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