Frankenstein

1. Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein NOTES on the novel

2. Introduction • Written by Mary Shelley in the early 1800s • Classified under two genres: Gothicism and science fiction. • Audio file for Frankenstein

3. Influences on Frankenstein: Prometheus • Prometheus, whose name means Forethought, was a titan who had sided with the Olympian gods in the rebellion against Kronos, the ruler of the titans. And though he chose the Olympian gods over the titans, he remained aloof, and never had true respect for them. • As Zeus, after the revolution, became the almighty ruler, he took his interests in the celestial, and ignored the human race on Earth. He intended them to be primitives, with no gift of knowledge, and forbid any god to impart them with enlightenment. Prometheus looked upon these mortals with pity, and gave them various gifts of knowledge. • But of these gifts, the most valuable and the most damning for Prometheus was fire, which enabled men to overcome ignorance and become enlightened. Once Zeus saw that men had overcome ignorance through the rebellious act of Prometheus, he had Prometheus chained to the Caucasus mountains with shackles made by Hephaistos, and had carnivorous birds swoop down to peck out his liver. • And because he was immortal, his liver would grow back during the night, and his torture would continue on every day. But in Ovid's version of the story of Prometheus, Prometheus is not the savior of men, but creator of men who manipulated them to his will.

4. Paradise Lost • The epic detailing the fall of Lucifer by Milton was of a great influence to Frankenstein. • In Milton's piece, Adam, God's creation, questions his creator, "Did I request thee, Maker, from my clay/ To mould me Man, did I solicit thee/ From darkness to promote me...?“ • The lines were even used in the 1818 edition of Frankenstein, and covers the attitude of Frankenstein's creation.

5. Frankenstein the Novel • Written between the Romantic and Victorian periods • Written by Mary Shelley, wife of author Percy Shelley • A number of Shelly’s own viewpoints and opinions are found in the novel.

6. Rime of the Ancient Mariner • A seven part poem written by Samuel Coleridge, a friend of Mary Shelley's father, it is often alluded to in Frankenstein, and has much influence over the story. According to accounts, Mary Shelley would stay up late at night to hear Coleridge himself recite the poem at her house. • The poem itself is about a mariner who after killing an an albatross, a sea bird of good luck, undergoes a torturing experience that is meant to be reparation for his deeds. Mary Shelley alludes to the albatross in her story, and the idea of an outcast scorned and enduring suffering is again repeated.

7. Letters 1-4 • Allusion to “Rime of the Ancient Mariner” • Structure of the book arranged (epistolary =“letters”) • “Stranger” = general narrator • Walton = substitute for audience • THEME: Quest for Knowledge can lead to self-destruction • Walton suffers from “hubris” ; believes he is invincible • Walton’s values are questionable; does not honor his father’s dying request

8. Letters 1-4 • “epic hero” like, Walton is consumed by a need to be immortal • Jumps from dream to dream, experienced or not and refuses to let the dream go, no matter what the cost • THEME: Humans have a basic need for companionship. • Walton has no connection with others; thinks he is “above them” • Sees Victor as a “kindred spirit”

9. Chapter 1 • THEME: Family and kinship; parenting • Victor speaks in 1st person; everything is in relation to him • Traditional family structure (parents Alphose and Caroline) • Raised in a loving happy home with loving parents; we assume that Victor would have the same instinct. • For those who have been created and abandoned, it is required that someone are for them; to do otherwise is unthinkable. (adoption of Elizabeth)

10. Chapter 2 • THEME: Quest for knowledge leads to destruction • Victor is predisposed to secrecy (even as a young man) • Foreshadows how experiments come into play • Father tells him that Agrippa is “trash” but doesn’t explain why; this book influenced his later work

11. Chapter 3 • THEME: Parenting • For Victor, knowledge substitutes for people –disconnects • This attitude is dangerous • He “doesn’t do well with strangers” • We learn his last name; removal of first name makes him less personal; “scientific self”

