Background and Context

 Mary Shelley’s mother—Mary Wollstonecraft—wrote “A Vindication of the Rights of Woman in 1792  Mary Shelley’s husband, Percy Shelley, was one of the more prolific Romanticists  Shelley’s inspiration for Frankenstein came from a night of story telling—specifically a night of telling ghost stories  Shelley was part of a close circle of literary friends which included her husband and Lord Byron

 Locke’s “Essay Concerning Human Understanding” (1690)—argued that a child is a “blank slate” that is formed only through experience  Rousseau’s “Emile,” or “On Education” (1762)—promotes the idea that a child’s upbringing is responsible for his education.  Mary Wollstonecraft’s “A Vindication of the Rights of Woman”—argues for the “equal” education of women in the 18 th century

 Scientific Discovery—Galvini (electrochemistry, etc.)  Age of Discovery—the Romanticizing of Arctic Exploration  Body Snatching  Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner”  William Wordsworth’s preface to Lyrical Ballads

 Medical and scientific ethics—stem cell research, test tube babies, abortion, cloning, genetic engineering, etc.  The role of education in our society  Issues of discrimination and “isms” in our society  Parenting and families  Science and religion