Frankenstein
Mary Shelley
Mary Shelley

Born in 1797 to William Godwin
and Mary Wollstonecraft
• Father was an influential political
philosopher & novelist
• Mother was a pioneer in promoting
women’s rights and education

Her mother died shortly after Mary
was born
Mary Shelley
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
Received no formal education
Married (scandal!) Percy Bysshe
Shelley in 1816
• “romantic beyond romance”


Frankenstein was published in 1818
She died in 1851
“I busied myself to think of a
story…One which would speak to the
mysterious fears of our nature and
awaken thrilling horror.
Introducing the Novel
Gothic Novel
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Main ingredients: mystery, horror,
supernatural
In literature the term applies to works
with a brooding atmosphere that
emphasize the unknown and inspire
fear
Settings: wild and remote (haunted
castles, wind-blasted moors)
Plot involves violent or mysterious events
Historical Context

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Takes place in the late 1700s, various
parts of Europe, especially Switzerland,
Germany, & the Arctic
Published at the height of the Romantic
movement
• Enlightenment (reason & logic)  Romanticism
(individual, imagination, emotions)

Labeled “romantic fiction”- powerful work
of imagination, exotic settings, and
emphasizes the emotions of fear and awe
Structure and Point of View
Frame Story
Epistolary – carried by letters
Themes
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Consequences of irresponsibility in
the pursuit of knowledge
Consequences of pride
Consequences of society’s rejection
of someone who is unattractive
Destructive power of revenge
Sympathy
Major Characters
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Victor Frankenstein – protagonist,
product of an idealistic
Enlightenment education
The Creature - never named; is
Victor’s doppelganger (alter ego);
Robert Walton – Arctic explorer who’s
obsessed with gaining knowledge
and fame; rescues Victor in the
Arctic; tells the story
Major Characters
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Henry Clerval – Victor’s childhood friend;
true romantic, wants to leave mark on the
world, but never loses sight of “the moral
relations of things”
Elizabeth – adopted as an infant by
Victor’s family;
Classwork


Read Shelley’s Introduction to
Frankenstein (734-737)
Answer Recognizing the Gothic
Tradition questions
Frankenstein
Letters 1-4
Small Group Discussion
What do you think spurs people to
explore the unknown?

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list ways in which people throughout the
ages have explored the unknown.
identify some reasons why individuals
devote themselves to a life of exploration
and discovery.
Does such devotion involve sacrifices?
Stylistic Devices
Point of View
Frame Story Technique
We “hear” the story from
3 different points of view these “versions” are framed
within one another.
F
r
a
m
e
S
t
o
r
y
F
r
a
m
e
Point of View #1
Robert Walton writes
letters to his sister.
S
t
o
r
y
Frankenstein
Chapters 1-10
F
Robert Walton
r
Point of View #2
a
m
Victor Frankenstein
e
tells his story to
Walton -- who then
tells it to his sister.
S
t
o
r
y
Characterization

Flat Character
• Not well-developed
• Seems like a cardboard figure, stereotype

Round Character
• Life-like, three dimensional
• Depth, experiences personal change,
growth
Small Group Discussion
How do you define personal
responsibility?
When something bad happens that
involves you, how do you know
whether or not you bear some
responsibility for it?

Evaluate these situations, in each case, discuss
whether person B has a responsibility to person A
• A falls off B’s roof while mending it
• B walks by A, who is homeless and begging on the street
• B lends A his car, which has faulty brakes, and A has an
accident.
Frankenstein
Chapters 11-16
Focus Activity

What are some reasons why a
person might be rejected by others?
Allusion
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Paradise Lost by John Milton – story
of man’s fall from innocence to
painful knowledge; Victor can be
compared to Adam, Satan, and Eve
The Rime of the Ancient Mariner by
Samuel Taylor Coleridge, like
narrator, tells story as a warning and
a confession
Analyze the Creature’s Personality

Discuss the different aspects of his
character by addressing questions such as
these (support your analysis by citing
events from the story as well as quoting
statements made by the creature):
•
•
•
•
In what ways is he like any human being? In
what ways is he different?
What does he want most in life? Why does his
goal seem unattainable?
How have the creature’s experiences shaped his
opinion of himself? Does he have the potential
for good as well as evil?
Do you think he is justified in declaring an “everlasting war” against the human species and his
creator?
Do the monster's eloquence and
persuasiveness make it easier
for the reader to sympathize
with him? Why do you think
most film versions of the story
present the monster as mute or
inarticulate?
Literature Groups

Evaluate the character of Victor Frankenstein
using evidence from Chapters 1-10. Focus
your discussion on the following questions as
well as others that occurred to you as you
were reading:
•
•
•
What can you infer about Frankenstein’s character
from his close personal relationships? His scientific
project? In your opinion, is he an appealing
person?
Do you think that Frankenstein went too far in his
quest for knowledge? Did he have a good motive
for his project? Did he have adequate knowledge
to begin his project? Did he consider possible
consequences of his actions?
How is Frankenstein affected by what happens
after he abandons the creature? Why does he call
himself the “true murderer” of William?
Debate Questions
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Is it better to be ignorant?
Is Frankenstein the “true murderer”
of Justine and William?
Debate Rubric
Debate Order
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Opening Statement (Pro)
Opening Statement (Con)
Speaker 1 (Pro)
Cross Examination
Speaker 1 Rebuttal (Pro)
Speaker 1 (Con)
Cross Examination
Speaker 1 Rebuttal (Con)