12. Chapter 4 • THEME: Boundaries/ trespass • Two years go by without him going home; why? • This doesn’t speak well for his character • Either Victor is normally kind and has become demonized by scientific knowledge OR he is actually a selfish character • How is he like Macbeth in this instance? • Victor has no respect for natural boundaries; contempt for restraints • Lost the ability to feel anything; no remorse

13. Chapter 4 • THEME: Boundaries/ trespass • To poke around something more powerful than yourself is dangerous • He has an epiphany (he has discovered the secret of life) • He hesitates to begin research; indicates that he isn’t fully convinced it is “the right thing”; like Macbeth • Driven to reanimate; why?

14. Chapter 5 • THEME: Abandonment/ parenting • Fickleness of human nature; Victor is horrified by what he’s done • Creature emerges in a non-violent state; happy and shy • We are supposed to see him as a child

15. Chapter 6 • 1st time we learn of Victor’s brother • Elizabeth shows herself to be gentle like Caroline • Victor wants to forget; desire to be reborn • He is unable to act directly unless confronted. • His character allows him to see only what is before his eyes, not beyond; immature though full of knowledge

16. Chapter 7 • Victor is still self-centered • We are inclined to see the Creature through Frankenstein’s eyes • Victor keeps creature secret in order to preserve reputation and save face

17. Prepare for POP QUIZon chapters 7-9

18. POP QUIZ: Ch. 7-9 • What happens to William? • Who does Victor see in the storm? • What does he realize • What has Justine been accused of? • Why doesn’t Victor tell anyone about the creature? • What happens to Justine?

19. Chapter 8 • Frankenstein’s selfish desire to conceal the truth causes Justine’s death • The word “creature” is used to refer to Elizabeth and Justine • Shelley challenges us to ask how much we can trust language; words can be manipulated

20. Chapter 9 • Victor is suicidal; “oh poor victim” • Revolts him to the reader • “romantic” images; nature

21. Chapter 10 • Meets creature; will ultimately bring misery upon him • Victor’s conversation with creature “fallen angel”; supreme innocence with evil • Sees himself as Adam = creature begs for compassion • THEME: parenting • Creature is like a sheep gone astray • If Victor hate the creature, who will love him? • Victor’s abandonment is what makes the creature what he is

22. Chapter 10 • THEME: parenting • No one to foster kindness in him • “How dare you sport thus with life?” • Lack of looking ahead and unwillingness to care of consequences • If the creature is evil, so is Frankenstein

23. Chapter 11 • Creature begins narrating • Creature is very infant-like; experiences the world as a child might • Creature weeps out of fear and pain • Does not kill anything to obtain nourishment; truly peaceful; truly innocent • The more we learn about the Creature, the more our opinion of Victor falls

24. Chapter 12 • THEME: Knowledge brings destruction (“ignorance is bliss”) • When the Creature sees his reflection, he is horrified • The reader knows the can never over come the obstacles of his appearance • We are intended to identify with the creature as an outcast • We understand that he will NEVER integrate into human society

25. Chapter 13 • Creature asks “WHAT am I?” not “WHO am I?” • Consuming desire to belong to this family • Identifies with them; they were exiled as he was exiled • Creature is ignorant of human nature; humans cannot get along with each other, let alone a new species • THEME: parenting • Creature contemplates the lack of guidance in his life • Victor’s neglect is horrifying

26. Chapter 14 • Shows attachment to the family; portrays various types of human interaction • The tale of the family contains the best and worst traits of human nature • Danger: if creature is not well-received, he now has tools to wreak vengeance • THEME: basic human need for companionship • From his hovel, the Creature cranes his neck to hear every word from his “friends”

27. Chapter 15 • Creature is becoming more “human” • Extreme rejection is ironic; never has he been more learned, never more “human” • Creature realizes how he came to be; no love in his creation

28. Prepare for POP QUIZon chapters 16-18

29. POP QUIZ: Ch. 16-18 Why does the Creature return to the hut? What does he do when he realizes the DeLaceys have gone? How does the Creature feel when he realizes how he was created? How are the Creature and Satan different? The same? What happens when he rescues the little girl? What does the Creature want from Victor? What does Victor agree to do?

