wretchedness and his regret for what he did. The monster finally declares that he will burn himself so that no-one can find his body and try to replicate Frankenstein's experiment.

The outcast

The monster is regretful for his actions but also feels angry self-pity; he became violent when he was refused by society while he only wanted to be loved

Walton's and the monster's points of view

The over-reacher

Frankenstein advises Walton to avoid excessive ambition because it can lead to disaster, like for him, and Walton decides to follow this advice

Man in his primitive state

The monster says he was innocent when he gained consciousness

Nature

The monster's innocence is represented by spring weather