1. Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein
Notes

2. The Beginnings
Began as a short story but encouraged by her husband expanded into a novel
Originally began “It was on a dreary night.” Now first words of Chapter 5
Percy edited and wrote preface

3. Origin Ghost story sessions with Byron
Her dream about her dead children returning to life
Victor Frankenstein may have been modeled on real-life chemist Konrad Dippel (lived near Castle Frankenstein)

4. Style Rich vocabulary Elaborate sentence structure Jumbled chronology
Literary allusions to Milton, Coleridge, and Plutarch

5. Allusion “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner”
reinforces feelings of loneliness and separation
Monster reads Paradise Lost and compares himself to Adam, Satan, and the creator
Compares Victor Frankenstein and Greek god Prometheus (subtitle)

6. Characterization
Many characters were modeled after, or in some manner represent, real people
Examples:
Professor Krempe = Keats
Henry Clerval = Byron
Victor Frankenstein = Dippel, William Godwin, and Percy Shelley
Monster = Claire

7. Foreshadowing
Last sentence of Walton’s letter of August 19 sets tone of Victor’s story
“Strange and harrowing must be his story, frightful the storm which embraced the gallant vessel on its course and wrecked it – thus!”
Victor hints of events to come in telling his story

8. Point of View Frame story technique
At the beginning of the novel, the reader is introduced to Robert Walton as he writes letters to his sister Margaret
Tells the story of his polar expedition, then turns narrative over to Victor, telling his tragic story to Walton, who in turn tells his sister

9. Point of View (cont’d)
Chapters 11 to 16 contain the monster’s story as he relates it to Frankenstein
Even a story within the monster’s story relating the history of the DeLacey family and Safie
Monster hears the tale from Felix and relates it to Frankenstein who tells it to Walton who tells it to his sister
Walton’s role equals the wedding guest’s role in “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner”

10. The End