Mary Shelley Born to radicals Mother- Mary Wollstonecraft, feminist writer, A Vindication of the Rights of Women (1792) which drew attention to women’s second class status Father- William Godwin, ex-minister, atheist, influential writer (politics, morality); name became associated with truth, justice and liberty Both influence by French Revolution Both anti-marriage, but did wed when Mary became pregnant Mother died of septicemia (blood poisoning) after Mary’s birth Father remarried Emotionally void, but intellectually guided

Met future husband Percy Shelley in 1814 Shelley, “Romantic”, attached self to Godwin and his idealistic political notions Shelley abandons wife to spend time at Godwin house Eloped in July Mary gives birth to 1 st baby, but baby dies a few days after birth “Dream that my little baby came to life again: that it had only been cold, and that we rubbed it before the fire and it lived.” Mary Shelley

Opposite of gloomy London, yet rained much in summer to confine to house Ghost story contest-Mary, Percy, Lord Byron, and others Discussion of Erasmus Darwin’s experiments with galvanism (uses of electricity) Dreamed about monster coming to life Mary Shelley IN Geneva

The French Revolution and the Rise of Industrialism Early Romantic writers strongly advocated the French Revolution Revolution signaled throwing off of old traditions and customs of the wealthy classes Balance of economic power shifted toward the middle class with the rise of industrialism Advanced machinery and technology threatened to replace workers England's literary thinkers welcomed revolution because it represented an opportunity to establish a harmonious social structure. Historical context

Napoleon crowned emperor in England now at war against France After the war ended in 1815, the English focused on economic and social problems England didn’t regulate the economic shift from a farming- based society to an industrialized society stemmed from a hands-off philosophy of non-governmental interference Leading to extremely low wages and terrible working conditions for employees who were prevented by law from unionizing Historical context

Technology/machines replaced workers creating low wages and poor working conditions People encouraged to sabotage machines that took jobs away from workers Erasmus Darwin, scientist who wrote about biological evolution big influence (people began to question power of God) Percy and Mary also attended lecture by Andrew Crosse, scientist whose experiments with electricity Discussed galvanism, or the study of electricity and its applications Science and technology

The late 1700s also marked the beginnings of a new era of ocean exploration. England's Royal Academy, which promoted the first voyage to the South seas, appealed to scientists and travelers alike Explorers wanted to find a trade route through the Arctic to connect the Atlantic and the Pacific Arctic exploration

Victor Frankenstein The Monster Henry Clerval Elizabeth Lavenza Alphonse Frankenstein Caroline Beaufort Frankenstein William Frankenstein Justine Moritz De Lacey Family Robert Walton Margaret Saville characters

The use of knowledge for good or evil The invasion of technology into modern life Treatment of the poor or uneducated The power of nature in the face of unnatural events themes

Frankenstein has three intersecting narrative frames: The Robert Walton plot line that opens and closes the novel Victor Frankenstein’s narrative The Monster’s story Narrative perspective ( point of view)

Major Characters Victor Frankenstein – protagonist, product of an idealistic Enlightenment education; fueled by possibilities of science and a desire for acclaim; becomes obsessed with creating life from spare body parts. Rational demeanor dissolves and by story’s end, consumed by primitive emotions of fear and hatred.

Major Characters The Creature - never named; is Victor’s doppelganger (alter ego); Creature rationally analyzes the society that rejects him; sympathetic character, admires people and wants to be a part of human society; only results in violence when he is repeatedly rejected

Major Characters 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; marries Victor Robert Walton – Arctic explorer who’s obsessed with gaining knowledge and fame; rescues Victor in the Arctic; tells the story

Themes 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 Parent-child conflicts Sympathy

Other Literary Elements Irony – 2 major ironies Creature is more sympathetic, more imaginative and more responsible to fellow creatures Creature has many pleasing qualities but is an outcast because he’s not physically attractive

Symbols White/light= knowledge Water = knowledge Ice = danger Lightning = nature’s power Nature = acceptance, nuturing, calm Mountains= sublime in nature

Antithesis-Contrasts of ideas, characters, themes, settings or moods Victor/creation Passion/reason Natural/unnatural Known/unknown Civilized/savage Masculine/feminine Beautiful/ugly Good/bad Light/dark Heat/cold

Allusion 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

The End