MARY SHELLEY’S FRANKENSTEIN

Consider this:

Dedication to William Godwin is a critique Godwin’s Political

Justice 1814 to 1816 Mary read almost

all of her mother’s books Wollstonecraft’s, Vindication of

the Rights of a Woman

Mary Wollstonecraft 1759-1797

Aaron Burr commissioned this 1804 copy of John Opie's portrait, painted just a few months before Wollstonecraft’s death in 1797. Burr, best known as the Vice President of the United States who killed Alexander Hamilton in a duel, was much impressed with Wollstonecraft’s ideas for egalitarian child-rearing, and brought up his daughter Theodosia on those principles. Opie’s original portrait, which hung over William Godwin’s fireplace, is now in the National Portrait Gallery (London). In Godwin's view, however, Burr’s copy was the better likeness.

Writer, Lover, Writer, Dumped, Suicide, Writer Dumped, Suicide, Birth, Dies

Marriage = legalized slavery Education Moves to Paris, France (1792) 1 month before

King Louis XVI = guillotined Falls in love (Gilbert Imlay) = illegitimate

love child = Fanny Imlay Suicide attempt n 1 Moves to London, England Suicide attempt 2

Enter Godwin

1796 , William Godwin Pregnant Mary dies giving birth to Mary – 10

days after the birth. What do you do when your wife dies? Defamation

William Godwin 1756-1836

The drama Educated to serve as a minister Rejects ministry Writes a famous book, Enquiry Concerning Political

Justice Hates the monarchy, but opposes revolution Marriage = not so much Private property is evil. So he owns no property and

supports his family on his writings and lives modestly. Is often visited by Wordsworth, Coleridge, and

Percy Shelley After his wife’s death his popularity declines because he

damages her reputation. – Loser  Four years later he marries Mary Jane Clairmont

Mary Shelley 1797-1851

Her saga

Born on August 30, 1797 Mom dies in childbirth. (Mary

Wollstonecraft) Mary and her half-sister are raised by

William Godwin with the help of Louisa Jones, a devoted governess to the family.

The girls are educated by a French tutor. First four years of life are normal (sure) Mary is very proud of her famous mother. Godwin obsesses over Mary’s

education

1801 – enter evil step-mom Godwin dismisses Louisa Jones and marries Mary Jane Clairmont (odd, this is Mary

#3) Mary Jane Clairmont has two kids of her own. Now

they are a really blended family. Hell on earth ( imagine, your step-mom shows

favoritism to her own kids; your dad is a neurotic intellectual = you will be normal?)

So, what happens?

So she turns to writing. Age of 10 Mary publishes her first piece The family moves out of the country and into the city: London.

(Things couldn’t get any worse) Mary is intrigued by her father’s friends, but hates living with her

step-mom. Exit Mary- To ease tensions, Godwin sends Mary to live in

Scotland.

Mary stays with a wealthy family friend. This intensifies her feelings of abandonment.

Mary returns to London to meet anarchist poet, Percy Shelley and his young bride, Harriet Westbrook.

Mary returns to Scotland and discovers places of beauty, later evoked in Frankenstein.

The love triangle begins.

Percy Shelly separates from his wife and their infant daughter and they fall madly in love.

Mary Wollstonecraft’s tomb – creepy They travel to the Continent with Mary’s step-sister (Jane (Claire)

Clairmont) Mary is 17 and Percy is 22. Return from the continent in serious financial trouble. Meanwhile, Harriet (Percy’s first wife) is pregnant with her second

child, and Mary’s father is furious. Mary also becomes pregnant and gives birth, but the child dies.

Father rejects her. Mary has concerns about Percy’s interest in step-sister, Jane. Shelley’s grandfather dies and leaves Shelley an allowance. This is good

news. Mary gets pregnant again. They move back to the continent. Jane is pregnant too, with Lord Byron’s love child. Byron is exiled to

the continent because he is scandalized by all of his love affairs.

The making of Frankenstein

Summer of 1816 Lord Byron rents Villa Diodati on the shore of Lake Geneva in Switzerland.

Villa Diodati experience

One stormy night, the group including the Shelleys, Jane, Byron, John Polidori (Byron’s physician and close friend) decide to read German ghost stories to entertain themselves.

Literary contest They return to England Fanny Inlay is found

dead from a drug overdose.

Harriet Shelley, Percy’s estranged wife who is pregnant with a third child, drowns herself in the Serpentine River in London.

To win back fatherly favor, Percy and Mary decide to marry. Mary gives birth to her third child. Mary publishes Frankenstein in 1818. After the publication and Shelley’s custody loss to Harriet,

Jane and lovechild of Bryon, Allegra, move with Percy and Mary to Italy. Yes, the communal living is a bit bizarre.

Mary’s children Clara and William die in Rome the following summer.

Mary is severely depressed and writes her darkest short story, “Mathilda.” Narrating a father’s incestuous love for his daughter, the story shows Mary’s disfigured soul.

Mary gives birth to one more child, Percy and he survives to adulthood, but her marriage is doomed.

Mary suffers a near fatal miscarriage but is saved by Percy who packs her in ice to stop the bleeding.

Three weeks later, Percy and his friend Edward drown when their boat goes down in a storm in the Bay of La Spezia. Percy is obsessed with boating, but oddly, never learns how to swim.

Mary is 25. She returns to London. The last 28 years of her life she collects and

edits Shelley’s work, educates her one child, Percy.

She travels with her son to Germany and Italy.

Mary dies at home on February 1, 1851.