Is Frankenstein the True Creator of the Monster or Is It Society That Shapes Him?
Is Frankenstein the true creator of the monster or is it society that shapes him?
The 1818 Gothic novel ‘The Modern Prometheus’ or more famously renowned as ‘Frankenstein’ was written by the British novelist, Mary Shelly (born Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin), on the 30th August 1797. Her parents were political philosopher, William Godwin and feminist, Mary Wollstonecraft. Mary’s mother died 11 days after her birth which left her father in charge of her upbringing for the next four years until he remarried his neighbour, Mary Jane Clairmont. In 1814 Mary had fallen in love with the married Percy Bysshe Shelly, one of her father’s political followers, and together with Mary's stepsister, Claire Clairmont, they left for France and travelled through Europe. Their return to England brought with it the pregnancy of Mary and Shelly’s child and two years of hardship as they had to deal with ostracism, constant debt, and the death of their prematurely born daughter. The suicidal death of Percy’s wife allowed the couple to marry in 1816. The couple famously spent that summer with Lord Byron, John William Polidori, and Claire Clairmont near Geneva, Switzerland, where Mary conceived the idea for her novel ‘Frankenstein’. Mary’s second and third child died before she gave birth to her last and only surviving child in 1819. In 1822 her husband also died when his boat was struck during a storm. Mary returned to Britain a year later upon which she devoted herself to the upbringing of her son and being a professional author. On 1st February 1851, at the age of 53, Mary died from Brain tumour.
The novel ‘Frankenstein’ is said to be written when Mary was just 19 years old and took two years to complete. The novel opens with letters from Robert Walton, who is writing to his sister about his expedition. These letters form the framework of the story in which Walton tells his sister the story of Victor Frankenstein and his monster as Frankenstein told him. Victor is a student of medicine
The 1818 Gothic novel ‘The Modern Prometheus’ or more famously renowned as ‘Frankenstein’ was written by the British novelist, Mary Shelly (born Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin), on the 30th August 1797. Her parents were political philosopher, William Godwin and feminist, Mary Wollstonecraft. Mary’s mother died 11 days after her birth which left her father in charge of her upbringing for the next four years until he remarried his neighbour, Mary Jane Clairmont. In 1814 Mary had fallen in love with the married Percy Bysshe Shelly, one of her father’s political followers, and together with Mary's stepsister, Claire Clairmont, they left for France and travelled through Europe. Their return to England brought with it the pregnancy of Mary and Shelly’s child and two years of hardship as they had to deal with ostracism, constant debt, and the death of their prematurely born daughter. The suicidal death of Percy’s wife allowed the couple to marry in 1816. The couple famously spent that summer with Lord Byron, John William Polidori, and Claire Clairmont near Geneva, Switzerland, where Mary conceived the idea for her novel ‘Frankenstein’. Mary’s second and third child died before she gave birth to her last and only surviving child in 1819. In 1822 her husband also died when his boat was struck during a storm. Mary returned to Britain a year later upon which she devoted herself to the upbringing of her son and being a professional author. On 1st February 1851, at the age of 53, Mary died from Brain tumour.
The novel ‘Frankenstein’ is said to be written when Mary was just 19 years old and took two years to complete. The novel opens with letters from Robert Walton, who is writing to his sister about his expedition. These letters form the framework of the story in which Walton tells his sister the story of Victor Frankenstein and his monster as Frankenstein told him. Victor is a student of medicine