Frankenstein
Or
The Modern Prometheus
Who was Frankenstein?
˚ Nope!
˚ That’s the creature
General Background
• Literally Frankenstein means
“stone of the Franks””
• Johann Konrad Dippel born in
Baron von Frankenstein’s castle,
claimed to have the ability to
create life
The Gothic Novel
• Dominated British Literature since 1764
with the publication of The Castle of Orfanto
by Horace Walpole
• Sensationalism (horror and violence)
• Melodrama
• Taste for the medieval (e.g. gothic
architecture) usually set in a gloomy and
isolated place
• supernaturalsupernatural
Gothic Elements of Frankenstein
• Introduction: Mary
Shelleyhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J86ep
QeJmKg declares desire to “curdle the blood
and quicken the beatings of the heart.”
• Emphasis on the dark side of the psyche
• Explores what is forbidden and pushes
boundaries of what should remain hidden
Gothic Elements
• Excess and transgression are key
themes—breaking laws of nature
• Suggestions of incest –Victor’s love
for his “more than sister”
• Victor usurps role of God and women
• Creature blurs boundaries of life and
death—possibly Victor’s dark side
More Gothic Elements
• Grotesque element—the monster
• Mysterious elements—the creation itself
and the monster’s ability to follow Victor
• Isolation—Ingolstadt, arctic, Orkneys
• Horrible murders of William, Henry and
Elizabeth
• Eerie ghostly atmosphere
• Life after death—classic Gothic theme
Romantic Influences
•Quotes from Wordsworth’s “Tintern
Abbey”
• Quotes and structure from Coleridge’s
Rime of the Ancient Mariner
•Mary’s father Godwin had a huge impact
on Romantic poets; Mary’s husband was a
Romantic poet and friends with Byron,
another Romantic
Romantic Elements
• Concern with radical social reform
• Preoccupation with the workings of
imagination
• An interest in nature--many sublime
landscapes; the Alps inspire and
calm Victor; he is often absorbed
into nature
Romantic Elements
• An emphasis on the inner reality of
human beings—all emotions exalted as
well as the dark and violent tendencies.
• Byronic or Satanic hero—both Victor
and the creature
• The Noble Savage—the creature with
inner goodness transformed because
society cannot see past his ugliness.
Science Influences
• Percy Shelley, an amateur scientist with a keen
interest in electricity and chemistry
• Godwin wrote, “knowledge and enlargement of
the intellect are poor, when unmixed with
sentiments of benevolence and sympathy.”
• Shelley relied heavily on scientific writing of
Humphrey Davy, Erasmus Darwin and Galvani.
Darwin believed creating and changing life was
wrong.
Science Elements
• The creative scientist (like the poet) is seen
as superior to most men but with a touch of
mysticism
• Frankenstein is the first science fiction nov
• Victor accepts no social responsibility for h
work
• Victor turns away from books to true
experimentation--in seeking glory, isolates
himself.
The Heart of the Story
• The quest, the hunger to know, to
supercede known boundaries and
attain forbidden knowledge
• Shelley thus employs two myths:
– The forbidden fruit tasted by Adam
and Eve
– Prometheus, the Greek god who stole
the knowledge of the gods—fire—to
give to man
ULTIMATE LESSONS
• The novel tells of the triumph of
science over death, which
ironically leads to the destruction
of life.
• The novel tells of the dangers of
pure science without emotion and
sensitivity towards others to guide
it.
VALUES
• Human fulfillment in the pursuit of
knowledge
• Importance of individual creative
effort and achievement
• The need to measure achievement
against its benefit to society
• The richness and support of family
love
Values Stressed
• The necessity of human connections
and the enriching power of friendship
• The healing powers of nature
• The importance of assuming
responsibility for one’s actions AND for
one’s relationships with others.
Mary Shelley’s Influence
• Horror Films—the mad scientist
• Spoofs of Horror Films Mel Brooks' Young
Frankenstein - "Who's Brain Was it?" - YouTube
• More spoofs
• Halloween costumes
• "You seek for knowledge and wisdom, as I
once did; and I ardently hope that the
gratification of your wishes may not be a
serpent to sting you, as mine has been."
Clips Taken from
• Frankenstein (Universal, 1931)
• Young Frankenstein (20th Century,
1974)
• Rocky Horror Picture Show (20th
C., 1975)
• Microsoft Sound Gallery (MS,
2001)