FRANKENSTEIN

By Mary Shelley

CONTEXTUAL OVERVIEW

MARY SHELLY (nee’ Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin)

Born in London in 1797 into an exceptionally gifted and intellectual family.

PARENTSMary Wollstonecraft –

famous, radical feminist writer.

William Godwin – famous political writer and philosopher

MARY WOLLSTONECRAFT• Wrote ‘Vindication of The

Rights of Women’ – a famous feminist work arguing that women should no longer be treated as second-class citizens.

• Tragically Mary Wollstonecraft died giving birth to her second daughter, Mary Godwin

WILLIAM GODWIN• Wrote ‘Inquiry Concerning

Political Justice’ (1793) – an anarchist attack on political institutions.

• Anarchism is generally defined as opposing authority or hierarchical organization in the conduct of human relations.

MARY’S FAMILY

Frances "Fanny" Imlay (illegitimate child) – no images exist

Mary Wollstonecra

ftGilbert Imlay – nasty businessman

William Godwin

Mary Shelley

Failed affair!

THE NEW GODWIN HOUSE

Frances "Fanny" Imlay (illegitimate child) – no images exist

After Mary died shortly after childbirth, William struggled to raise the girls alone, so he remarried…a quick-tempered woman called Mary Jane Clairmont. She brought her two children to join the Godwin household…drama ensued…

William Godwin

Mary Shelley Clair and Charles

Percy Bysshe Shelley - Poet

Lord Byron - Poet

Percy took Mary and Claire with him for a summer in Geneva – to also meet up with his pal Lord Byron, whom Clair had a massive crush on. Both men were brilliant Romantic poets and always wore gorgeous, high-collared white shirts.

Percy Bysshe Shelley - Poet

Lord Byron - Poet

Mary Clair

Best. Summe

r. EVER!

GENEVA

Second most populous city in SWITZERAND

L O N G D AY S W E R E PA SS E D I N D O O R S …I N W H AT I S K N O W N A S ‘ T H E H A U N T E D

S U M M E R’ …

I’VE GOT IT! LET’S

WRITE GHOST

STORIES!

BYRON

Prophets of Science Fiction - 43 mins

Five questions for homework on blog…

THE ENLIGHTENMENT

The Age of Enlightenment (or simply the Enlightenment or Age of Reason) was a cultural movement of intellectuals in 18th century Europe and the American colonies. Its purpose

was to reform society using reason (rather than

tradition) and advance knowledge through science. It promoted science and opposed superstition,

intolerance and abuses by church and state.

Mary Shelley believed in the Enlightenment idea that people could improve society through the responsible exercise of political power, but she feared that the irresponsible exercise of power would lead to chaos.

In practice, Mary’s writing largely criticizes the way 18th-century thinkers such as her parents believed such change could be brought about.

The creature in Frankenstein, for example, reads books associated with radical ideals but the education he gains from them is ultimately useless.

Shelley's writing reveals that she is less optimistic than her parents; she lacks faith in her father’s theory that humanity could eventually be perfected.

Sorry dad, I know you’re into anarchy, but I just don’t buy it that there

can one day be a society with no problems…not

going to happen.

That’s quite alright Mary.

Just don’t come home.

German philosopher Immanuel Kant

described Enlightenment simply

as freedom to use one's own intelligence.

ENLIGHTENMENT THINKERS: ISAAC NEWTON, VOLTAIRE & JOHN

LOCKE

I like stuff to do with gravity…I’m a scientist, mathematician and all-round genius!

I’m a famous writer and I advocate freedom of expression and separation of church and state…

I’m a philosopher and was the first to come up with ideas about identity and the self…I think that a child is a ‘blank slate’ that is formed only through experience…

IN YOUR OWN WORDS…

The Enlightenment was…

ROMANTICISM…

A google image search indicates that, in order to appear super-intelligent, all Romantic writers touch their faces in

portraits and stare off into outer space…

DEEP IN THOUGHT…

ROMANTICISM IS NOT THIS

It was an artistic movement in France and

Britain in the early decades of the nineteenth century and flourished until mid-

century. With its emphasis on the imagination and

emotion, Romanticism emerged as a response to the disillusionment with the Enlightenment values of reason and order in the aftermath of the French Revolution of 1789.

JEAN-JACQUES ROUSSEAU: ‘FATHER OF

ROMANTICISM’

“The world of reality has its limits; the world of imagination is boundless.”

The Romantics were rebels and they knew it.

Philosophers and scientists saw man as creatures endowed with Reason, the Romantics saw diversity and

uniqueness.

Fla la la la Express yourself! Be original!Paint a picture, write a poem! Fla la la

Woman laying around in the flowers thinking about poetry and being generally Romantic.

“Let’s find a way to measure and explain those mountains!”

“This divine mountain air makes my heart and spirit soar – oh! Wondrous land!”

…pick the Romantic…

• Characteristics of Romanticism – handout

Does the painting evoke a certain mood or theme?

How does it reflect Romantic era ideas?