The Frankenstein Unit

Did I request thee, Maker, from my clayTo mould me, Did I solicit theeFrom Darkness to promote me?

Paradise Lost, X 743-745

Images of Images of “Frankenstein”“Frankenstein”

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What is your image of “Frankenstein”? Draw it or jot down a list of descriptive words.

Favorite Titles of Frankenstein Movies

• “Frankenstein’s Musical Christmas”

• “Alvin and the Chipmunks meet Frankenstein”

• “Frankenstein vs. Dracula”

• “Frankenstein: the College Years”

Films, Films, Films Oh My!

The Hollywood Stereotype

• James Whale directed the 1931 film Frankenstein where our image of the Creature comes from.

• In the film, a mad scientists creates a creature with little intelligence who rages against humanity.

The Cultural Myth

• There are over 100 films about Frankenstein.

• Frankenstein has been used to sell merchandise such as Twix candy bars, Levi’s Jeans, Coca-Cola, Frankenberry Cereal, M&Ms, Penzoil, and Pez.

The Modern Prometheus

• Mary Shelley’s subtitle for Frankenstein is “The Modern Prometheus”

• In Greek Mythology, the titan Prometheus stole fire from the sun and gave it to humanity.

• This angered the Greek god Zeus who did not want humans to control fire.

• He was punished by being chained to a lake while an eagle would feast on his liver.

• The Prometheus Myth has become a metaphor of what happens when humans get a hold of something they cannot control and reach beyond their ability.

Frankenstein—The Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley

• Published 1818

• Romantic Literary Period

• Genre: Gothic Science Fiction

• Epistolary (novel of letters) 3 narrators

• Setting: 18th century; Geneva/Swiss Alps; northern ice

• Protagonist: Victor Frankenstein

• Antagonist: The Creature

FrankensteinFrankenstein - Novel Topics- Novel Topics

• The use of knowledge for good or evil

• The invasion of technology into modern life

• Treatment of the poor or uneducated

• The power of nature in the face of unnatural events

• Nature vs. nurture

ThesisThesis Influenced by the Romantic Influenced by the Romantic

Period, the scientific inquiry of Period, the scientific inquiry of her time, and her own life, her time, and her own life, Mary Shelley’s Gothic novel, Mary Shelley’s Gothic novel, FrankensteinFrankenstein, presents a clear , presents a clear message on the irony and message on the irony and danger in the quest for power.danger in the quest for power.

Mary Shelley

Mary Shelley’s background(August 30, 1797-February 1, 1851)

Born on August 30th 1797.

Mother: Mary Wollstonecraft a famous feminist author who died 11 days after giving birth to Mary

Father: William Godwin

A famous 19th century philosopher who believed in the rights of the individual.

The Author - Mary The Author - Mary ShelleyShelley passion for research and study is passion for research and study is evident throughout the novelevident throughout the novel

demonstrated through the three demonstrated through the three narrators’ quests for new narrators’ quests for new knowledge /knowledge of origins knowledge /knowledge of origins

parallels Mary Shelley's lifelong parallels Mary Shelley's lifelong scholarly pursuit /interest in her scholarly pursuit /interest in her own biological origins due to loss of own biological origins due to loss of mother in childbirthmother in childbirth

< Her Parents:

Philosopher William Godwin; Feminist Mary Wollstonecraft

Her Husband:>

Writer Percy B. Shelley

Shelley’s marriage

• At 15 years of age Mary met her future husband Percy Bysshe Shelley, a disciple of William Godwin and a famous poet.

• (scandal) Despite being previously married to another woman, Percy Bysshe Shelley convinces Mary to elope with him in France when she was 17.

Byron’s Challenge

• In the summer of 1816, Percy and Mary visit Lord Byron’s estate in France.

• The summer of 1816 had fall like weather because a massive volcano in Indonesia spewed ash around the world.

• Because of the gloomy weather, Byron issued a challenge to his guests to create the best horror story.

The Making of Frankenstein

• On 19 March 1815 Shelley recorded in her journal, after the death of her first child: "Dream that my little baby came to life again--that it had only been cold & that we rubbed it before the fire & it lived."

The Publishing of Frankenstein• At Byron’s estate, Mary

has a dream about a man who plans to bring life to the dead. (galvanism—popular theory of the time)

• She turns her idea into a story and is encouraged by her husband to turn the story into a novel.

• In 1818, Shelley publishes the novel at the age of 19.

Setting the Stage . . .Setting the Stage . . .What influenced Shelley to write this What influenced Shelley to write this

novel?novel?

The Romantic PeriodThe Romantic Period

The Gothic NovelThe Gothic Novel

Scientific ResearchScientific Research

Her own lifeHer own life

The Romantic PeriodThe Romantic PeriodTime of political revolution and Time of political revolution and

new ways of looking at the world new ways of looking at the world (especially in the light of the (especially in the light of the French Revolution)French Revolution)

A time of expression.A time of expression.Britain was becoming the most Britain was becoming the most

powerful nation in the world. powerful nation in the world. Britain’s prosperity (Industrial Britain’s prosperity (Industrial Revolution) eventually created a Revolution) eventually created a sense of British righteousness.sense of British righteousness.

