Frankenstein
“Now that I had finished, the beauty
of the dream had vanished, and
breathless horror and disgust filled my
heart…”
What do you know about the story of
Frankenstein? Have you ever seen a
Frankenstein movie? What style of
writing do you expect? What do you
know about Frankenstein? What do
you think the quote above means in
relation to the story?
Frankenstein
By Mary Shelley
Original name was…
Frankenstein or
The Modern Prometheus
Prometheus: noun (Greek
mythology) the Titan who stole
fire from Olympus and gave it to
mankind; Zeus punished him by
chaining him to a rock where an
eagle gnawed at his liver until
Hercules rescued him
Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley
1797-1851
What can you
tell me about
her from your
readings from
yesterday?
Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley
First published Frankenstein in
March 1818
Anonymous, but powerful debut
(first and most
remembered/recognized novel)
Only 19 years old when she
began writing
Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley
Husband: poet Percy Bysshe
Shelley
Visiting Lord Byron at Lake
Geneva, Switzerland (setting)
Byron challenged his guests to
write a ghost story…
Fireplace…imaginations…stormy
weather = Frankenstein
Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley
She imagined the “hideous
phantasm of a man” who became
the confused yet deeply sensitive
creature in Frankenstein.
Movies oversimplify the
complexity of the intellectual and
emotional responses of Victor
Frankenstein & his
creature…(don’t miss out !)
Romanticism
Shelley was inspired by
Romantic authors and wrote
during the Romantic period
Essentially a response to social
norms, expectations and
growing trends of the period
(Industrialization)
What did you learn about
Romanticism in your readings
from yesterday?
Qualities of Romanticism
Power of the individual-movement
away from institutions
Spirituality, mysticism, the
fantastic- “making the ordinary,
extraordinary”
Marriage of science/reason and
emotion
Support of progressive causes- lit.
as didactic/educational
Response to industrializationreturn to nature away from
technology
Audiences of the time…
Critics… combination of praise
and disdain
Readers… fascinated and a bit
horrified by the macabre
aspects of the novel
Macabre: shockingly repellent;
inspiring horror. Syn: ghastly,
grisly, gruesome, sick
Audiences now…
Macabre has transformed into
the possible as we approach
the 21st century. How?
What are the ethical
implications of
genetic engineering?
more recently, the cloning of
livestock?
Audiences now…
Novel resonates philosophical and
moral ramifications through the
themes of:
Nurture vs. nature
Good vs. evil
Ambition vs. social responsibility
Alienation & loneliness
Justice vs. injustice
Appearances vs. reality
Scinece vs. nature
Forbidden knowledge
Frankenstein is divided
into four parts
Introduction by Mary Shelley
Volume 1:
Opening letters and
Victor’s Story, Part 1 (8 chapters)
Volume 2:
The Monster’s Story (9 chapters)
Volume 3:
Victory’s Story, Part 2 (7 chapters)
Characters
Be able to identify and understand
relationships of the following characters:
Robert Walton, The Creature, Victor
Frankenstein, Alphonse Frankenstein,
Beaufort, Caroline Beaufort Frankenstein,
Elizabeth Lavenza, Henry Clerval, Ernest
Frankenstein, William Frankenstein, Justine
Moritz, M. Krempe, M. Waldman, Felix De
Lacey, Agatha De Lacey, M. De Lacey,
Safis, Safie’s father, Mr. Kirwin, Daniel
Nugent, Nurse, Magistrate
Homework
Read Mary Shelley’s
Introduction and Letters
pages 5-32
Answer all reading questions
in your packet
The questions ARE NOT extra
credit for this novel!!!