1. FRANKENSTEIN
BY MARY SHELLEY

2. Who was Mary Shelley?
Born in 1797 to 2 leading intellectuals: Mary Wollstonecraft and William Godwin
Married Percy Shelley at the age of 16
At the age of 18 she wrote Frankenstein: The Modern Prometheus
Frankenstein is the greatest example of British Romanticism in the novel form
- Her father, William Godwin, was a political thinker and writer. Her mother, Mary Wollstonecraft, was a feminist
-Stormy weather frequently forced them indoors, where they and Byron's other guests sometimes read from a volume of ghost stories. One evening, Byron challenged his guests to each write one themselves. Mary's story, inspired by a dream, became Frankenstein. -

3. Shelley’s Tragedies
She gave birth to 4 children in 5 years. 3 of them died in infancy
Shelley lost her husband in a boating accident after only 8 years of marriage
Critics say that Frankenstein is greatly influenced by the themes of Birth and Death
She states about a dream she had where she put the baby next to the fire and the baby came back to life. Dream of a monster.

4. More Bad News Her sister committed suicide
Her son (William) died from malaria
Her daughter next daughter died from dysentery.
Lots of bad luck!!!

5. The “Birth” of Frankenstein
Summer of 1816
Mary and Percy Shelley were living near the poet Lord Byron and his doctor-friend John Polidori on Lake Geneva in the Swiss Alps.
During a period of incessant rain, the four of them were reading ghost stories to each other when Byron proposed that they each try to write one.
For days Shelley could not think of an idea. Then, while she was listening to Lord Byron and Percy discussing the probability of using electricity to create life.

6. The Structure of the Story
The novel is constructed of three concentric layers, one within the other:
outermost--Robert Walton's letters to his sister;
middle--Frankenstein's story as he tells it to Walton;
innermost--Monster's description to Frankenstein of the development of his mind.

7. Paradise Lost – Referenced Often
Paradise Lost is John Milton's attempt to "justify the ways of God to man" by retelling of the story of Creation, the revolt of Lucifer and his fall from grace, and the story of Adam and Eve.

8. So what was Science like during Mary Shelly’s time?

9. Science
Erasmus Darwin pioneered some of the greatest scientific advancements of the time.
Plant nutrition
Photosynthesis
Cloud formations

10. Science
Italian physician Luigi Galvani announces his discovery of "animal electricity" which manifests in the twitching of nerves and muscles when an electric current is applied.

11. Science and Inventions
Developments of medicine and hygiene
Steam engine
Interchangeable parts
Light bulb
Type writer
Sewing machine
Another Inventor during this time is Alessandro Volta, who experimented with electric currents and invented the modern battery

12. Romanticism is a reaction to the Age of Reason
What is Romanticism?
Romanticism is a reaction to the Age of Reason

13. The Age of Reason Time Period: roughly 1700-1797
The Enlightenment, or the age of reason, is often closely linked with the Scientific Revolution, for both movements emphasized reason, science, and rationality

14. What is Romanticism?
Rebelled against Enlightenment’s emphasis on reason
Wanted to inspire deep emotions
An age of passion, rebellion, individuality, imagination, intuition, idealism, and creativity.
Nature in the raw, wild state

15. What did the Romantics Believe?

16. The Natural World That the beauty of nature should be studied
That trying to control was dangerous
That nature provides solace or comfort to the individual

17. Natural World Cont’d
In the novel, Robert’s attempt to conquer the sea and Victor’s scientific experiments reveal man’s attempt to control or exploit the natural world

18. The Individual Romanticism favored the idea of the Individual
This Individual is Percy Bysshe Shelley, Mary’s husband!

19. The Supernatural !!!
Which leads us to:
The Gothic Novel!

20. The Gothic Novel
The Gothic novel took shape mostly in England from 1790 to 1830 and falls within the category of Romantic literature.

21. The Gothic Novel
The Gothic is far from limited to this set time period, as it takes its roots from former terrorizing writing that dates back to the Middle Ages, and can still be found written today by writers such as Stephen King

22. The Gothic Novel
Gothic novel could be seen as a description of a fallen world.
We experience this fallen world though all aspects of the novel: plot, setting, characterization, and theme.
This leads us to the Gothic Hero . . .

23. No! Not these kinds of goths!

24. Gothic Archetypes
Gothic Hero: isolated either voluntarily or involuntarily
Villian: epitome of evil, either by his (usually a man) own fall from grace, or by some implicit malevolence
The Wanderer, found in many Gothic tales, is the epitome of isolation as he wanders the earth in perpetual exile, usually a form of divine punishment

25. What the book isn’t:

26. Themes in the book:

27. Dangerous Knowledge Should we fool around with Nature?
Are there laws (“God’s Laws”) that are off limits to humanity?
Prometheus Myth: He stole fire from the Gods for humans. He was punished for eternity by being tied to a rock and having a vulture eat his liver every morning

28. Nothing In Excess
Stressed importance of leading balanced and moderate lifestyle
During Shelley’s time, people were struggling to adjust to the Industrial Age
In our time, we struggle to balance our humanity with our dependence on technology

29. Sublime Nature
Throughout the novel, pay attention to how the characters are influenced by the natural world.
Also note Shelley’s long descriptions of the natural world. This is classic Romanticism!