The Frankenstein Unit
Mary Shelley’s background
(August 30, 1797-February 1, 1851)
Born on August 30th 1797.
Mother: Mary Wollstonecraft
a famous feminist author
who died 11 days after
giving birth to Mary
Father: William Godwin
A famous 19th century
philosopher who believed
in the rights of the
individual.
Shelley’s marriage
• At 15 years of age Mary met her future husband Percy Bysshe Shelley, a disciple of William Godwin and a famous poet.
• Despite being previously married to another woman, Percy ByssheShelley convinces Mary to elope with him in France when she was 17.
The Making of Frankenstein
• On 19 March 1815 Shelley recorded in her journal, after the death of her first child: "Dream that my little baby came to life again--that it had only been cold & that we rubbed it before the fire & it lived."
Byron’s Challenge
• In the summer of 1816, Percy and Mary visit Lord Byron’s estate in France.
• The summer of 1816 had fall like weather because a massive volcano in Indonesia spewed ash around the world.
• Because of the gloomy weather, Byron issued a challenge to his guests to create the best horror story.
The Publishing of Frankenstein
• At Byron’s estate, Mary
has a dream about a man
who plans to bring life to
the dead.
• She turns her idea into a
story and is encouraged by
her husband to turn the
story into a novel.
• In 1818, Shelley publishes
the novel at the age of 19.
The Title of the Novel
• The name “Frankenstein”
originates not from the
Creature, but the Creator,
Victor Frankenstein.
• Victor, like Shelley,
suffers the loss of many
loved ones at an early age.
• He creates his creature as
a way to bring back the
dead.
The Doppelganger
• The story is a Doppelganger, or German word for “double image.”
• Both the Creature and Victor mirror each other in their effort to destroy the other.
• The Doppelganger represents a divided self, or two alter egos who are more alike than different.
Famous Doppelgangers
• Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
• Batman and the Joker
• Bruce Banner and The
Incredible Hulk
• James Bond and Blofeld
• Mario and Donkey Kong
• Optimus Prime and
Megatron
The Modern Prometheus
• Mary Shelley’s subtitle for Frankenstein is “The Modern Prometheus”
• In Greek Mythology, the titan Prometheus stole fire from the sun and gave it to humanity.
• This angered the Greek god Zeuswho did not want humans to control fire.
• He was punished by being chained to a lake while an eagle would feast on his liver.
• The Prometheus Myth has become a metaphor of what happens when humans get a hold of something they cannot control and reach beyond their ability.
The Creature
• Unlike the Hollywood
stereotype, the
Creature is an
intelligent being
whose rage stems
from his neglect from
Victor.
Themes in the Novel
1. Personal Responsibility:
Are we responsible for
our own actions?
2. Responsibility to Others:
Are we responsible for
the actions of others?
3. Recreate the Past: Can
we reshape the past?
The Hollywood Stereotype
• James Whale directed the 1931 film Frankenstein where our image of the Creature comes from.
• In the film, a mad scientists creates a creature with little intelligence who rages against humanity.
The Cultural Myth
• There are over 100 films
about Frankenstein.
• Frankenstein has been
used to sell merchandise
such as Twix candy bars,
Levi’s Jeans, Coca-Cola,
Frankenberry Cereal,
M&Ms, Penzoil, and Pez.
Favorite Titles of Frankenstein
Movies
• “Frankenstein’s Musical
Christmas”
• “Alvin and the Chipmunks
meet Frankenstein”
• “Frankenstein vs.
Dracula”
• “Frankenstein: the College
Years”
• “Blackenstein”
Films, Films, Films Oh My!
Because the myth of
Frankenstein has
become such a part of
our pop culture we
will be watching clips
from various versions
of “Frankenstein.”
Read the Book, then the Sparknotes!
I realize there are
websites like
Sparknotes that
summarize the book,
please use this as a
resource. To pass
you must read the
book!!!