The Gothic NovelThe Gothic Novel ““a new and fearful genre for a a new and fearful genre for a

new and fearful time” new and fearful time” haunted Gothic manor— haunted Gothic manor—

represents crumbling way of represents crumbling way of lifelife;;

hero or heroine's search for hero or heroine's search for identityidentity—loss of English identity—loss of English identity

The revolutions in America and The revolutions in America and France helped developed a France helped developed a culture of fearculture of fear

**fear of imprisonment or fear of imprisonment or entrapment, *fear of rape and entrapment, *fear of rape and personal violation, *fear of evil personal violation, *fear of evil triumphing over good and chaos triumphing over good and chaos over order.over order.

Gothic Gothic literature gets literature gets its name from its name from

the Gothic the Gothic architecture architecture that often that often

makes up its makes up its settings.settings.

Scientific Research of the Scientific Research of the TimeTime

science begins to dominate—even partially displacing religion as a coherent world view.

The Industrial Revolution led to The Industrial Revolution led to massive leaps forward in engineering.massive leaps forward in engineering.

Science becomes formal major at Science becomes formal major at university; many men focused on the university; many men focused on the study of natural history.study of natural history.

Scientific Research of the TimeScientific Research of the Time

Concept of Electricity and warmth led Concept of Electricity and warmth led to the discovery of the to the discovery of the GalvinizationGalvinization process process – ----key to the animation of life.key to the animation of life.

Scientist Johann Konrad Dippel (1673-Scientist Johann Konrad Dippel (1673-1734) a mad scientist who studied human 1734) a mad scientist who studied human anatomy.anatomy.

The late 18The late 18thth century saw a revolution century saw a revolution in Chemistry—change from alchemy to in Chemistry—change from alchemy to Chemistry (atomic theory of matter). Chemistry (atomic theory of matter). – suggested that elements could be put suggested that elements could be put

together to create mattertogether to create matter..

• In the early 1800’s, scientists were obsessed with finding a way to bring the dead back to life.

•Mary found this idea fascinating and kept current with all new science experiments taking place during her time.

Luigi Galvani was one scientist that believed that “electricity” was the life force for living beings.

He would take dead animals and shock their bodies with high currents of electricity. The corpse would jolt when shocked with electrical currents.

Luigi’s nephew, Giovanni Aldini, took the experiment one step further. In London, on January 17, 1803, he publicly performed this experiment on the corpse of a human being, a prisoner that had been executed by hanging.

Giovanni attached live wires to the corpse: 120 plates of zinc and 120 plates of copper.

Giovanni reported, “the jaw began to quiver, the adjoining muscles were horribly contorted, and the left eye actually opened.”(Frankenstein, p. xx)

The muscles of the corpse were shocked to such a degree that the corpse appeared “animated” to the public.

With Frankenstein, the sci-fi era began. The novel contains the three elements essential for all science fiction work:

(1) based on valid scientific research;

(2) gives a persuasive prediction of what science might achieve in the future;

(3) offers a humanistic critique of the benefits and dangers of either the achievement or scientific thought

The Title of the Novel• The name “Frankenstein”

originates not from the Creature, but the Creator, Victor Frankenstein.

• Victor, like Shelley, suffers the loss of many loved ones at an early age.

• He creates his creature as a way to bring back the dead.

Structure and Point of View

Epistolary – carried by letters

Frame Story

The Doppelganger

• The story is a Doppelganger, or German word for “double image.”

• Both the Creature and Victor mirror each other in their effort to destroy the other.

• The Doppelganger represents a divided self, or two alter egos who are more alike than different.

Famous Doppelgangers

• Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

• Batman and the Joker

• Bruce Banner and The Incredible Hulk

• James Bond and Blofeld

• Mario and Donkey Kong

• Optimus Prime and Megatron

The Creature

• Unlike the Hollywood stereotype, the Creature is an intelligent being whose rage stems from his neglect from Victor.

I, the miserable and the abandoned, am an abortion, to be spurned at, and kicked, and trampled on.

Themes in the Novel

1. Personal Responsibility: Are we responsible for our own actions?

2. Responsibility to Others: Are we responsible for the actions of others?

3. Recreate the Past: Can we reshape the past?

ThesisThesis Influenced by the Romantic Influenced by the Romantic

Period, the scientific inquiry of Period, the scientific inquiry of her time, and her own life, her time, and her own life, Mary Shelley’s Gothic novel, Mary Shelley’s Gothic novel, FrankensteinFrankenstein, presents a clear , presents a clear message on the irony and message on the irony and danger in the quest for power.danger in the quest for power.