Mary Shelley’s

While visiting the poet Lord Byron at his villa beside Lake Geneva in Switzerland, the weather frequently forced them indoors. One evening, Byron challenged his guests to each write their own ghost story. Mary's story became Frankenstein, which was inspired by a dream.

Chemistry and electricity, which are new to society Alchemists' search for the elixir of life Is it possible to reanimate the bodies of the dead?

1790s, Italian physician Luigi Galvani Made frog muscles twitch by jolting them with a spark from an electrostatic machine. The word galvanism implied the release of mysterious life forces through electricity.

Illustration of Italian physician Luigi Galvani's experiments, in which he applied electricity to frogs legs; from his book De Viribus Electricitatis in Motu Musculari (1792).

Electricity's seeming ability to stir the dead to life gave the word galvanize its own special flavoring, as this 1836 political cartoon of a "galvanized" corpse suggests.

We are asked to confront: human accountability social alienation the nature of life itself.

search for something deep, dark, and secret at the heart of the narrative. A different character narrates the events of a story in each frame. **Robert Walton narrates through letters to his sister **Frankenstein relates his story to Robert Walton. **Frankenstein’s creature relates his own tale to his creator.

Robert Walton’s Letters Victor’s Story Creature’s Story Margaret Saville (Robert’s sister) is the recipient of the letters

 Popular between 1760 and 1820  Includes mystery, horror, and supernatural  Gothic can mean:  harsh or cruel ▪ Refers to the barbaric Gothic tribes of the Middle Ages  Medieval ▪ Historical period associated with castles and knights in armor

 Late 1700’s  Europe  Switzerland, Germany, and Arctic

Romantic hero Passionate, uninhibited, unconventional Often social rebel or outcast Often isolate themselves in nature oldest son in Frankenstein family Novel’s protagonist and narrator for most of novel Thirst for knowledge and ambition from childhood Prejudiced

The eight-foot-tall, hideously ugly creation of Frankenstein originally kind and sensitive Wants to be loved and accepted Judged by all as evil due to appearance

Arctic explorer whose letters open and close Frankenstein. Rescues Victor Frankenstein from the ice, helps nurse him back to health, and hears Victor’s story. He records the incredible tale in a series of letters addressed to his sister, Margaret Saville, in England. Walton’s quest for knowledge is parallel to Victor’s search for enlightenment Walton is the double of Victor

Victor’s father Very sympathetic toward his son. devoted husband and parent Well-respected public magistrate Believes in family and the good in society

An orphan, four to five years younger than Victor, whom the Frankenstein's adopt. Becomes Victor’s wife Remains gorgeous, pure and passive throughout novel

Victor’s childhood friend. Vast imagination Sensitive heart Boundless love of nature Victor’s “guiding light” Selfless Optimism contrasts Victor’s gloominess

Victor’s youngest brother and the darling of the Frankenstein family

A young girl adopted at the age of 12 into the Frankenstein household.

Victor’s mother Idealized woman: Smart Kind Generous Resourceful

 Beufort - close friend of Alphonse; becomes Victor’s grandfather  Cottage Family – a family of peasants living in exile  De Lacey – blind old man  Felix – son and Agatha – daughter  Safie – foreign woman in love with Felix  M. Waldman – chemistry professor; Victor’s mentor  M. Krempe – professor of natural philosophy; calls Victor’s studies “nonsense”  Mr. Kirwin – Irish magistrate

Alienation- a sense of not belonging, either to a community or to one's own sense of self. Romanticism and Nature - a crucial term in Romantic writers. Seen as greatest and most perfect force in the universe. Ambition and Fallibility – although human beings can be deeply ambitious, they can also be deeply flawed. Revenge – humanities need to seek retribution for being wronged. Prejudice – mankind’s most persistent and destructive flaws. Exhibited by nearly every human character.

Light - enlightenment Fire – dangerous force used for sustenance and punishment

 From Robert Walton to his sister Margaret Saville. Walton is the captain of a ship headed on a voyage to the North Pole, looking for a northern passage to the Pacific, revealing the source of the Earth’s magnetism, or setting foot on undiscovered territory.

 Walton feels lonely and too smart to have conversations with his shipmates. His ship sets sail in letter 3.

 Ship stalls and they spot a gigantic creature guiding a sledge. The next morning they find a weak starving man who refuses to board the ship until Walton tells him he is heading north. Walton and the stranger become friends and the stranger agrees to tell Walton his story. Walton’s frame ends and the stranger’s begins.