30. Chapter 16 • Image of fire is prevalent; anger/ fire is unleashed • Vengeance unleashed=logical target is Frankenstein • Essentially declares war on all humans • Problem: how he chooses his victims • If the creature looks to reproduce marriage, if that is his ultimate goal, how will William’s death achieve this? • Creature looks to reproduce marriage

31. Chapter 17 • Frankenstein is back as the narrator • Frankenstein is convinced to make another creature by the Creature’s reasonable tone (“you are my creator”) • The Creature begs Victor to help him not to hate, to banish evil from his body. • Even Satan was loved by his creator; he CHOSE to reject his creator; the Creature had no such choice • Why did God make Eve? • What makes a human “human”?

32. Chapter 18 Puts off marrying Elizabeth Victor goes to England Doesn’t alert his family to the danger Only acts when a stimulus is applied or when disaster has already struck and it is too late to take precautions; failure to plan ahead Until Creature is happy, Victor will not be happy THEME: Secrecy Victor is enslaved by his secret

33. Chapter 19 Image of blasted tree=chaos, destruction Frankenstein felt a “bolt”=severed, cut off; relishes his sorrow Decision to create 2nd creature=selling his soul forever (“in cold blood”) Creature threatens to kill his family, not him

34. Chapter 20 Frankenstein breaks his promise; noble or stupid? Makes an aggressive stand for the first time and refuses to sell his soul; abandonment of commitment?? Chooses to save himself and not his family?

35. Chapter 21 Ironic that he is accused of Clerval’s murder; why? He is actually “guilty.” Acquittal by man is meaningless; he is guilty in his heart. Frankenstein slowly dies with each murder Frankenstein has low emotional intelligence.

36. Chapter 22 Lack of control; last happy day of Frankenstein’s life Involvement of Elizabeth in scheme is selfish Frankenstein is “entranced” in magic; does he stand a chance? Why does he think HE will be murdered? Creature CAN deliver on his threats Creature sees himself as “less than human” “Gap” between Frankenstein and Creature is closing

37. Chapter 23 Reader knows Elizabeth will be killed; why doesn’t Victor (very “scripted”) This is the one murder he had the chance to prevent and doesn’t Victor and his creature have never been more alike; both utterly alone in the world; parallel situations

38. Chapter 24 Victor lives only for revenge Cat and mouse game with Creature Creature has what he has always wanted: Victor’s absolute attention Power inversion: the Creature is now in control Walton returns as narrator Frankenstein loses his strength and his soul bit by bit His story is “preserved”; death-bed confession; he can now die in peace

39. Chapter 24 How do we view his story? Has Victor changed at all through the course of his story? Has Walton? If the purpose of scientific research is to help mankind, how has Victor helped? Victor told his story to Walton to advise him not to be foolish in his pursuit of knowledge; Walton has not learned anything from it. He still desires to pursue knowledge at any cost, though he agrees to go home.

40. Chapter 24 Creature’s final scene is touching He views Victor as his father, but his father never gave him a name. What does this say about Victor? “Frankenstein” has become associated with the idea of “monster” Who is the monster?

41. Conclusion Though Frankenstein was written almost 200 years ago, many of its themes are still applicable to today’s society. Some themes – man playing god, for instance – are even more pertinent to today’s world than to Mary Shelley’s. Mankind is growing more and more powerful in terms of scientific discovery, through its understanding and manipulation of biology and of DNA in particular. With great power comes opportunity for great corruption and turmoil. Frankenstein helps us understand that it is not, necessarily, bad people we have to fear– a greater danger might come from good people with good motives, like Victor, who are capable creating monsters. Are we destined to lose control over the monsters? For this reason, understanding the significance of Frankenstein is essential for today’s youth, to be aware of both the benefits and the consequences of science.