1. Frankenstein
A novel by Mary Shelley

2. The Life of Mary Shelley
Born in London in 1797
Parents: Mary Wollstonecraft, a feminist writer & William Godwin, radical political philosopher
Informal education
Mostly came from reading her father’s books
Inspired from father’s friends (contemporary intellectuals like Samuel Taylor Coleridge)
Esteemed house guests such as politicians, writers, and scientists
Shelley spent a lot of time around intellectual company

3. Mary and Percy Met Percy Shelley in 1814 – a friend of her father’s
Mary and Percy fell in love while Percy was still married, was kept secret for a long time
Percy left his pregnant wife to travel with Mary
Went to France and England, many places they visited together appear in Mary’s writing (including Frankenstein)
Upon their return, Mary was also pregnant with Percy’s child
Clara, their first child, died soon after birth

4. Mary and Percy Mary was alone and isolated
Percy was never home- he traveled with other women or was home with his wife
Second child William lightened her sorrows a year later
“The Year Without a Summer” (low temperatures)
Mary, Percy, William, and friends spent their summer indoors talking and writing
The summer that Mary began writing Frankenstein

5. Context for Frankenstein
Lord Byron wanted everyone to write a ghost story
Mary, Percy, Lord Byron, John Polidori
The exciting stories challenged Mary to create one that would rival her company’s brilliant ideas
Wanted a story that would “speak to the mysterious fears of our nature, and awaken thrilling horror-one to make the reader dread to look round, to curdle the blood, and quicken the beatings of the heart” –Mary Shelley
Lord Byron and Percy’s discussion on Dr. Darwin’s experiments (vermicelli kept in a case- comes to life)
Visions of Dr. Darwin’s experiment haunted Mary’s mind, gave her ideas for her novel

6. Inspiration for Frankenstein
Mary’s thoughts about Dr. Darwin’s experiment kept her awake and inspired
Imagined the creature Darwin created coming to life and coming to his bedside
Idea possessed her mind, she wanted to share with everyone
Could not rid herself from this phantom that she had created in her mind
Wanted to frighten the readers the way she was frightened by her thoughts

7. In 1818, Frankenstein was published anonymously
Upon their return to England from Geneva, the year to follow was filled with tragedy
Mary’s half-sister overdosed on narcotics
Percy’s wife committed suicide
In 1818, Frankenstein was published anonymously
Many suspected Percy Shelley, due to the dedication to William Godwin
Nobody would believe a twenty-year-old woman wrote the story
The novel was a success, but not profitable and the Shelley’s had to flee to Italy to hide from creditors

8. Tragedy In Italy, Mary lost both of her children within a year
Became pregnant again and had Percy
Conceived one more time, but miscarried; leaving Percy as her only surviving child
Mary was always alone, Percy had a mistress
Mary was in despair due to her deceased children, miscarriage and absence of her husband

9. In 1822, Percy Shelley dies on a sailing voyage with friend
Body is cremated on the beach, his heart is given to Mary
Mary kept Percy’s heart and some of his writings on her desk for the rest of her life
Mary and Percy (son) returned to England in 1823
They were supported by Mary’s father-in-law
He wanted no personal contact, everything was done through legal professionals

10. Mary’s Final Years Spent with her son and daughter-in-law
Published several other works in addition to Frankenstein
The Last Man, The Fortunes of Perkin Warbeck, Lodore, Falkner
Two anthologies of Percy’s poetry
Declined marriage proposal, made a vow to never marry again
After complaining of paralysis and headaches, Mary died in 1851 from what was thought to be a brain tumor

11. Romanticism and Gothic Fiction
“Romanticism” applies to a literary movement between the late 18th and early 19th centuries
Countered many ideas in Enlightenment and Restoration-era literature—focused heavily on reason and form

12. Romanticism
Revived interest in ancient Greek and Roman texts (Homer and Virgil imitated)
Resurgence of satire (a literary term used to ridicule or make fun of human vice or weakness)
Backlash against literary conventions
Romantics did not adhere to the strict rules of other time periods on poetry– wrote in looser styles to reflect their voice and ideas
Placed a greater emphasis on emotion and imagination instead of reason (feelings like awe and wonder)

14. Essential Elements of Romanticism
Love of Nature
Emotions Are Superior to Rational Thought
An Appreciation of Exoticism
Celebration of the Individual
The Importance of Imagination

15. Gothic Fiction A branch of Romanticism
Popular between 1760 and but still used today
Descriptions of gothic architecture in novels, Horace Walpole was one of the first to do this, the creation of this genre can be attributed to him

17. Elements of Gothic Literature
A setting that is isolated, mysterious, and deteriorating, usually in the form of a desolate landscape, a medieval castle, an abandoned church, or a dark forest
The evocation of strong emotions, especially fear, worry, disgust, and wonder
Supernatural creatures (e.g., ghosts, demons, or monsters), curses, and omens

18. Elements of Gothic Literature
Storylines replete with mystery and suspense
Intense weather conditions that reflect a character’s mental state
An emphasis on the destructive power of nature, including the aging and decaying of the human body and manmade structures
An exploration of madness and people’s base, abject instincts masked by the civilized world