Frankenstein: A Modern prometheus
creation of the book
Narratives used
intertextuality/influences
life of Mary shelly
ideas and inspiration
family
husband - Percy shelly
sisters
Father
mother
events/world events
people
Lord byron
Lord Byrons docter
location
geneva
notes(common)
book dedicated to percy
mary wollstonecraft
pioneer feminist writer
cennection with the people
admired by the intelligentsia
privileged men, and educated people.
despised by the people
by trying to invert the male and female roles, the privileged men(who are most at risk) are againt high
they are the thinkers, and people who challenge ideas(science and politics
william Godwin
Married Mary Wollenstonecraft
dies 10 days after birth of Mary
Children
4 kids, 3 die
married Mrs Mary Jane Clairmont
initially married to Harriet westbrook
left harriet for Mary
fan of marys father,
written in 1818
Harriet later commits suicide
quotes
The Monster
"I ought to be thy Adam, But i am rather thy fallen angel
you are treating me as if was your failure, your first creation,
The social contract By Emile (1762)
"Man is born free but he is everywhere in chins"
"We should return to nature"
"Nature is good and man is by nature good also"
Enquiry concerning political justice William Godwin (1793)
people are rendered ferocious by misery, and misanthropy is ever the offspring of discontent
Prometheus
The creature - "I was benevolent and good, misery made me a fiend"
Prometheus a creator, was willing to take risks and bear a punishment when he helped the humans with fire
juxtaposition as to Prometheus - human, and Frankenstein - the creature
God, a potter and we are the clay (Prometheus)
three narrators (Russian doll narrative)
The creature
Victor Frankenstein
Robert Walton
episolary format, letter formt to his sister margert saville
narrative of his life and beginning of Frankenstein's life and rejection
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Structure
Circular narrative, linear trajectory
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quest narrative/hero's journey
gives a voice to the creature
does not have a gender, speaks with feminine and masculine styles
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Narrative conventions
POV
Setting
Charecters
analysis
analysis
analysis
England
Geneva
alphonse Frankenstein(father)
caring, looking after his son. juxtapose victor and how he doesn't care much of his "son" the monster
Henry clerval
very cheerful, unlike victor with staying with him
continually reminds him of the importance of family
without the monster present, he is much happier and he gets healthier(155),
on his travels, his father makes it clear that he wishes for a companion to accompany him on his travels. Victor then rejoices at having a companion to ease the lonely hours. The monster also wishes for a companion to ease the long hours, and he his the only one of his kind. yet Victor denies it, and keeps putting him of. even destroying it in front of his eyes.(key references 158 and
He tries to ignore and sever all connections with the monster, but it is still shown that he knows of how the monster will react and what he might do. (159,
doesn't notice the scenery around him when alone, but sees everything and all the beauty in the world when with henry(159-160)
on page 161, it switches back to Walton and how this is a retelling, and in the past. he speaks of Clerval in great joy and memory, ( shows present emotion)
Quotes for research
readings
Society
Nature
Human Experience
The classes
The monster is the 3rd working class, Victor the upper class
when victor denies the monsters claims, he does it through fear of the threat his offspring might do to humanity.
the french when denying the working class their rights for fear of revolutionary offspring, but that restricting then led to the revolutionary violence they were trying to avoid
Frankenstein - fragmented, made to serve victor, like the working class. product of the environment. innately wicked or disfeatured.
The French revolution challenged the French hegemony
Victor - whole, naturalised power (hegemonic)
Queer
The monster shows both male and female characteristics
emulates masuclinity, strenght brute force
fluid gender
feminine - shows emotions and empathy
The monster doesn't fit the social norms and physical, and he doesn't fit the gender norms as well.
Gothic
romanticism and sublime
the structure is made from parts brought together, like the creature. epistolary novel
appeals to senses
associated with a love of nature
lofty, vast, majestic landscapes, the locus of the divine
link between what we experience and how we think/understand it(the perceiving mind and object of perception)
profound darkness or intense light. dark or intensely bright colours, and sudden sharp angles.
object of fear has no adequate representation - no name, without form - all the more terrifying
grotesque, horrific, frightening
physical darkness/lack of enlightenment
expresses and examines personel disorder
seeks to realise ideals but lacks faith in progress
offers a critique of either particular scientific inventions or the very nature of scientific thinking
addresses the origin, method, or validity of knowledge
addresses taboos in society