FRANKENSTEIN

MARY SHELLEY

Was the daughter of a radical philosopher William Goodwin and a pioneer feminist Mary Wollstonecraf
In 1814 she met the poet Percy Shelley, who was a ardent admirer of her father
Mary and Percy fell in love and run off to Europe in Switzerland, France and Germany
In 1816 went to live in Geneva, where the couple met Byron
The couple met Byron to talk about literature or read book together.
On day during they were reading a ghost story, Byron proposed that they should each write a ghost story. Mary Shelley
wrote her masterpiece Franknstein

FRANKENSTEIN

Was published in 1818

Became immensely popular
Is considered one of the few true modern myths
It constantly retold in a several variants in both books and films

In a romantic version of the very ancient dream of the creation of artificial life

Can be defined PHILOSOPHICAL ROMANCE: it derives from romantics interest in the EFFECT OF SCIENCE OF MAN
GOTHIC TALE: use the typical element of horrific and macabre of the gothic novel. She use EMOTIONAL
LANGUAGE and ATHMOSPHERE OF MISTERY AND SUSPANCE AND DANGER. But its different from many Gothic noves because it
ignores castles and medieval or exotic elements, and SUBSTITUDES THE SUPERNATURAL WITH THE SCIENCE.

For the treating of the theme of scientific research and its ethical implications, the novel can also been considered the
forerunner of the science fiction
The attempt to create automatons became popular during the 18 th century
Later the experiment had demonstrated that the power of electric current to induce spasm in dead tissue

TWO DIFFERENT WAYS TO READ THE BOOK

1. Frankenstein is a scientifically new version of Faust. In fact he want to overcame the mans limitations and create artificial life
from death.

2. The Monster created by Frankenstein Is the symbol of the Romantic concept of isolation of the individual by society. In that
case the Monster is on copy of a Romantic dark heroes: OUTCAST of society who soffer for no specific fault of their own

WRITING TECHNIQUE
Is told in the FIRST PERSON by three different NON-OMNISCIENT NARRATORS
1. The first part is in EPISTOLARY FORM by an English explorer in the Arctic regions, ROBERT WALTON, who writes to his
sisters in England about how he has saved a Swiss scientist, dr. Frankenstein.
2. The Frankentein talk about his own life and experiments: AUTHOBIOGRAPHIAL FORM
3. In the Frankenstein narration there is a report by the monter himself, wich explains the reason of his monstrous
behavior
4. The narration its concluded by Walton again, always in EPISTOLARY FORM

This modern type of narrations give to the reader the possibility moving the point of view

MAIN THEMES
Forbidden knowledge in the theme of OVERREACHER
THE DOUBLE
THE OVERCOMING OF DIVINE AND NATURE (life without a woman)
EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE
ETHICAL IMPLICATIONS OF SCIENTIFIC RESERARCH
ISOLATION OF INDIVIDUAL BY THE SOCETY
SOCIAL INJUSTICE
GOTHIC HORROR