Frankenstein or The Modern Prometheus PDF

Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus Mary Shelley  Mary Shelley’s life Born in 1797 in London. Daughter of Mary Wollstonecraft and William Godwin. Half-sister Fanny. M. Wollstonecraft died shortly after her birth. 1801: Godwin married Jane Clairmont. Stepsister: Clara Mary...

Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus Mary Shelley  Mary Shelley’s life Born in 1797 in London. Daughter of Mary Wollstonecraft and William Godwin. Half-sister Fanny. M. Wollstonecraft died shortly after her birth. 1801: Godwin married Jane Clairmont. Stepsister: Clara Mary Jane. Self-educated. She used her father’s extensive library. A lot of famous writers attended her house: Coleridge, Wordsworth, Blake. 1814: Mary met Percy Bysshe Shelley (still married to his first wife). They fled England and travelled around Europe. Mary got pregnant but lost her child.  Mary Shelley’s life 1816: the year without a summer. They were in Lord Byron’s Villa Diodati (Geneva) with John Polidori and Jane Clairmont. Byron suggested that everyone should write a horror story. Mary won the competition. P. Shelley’s first wife committed suicide. Mary and Percy Shelley got married in December 1816. 1818: Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus was published anonymously. 1822: Percy Shelley died. She wrote more novels, such as Valperga and The Last Man. She promoted her husband’s poetry. 1951: Mary died of brain cancer at the of 53 in London.  Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus Published anonymously in 1818. It is a Gothic novel → grim atmospheres: dark laboratories, mountain landscapes, icy wastes of the North Pole. Episodes of horror and violence. It is a novel of purpose: it spreads philosophical ideas to raise people’s consciousness about a particular theme or issue: problem of scientific research, ethical responsibility and the essence of human nature. Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus: plot The story is introduced by a series of letters written by Walton, a young explorer on an expedition voyage to the North Pole, to his sister, Margaret Walton Saville in England. Walton finds a dying man trapped in ice, Victor Frankenstein. He tells Walton his story. Victor first describes his early life in Geneva and his happy childhood spent in the company of Elizabeth (his adopted sister) and his friend Henry Clerval. Victor enters the University of Ingolstadt. Here he creates a human being by joining together parts of corpses. The result is ugly and revolting. Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus: plot Victor prepares to return to Geneva. His father tells him that William, his younger brother, has been strangled. Victor catches sight of the monster and becomes convinced that he is the murderer. Justine Moritz has been accused. She is executed. The monster approaches Victor on a glacier in Switzerland. He admits to killing William because he wanted to injure Victor, his cruel creator. The monster begs Victor to create a female companion for him. Victor nearly completes this second monster but he is horrified and destroys it. Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus: plot The monster kills Victor’s friend Henry Clerval. Victor marries Elizabeth. The monster murders the bride on their wedding night. Victor’s father dies of grief a short time later. Victor vows to devote his life to finding the monster and exacting his revenge. He pursues his creature as far as the Arctic. This brings us back to the beginning of the novel and Frankenstein’s rescue by Captain Walton. Victor dies on board the ship. Later Walton finds the monster weeping over Victor’s dead body, full of sorrow and remorse. Now he can end his suffering, so he departs to die.  Narrative structure: an epistolary novel 3 narrators, 3 different points of view First person narrator / non-omniscient 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) Literary influences: the myth of Prometheus Prometheus gives Frankenstein seeks humanity the to give humanity knowledge of fire the secret of life He is punished through the death of his loved ones and finally through his own death. He is an example of an overreacher. Literary influences: Marlowe and Rousseau Cristopher Marlowe’S DOCTOR FAUSTUS Frankenstein’s pursuit of knowledge that goes beyond human limits leads to tragedy. Dr Faustus is given infinite knowledge for 24 years by the devil and this leads to his eternal damnation. THE MYTH OF THE NOBLE SAVAGE The monster can be seen as a man in a primitive state, not influenced by civilization. Man in a state of nature was a solitary creature, not bad and had an ‘innate repugnance to see others of his kind suffering’. An essentially good nature is corrupted by mistreatment. The Rime of the Ancient Mariner (Coleridge) The mariner upsets Frankenstein’s the equilibrium of creation of life nature by killing oversteps the the albatross limits of human nature Crime against nature Victor is punished Balance is restored by the death of the monster and its creator. Frankenstein: the setting  The events of the story happen all over Europe, from Geneva to the Alps, to France, England, Scotland.  The most important setting is the North Pole mirrors Frankenstein’s and the monster’s states of mind.  The creation’s birthplace is next to Frankenstein’s university at Ingolstadt.  THEMES  Quest for forbidden knowledge  Overreacher (Victor and Walton)  Usurpation of the female role (the creation of human beings is possible without the participation of women)  Social prejudices through the figure of the monster as an outcast  The double  The theme of the double Walton has the same Frankenstein wants to ambition as overcome human limits by Frankenstein. He travels creating artificial life. towards the unknown. Frankenstein’s rejection The monster, like his of his creature makes creator, begins with a him a murderer and an desire to be good but outcast. Even though become obsessed with Victor initially flees from hate and revenge. his creature, the monster is always present in his life.