Frankenstein
Or the Modern Prometheus
Mary Shelley
Ignore the Movies!!!
Before we begin, one important detail MUST be
addressed: Frankenstein is the name of the
scientist who creates the monster, not the
monster himself. In other words, this is NOT
Frankenstein:
Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley
• Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley was born on August 30, 1817
and was the daughter of two of England’s leading
intellectual radical thinkers:
– Her father, William Godwin, was an influential political
philosopher and novelist
– Her mother, Mary Wollstonecraft, the author of A Vindication of
the Rights of Woman, was a pioneer in promoting women’s rights
and education
• Her future husband, the admired poet, Percy Shelley, was
one of her father’s frequent visitors.
• When she was sixteen, she and Percy eloped to France
• She gave birth to four children in five years; three of
whom died as infants
• Percy died eight years later in a boating accident
The “Birth” of Frankenstein
• When Shelley was nine years old, she hid under a sofa to hear Samuel
Taylor Coleridge recite his poem, “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner”,
which later influenced her as she developed her ideas for
Frankenstein.
• Due to the loss of her children, many critics have pointed out that
thoughts of birth and death were much on Shelley’s mind at the time
she wrote Frankenstein in the summer of 1816.
– Mary and Percy Shelley were living near the poet Lord Byron (Byronic
Hero!)
– During a period of period of incessant rain, they were reading ghost
stories to each other when Byron proposed that they each try to write
one.
– For days, Mary Shelley could not think of an idea. Then, while she was
listening to Lord Byron and Percy discuss the probability of using
electricity to create life artificially, an idea began to grow in her mind.
• The next day, she started work on Frankenstein. A year later, she had
completed her novel. It was published in 1818, when Shelley was
nineteen years old.
The Gothic Novel
Frankenstein is generally categorized as a Gothic
novel, a genre of fiction what uses gloomy settings
and supernatural events to create an atmosphere of
mystery and terror.
Shelley adds psychological realism to her
development of the plot, delving into the psyches of
the characters in an attempt their actions and
motives.
Elements of a Gothic novel:
• General tone is dark, brooding, mysterious,
suspenseful
• Presence of insanity, mysterious, but handsome
hero
• Physical and psychological imprisonment
• Presence of the supernatural
Prometheus
• The full name of Mary Shelley’s
novel is Frankenstein or The
Modern Prometheus. In Greek
Mythology, Prometheus is the
trickster who is credited with the
creation of man from clay.
• Prometheus defies the gods by
stealing fire from Mount Olympus
and giving it to man.
• He is punished by Zeus and
chained to a rock on a mountain
Everyday for thirty years, Zeus’
eagle would eat his liver.
The Romantic Movement
The Romantic Movement was an era in literature where nature rather than
civilization is emphasized and celebrated. Despite its name, it has nothing to
do with physical attraction toward another person.
Components of Romantic Literature:
•
•
•
•
Argued for the rights of the individual over the demands of society
Believed that all humans are inherently good
Valued imagination over reason
Inspired (greatly) by nature
The Romantic Quest:
• A journey to find one’s self through nature, isolation and meditation
• Natural science should leave to discovery
• Could be a physical journey or a mental, psychological or spiritual one
The Epistolary Novel and Frame Story
The prologue in Frankenstein is an epistolary story, a story told by means
of a series of letters. The purpose of an epistolary novel is to suspend
disbelief and to enhance suspense
Frame Story:
• Frankenstein is partly a frame story, which is a story within a story
where the main narrative is presented. The “outer story” sets the
stage for a more emphasized second narrative.
• Both the introduction and conclusion are told from the point of view
of the narrator in first person.
• The only rule of the frame story that Frankenstein violates is that the
narrator in the “outer story” must be nameless.
Themes in Frankenstein
As we read through the novel, keep a close
look out for the following themes:
• Consequences of irresponsible behavior
in the pursuit of knowledge (in modern
times, this would be called “bio-ethics”)
• Consequences of pride and arrogance
• Consequences of society’s rejection of
someone who is unattractive or goes
against the norm
• Destructive power of revenge
• Parent-child conflicts
• Sympathy
Victor and the Creature
• Victor Frankenstein is the
protagonist of the novel. He is the
product of an Enlightenment
education. He is driven both by
the possibilities of science and a
desire for fame. He becomes
obsessed with creating life from
spare body parts.
• The Creature is Victor’s alter ego. He
rationally analyzes the society that
rejects him. He is a sympathetic
character who admires people and
wants desperately to be a part of human
society. He only results in violence when
he is repeatedly rejected.
Henry, Elizabeth and Robert
• Henry Clerval is Victor’s childhood
friend. He is a true Romantic who
wants to leave his mark on the
world, but (unlike Victor) never
loses sight of “the moral relations
of things”
• Elizabeth is adopted as an infant
by the Frankenstein family; grows
up with Victor
• Robert Walton is an Arctic
explorer who is obsessed with
gaining knowledge and fame; he
rescues Victor in the Arctic and
tells the story to the reader