MaryShelley’sFrankenstein;or,TheModernPrometheus

MaryShelley1797-1851PercyByssheShelley1792-1822

Hermother,MaryWollstonecraft–writerofAVindicationoftheRightsofWomen.

Herfather,WilliamGodwin,philosopherandwriterofnovels,politicaldiscourse.Oneofthefirsttoadvocateanarchism.

SamuelTaylorColeridgeandWilliamWordsworthwerefrequentvisitors.

MaryWollstonecraftShelley—LiteraryLegacy

1814—meetsandbeginsrelationshipwiththemarriedPercyByssheShelley1815—becomespregnant.Percy’swife,Harriet,isalsopregnant.Neitherinfantsurvivesformorethanafewdays.1816—MaryandPercyfleeEnglandforEurope.Sheisagainpregnant.HarrietShelleycommitssuicideasdoesMary’shalfsister,Fanny.MaryShelleybeginswritingthestorythatwouldbecomeFrankenstein.1818—Frankenstein;or,TheModernPrometheusispublished.

Abitofchronology

Heleaveshometostudywithscientistswho“penetrateintotherecessesofnature,andshewhowsheworksinherhidingplaces.Theyascentintotheheavens;theyhavediscoveredhowthebloodcirculates,andthenatureoftheairwebreathe.Theyhaveacquirednewandalmostunlimitedpowers;theycancommandthethundersofheaven,mimictheearthquake,andevenmocktheinvisibleworldwithitsownshadows”(28).

EmbeddedNarrativesRobert

Walton’sletterstohissister—thenhetells

Victor’sstory Victor’sstory—whichincludesanestof

otherstories,lettersCreature’sstory:

Agatha&Felix

Walton’sletter

“Oh,Frankenstein,benotequitabletoeveryother,andtrampleuponmealone,towhomthyjustice,andeventhyclemencyandaffection,ismostdue.Remember,thatIamthycreature:IoughttobethyAdam;butIamratherthefallenangel....EverywhereIseebliss,fromwhichIaloneamirrevocablyexcluded.Iwasbenevolentandgood;miserymademeafiend.Makemehappy,andIshallagainbevirtuous”(66).

“Butwhereweremyfriendsandrelations?Nofatherhadwatchedmyinfantdays,nomotherhadblessedmewithsmilesorcaresses....FrommyearliestremembranceIhadbeenasIwastheninheightandproportion.Ihadneveryetseenabeingresemblingme,orwhoclaimedanyintercoursewithme.WhatwasI?”(81).

“Myfoodisnotthatofman;Idonotdestroythelambandthekid,toglutmyappetite;acornsandberriesaffordmesufficientnourishment.Mycompanionwillbeofthesamenatureasmyself,andwillbecontentwiththesamefare.Weshallmakeourbedofdriedleaves;thesunwillshineonusasonman,andwillripenourfood”(99).

ReturntoEden?

“Hewassoonborneawaybythewaves,andlostinthedarknessanddistance”(156). THEEND

“Irushedoutofthecourtinagony.Thetorturesoftheaccuseddidnotequalmine;shewassustainedbyinnocence,butthepangsofremorsetoremybosomandwouldnotforegotheirhold”(54).

VictorFrankenstein—theself-absorbedRomantic

Perhapsthemonsterissuchapowerfulimagebecausehestrikessomanyarchetypalchordsforus:

Hereenactsthehistoryofhumanevolutionanddevelopment—learnstospeak,toread,towritebywatchingthecloselyknit,idealfamilyinthecottage.

Heisanabandonedchild—anorphan.

HischaracterseemssometimeslikeAdam,sometimeslikeSatan,andevensometimeslikeEve.

Oatesasks,“Howmanycreationsofsheerlanguagehavesteppedfromtherhythmsoftheirauthors’idiosyncraticvoicesintowhatmightbecalledacollectiveculturalconsciousness”(548)?Shearguesthat“Themorepotentthearchetypeevokedbyaworkofliterature,themorereadilyitsspecificformslipsfreeofthetime-boundpersonalwork....[thearchetypes]becomecommunalcreations;theybelongtousall’(549).Oates,JoyceCarol.“Frankenstein’sFallenAngel.”CriticalInquiry,vol. 10,No.3(Mar.,1984),pp543-554.Print.

--andtheresonanceofthenovelremindsmeofwherewestarted—withHavel’s“Thriller.”