BY MARY SHELLEYPRESENTATION BY PARIS LAWSON

Frankenstein

Table of Contents

Mary Shelley’s background/ historyShelley’s influencesHer impact on literatureShelley’s techniques used in her writingNovel analysisWorks cited

Background on Shelley

Born as Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin (named after her mother)

Born in Somers Town, London, England on August 30th, 1797

Her mother, Mary Wollstonecraft, died only 11 days after birth

She and her four half-sisters were raised by her father, William Godwin, who encouraged his daughters to write at a very early age.

Background Cont’d

Shelley had an affair with the married poet, Percy Bysshe Shelley

Mary became pregnant with Percy’s child and upon hearing such, her father refused to receive her.

She became ostracized from society as an adulterer

Mary’s daughter died soon after her birth and led Mary into a deep depression.

In 1816 Mary gave birth to a son, William, which eased her depression.

Background Cont’d

Mary and Percy gave birth to another child, Clara in 1817

While on a trip together, William and Clara both became extremely sick and died

She later gave birth to another son, Percy, whom she feared she would also lose

Mary grew very ill during her final years

She died on February 1, 1851

Some believe the cause of her death to be a brain tumor

The making of Frankenstein

The idea for the novel came to Shelley in a dream

She would spend the summer with Lord Byron, her friends affair at the time

They would be confined to their house due to bad weather

During this time, the party would engage in ghost stories and talking about galvanism

This led to Shelley producing the first sketch of what would become Frankenstein

Shelley’s Influences

Both parents were prominent writersMother was a feminist writer who wrote a

book about the equality of the sexes Her father, William, was an accomplished

journalist and novelist

Shelley’s mother and

father

Shelley’s Impact on Literature

Through this novel, Shelley explicitly gave birth to a new theme in literature which is: hubris and unbridled ambition causing one’s ultimate downfall. This is also present in many Greek myths and are also two elements of a tragic hero. Shelley merely brought it to modern literature.

Example:

Techniques used by Shelley

Shelley used vivid imagery in her novel to help the reader understand the setting and also dwell in the emotions of the characters.

“I remember the first time I became capable of observing outward objects with any kind of pleasure, I perceived that the fallen leaves had disappeared, and that the young buds were shooting forth from the trees that shaded my window”(Shelley 62)

Shelley is describing spring through such imagery!

Motifs

Shelley uses the motif of letter writing in her novel to switch the point of view of which the story was being told in order to allow the reader to hear and see different perspectives of the story.

The novel begins with letters from R.

Walton to his sister in England

Throughout the novel, Frankenstein constantly receives

letters from his cousin, Elizabeth, and friend Henry.

At the end of the novel, the reader discovers that the entire story was a letter from Walton recollecting the story he’s been told to his sister, Margaret

Allusions

Shelley uses a wide variety of allusions in her novel. Most of which are Biblical to help describe the emotions of the monster to the reader.

Biblical Allusion to Adam and Eve

Allusions

Shelley also used a variety of historical allusions to allow the reader to compare the events happening in the novel to historical ones.

Alludes to the March of the Ten Thousand 401-

399 BC

Frankenstein Analysis

Frankenstein Analysis

Shelley described the first year of the monster’s life as “an entire revolution of the seasons” in order to show the simplicity of his thinking.

The monster refers to the family that he secretly observes as his “protectors” to emphasize how important this family is to him.

“The winter advanced, and an entire revolution of the seasons had taken place since I awoke into life. My attention, at this time, was solely directed towards my plan of introducing myself into the cottage of my protectors.” (Shelley 156)

“The winter advanced, and an entire revolution of the seasons had taken place since I awoke into life. My attention, at this time, was solely directed towards my plan of introducing myself into the cottage of my protectors.” (Shelley 156)

Frankenstein Analysis

“I felt emotions of gentleness and pleasure, that had long appeared dead, revive within me. Half surprised by the novelty of these sensations, I allowed myself to be borne away by them; and forgetting my solitude and deformity, dared to be happy.” (Shelley 167)

The personification of the monster’s emotion allow the reader to relate and understand how his feelings consume him.

By saying that he “dared to be happy” suggests that the monster feels as though he is not supposed to be happy or does not deserve it.

Frankenstein Analysis

“In truth, I was occupied by gloomy thoughts, and neither saw the decent of the evening star, nor the golden sun rise reflected in the Rhine.-And you my friend, would be far more amused with the journal of Clerval, who observed the scenery with and eye of feeling and delight that to listen to my reflections.”(Shelley 189)

The imagery used here by Shelley illustrates how plagued Frankenstein was with grief.

Shelley directly addresses the reader here in order to allow the reader to feel as a part of the story a strict form of pathos.

Frankenstein Analysis

“ I trembled, and my trembled, and my heart failed within meheart failed within me; when, on looking up, I saw, by the light of the moon, the demon the demon at the casement. A ghastly grin wrinkled ghastly grin wrinkled his lips as he gazed his lips as he gazed on meon me, where I sat fulfilling the task which he had allotted to me.”(Shelley 204)

The imagery used in this case allows the reader to understand Frankenstein’s terror.

The characters in the novel repeatedly refer to the monster as a demon or a wretch.

Shelley constantly uses specific imagery in order to illustrate the grotesqueness of the monster

Frankenstein Analysis

“Hear him not; call on the manes of William, Justine, Clerval, Elizabeth, my father and of the wretched Victor, and thrust your sword into his heart. I will hover near, and direct the steel aright.

Walton, in continuation. August 26th, 17-”

(Shelley 258)

At this point in the novel, the reader discovers that the novel in its entirety was merely a recollection of Frankenstein’s events written in a letter by R. Walton. This twist in plot shows the mystery and ambiguity of the entire story because they are all second hand accounts of the events that passed, which allows the events that happen afterwards to carry more weight than any prior to the discovery.

Works Cited

Collins, Belinda. (n.d.): n. pag. Web. 2 Sept. 2014."Mary Shelley and Her Novel Frankenstein." Mary Shelley and Her Novel Frankenstein. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Sept. 2014."Mary Shelley - Biography." Mary Shelley. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Aug. 2014."Regency History: Mary Shelley (1797-1851)." Regency History: Mary Shelley (1797-1851). N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Sept. 2014.

URLs Used

http://www.egs.edu/library/mary-shelley/biography/

http://www.regencyhistory.net/2011/11/mary-shelley-1797-1851.html

http://collinsatchs.weebly.com/uploads/5/6/1/3/5613885/mary_shelley_literary_technique_analysis-sample.pdf

http://members.aon.at/frankenstein/frankenstein-novel.htm