Untitled Quiz

Study Notes

Mary Shelley was born in 1797 in London, the daughter of Mary Wollstonecraft and William Godwin.
Her mother died shortly after her birth.
Shelley was self-educated and benefited from her father’s extensive library.
She met Percy Bysshe Shelley in 1814 and they fled England together, traveling throughout Europe.

Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus was published anonymously in 1818.
The novel can be categorized as Gothic literature, characterized by its dark, grim atmosphere, episodes of horror and violence, and exploration of philosophical themes.
The themes of Frankenstein include scientific responsibility, the nature of humanity, and the dangers of pursuing forbidden knowledge.
Frankenstein is a novel of purpose, seeking to raise awareness on the critical topics it explores.

The story is told through a series of letters written by Walton, a young explorer, to his sister in England.
Walton encounters Victor Frankenstein, a dying man trapped in the Arctic, who narrates the story of his creation of the monster.
Victor recounts his childhood in Geneva and his happy life with his adopted sister, Elizabeth, and his friend, Henry Clerval.
Victor studies at the University of Ingolstadt, where he builds a living creature from the parts of corpses—a monstrous and repulsive being.
After returning home, Victor discovers that his younger brother, William, has been murdered.
Victor believes the monster is the murderer and feels guilt and responsibility for creating it.
The monster confronts Victor, revealing that he is the murderer but that he was motivated by hatred for his creator and not malice.
The monster begs Victor to create a female companion for him, hoping to find solace in companionship.
Victor nearly completes the second monster but is horrified and destroys it, leaving the monster alone and vengeful.
The monster kills Victor's friend, Henry Clerval, before murdering Victor's bride, Elizabeth, on their wedding night.
Grief-stricken, Victor pursues the monster, eventually dying in the Arctic, where Walton finds him.
The monster, overcome with remorse for his crimes and sorrow for his creator's death, departs to die, ending his own suffering.

Frankenstein is an epistolary novel, narrated from three different perspectives:
- Walton’s narration to his sister, Margaret Walton Saville (chapters 1-10)
- Frankenstein’s narration to Walton (chapters 11-17)
- The monster’s narration to Frankenstein (chapters 18-24)

The myth of Prometheus:
- Prometheus gives humanity knowledge of fire.
- Frankenstein seeks to give humanity the secret of life.
- Both are punished for their actions.
Christopher Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus:
- Frankenstein’s pursuit of knowledge beyond human limits leads to tragedy.
- Faustus’s pursuit of infinite knowledge from the devil leads to his eternal damnation.
The myth of the Noble Savage:
- The monster can be viewed as a primitive man, uninfluenced by civilization, demonstrating a good nature corrupted by mistreatment.
Samuel Taylor Coleridge's The Rime of the Ancient Mariner:
- The mariner disrupts the balance of nature by killing the albatross, similar to Frankenstein's violation of natural order.
- Both are punished for their actions against nature.

Frankenstein takes place across Europe, primarily in Geneva, the Alps, France, England, and Scotland.
The North Pole is an important setting, reflecting Frankenstein and the monster's isolation and psychological states.
The monster's creation occurs near Victor's university in Ingolstadt.

The quest for forbidden knowledge: Victor's relentless pursuit of knowledge pushes him to create life, leading to disastrous consequences.
The overreacher: Both Victor and Walton exemplify the dangers of ambition exceeding human limits.
Usurpation of the female role: The creation of human life without the participation of women undermines the traditional role of women.
Social prejudice: The monster's appearance and status as an outcast evoke themes of social prejudice and the consequences of rejection.
The double: The theme of the double is present through the relationships between Victor and Walton, as well as between Victor and the monster.
- Victor and Walton share a similar ambition to overcome human limits.
- The monster, like his creator, initially strives for good but becomes consumed by hatred and revenge. Both are ultimately driven by their desires for revenge.