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A review by leventmolla
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
5.0
Our childhood nightmares are full of werewolves, vampires, demons and similar creatures at times. Undoubtedly, one of the most notorious of these creatures is Frankenstein's monster . Most of us have probably seen the original Frankenstein movie which has now been accepted as one of world classics, with the excellent acting of Boris Karloff. (I remember seeing an old, faded copy of the movie in a small town moviehouse)
As popular as Frankenstein is, few people have actually read the original novel published by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley in 1818. Of course the term "Frankenstein" which has been used as an adjective in some languages to depict a horrible creature, is not the name of the monster - as some people still think - but of the scientist who creates him.
When we look into the life and friends of Mary Shelley - who has been neglected in the area of literature - we will see a lot of authors who have been influential in the 18th and 19th centuries. Her father William Godwin is an atheist who is known for novels like Caleb Williams. He has married Mary Wollstonecraft, who has contributed to the discussion of her times with her work Vindication of the Rights of Women (1792). Her daughter Mary married the famous poet Percy Bysshe Shelley.
It is a period of great events. Captain Cook's voyages in the South Seas have resulted in the import of lots of previously unknown types of plant to Europe. Erasmus Darwin (grandfather of Charles Darwin) has started to use evolutionist ideas in his poems and the two-volume Zoonomia. (He would be forgotten after his grandson became famous) The industrial revolution is in full swing, natural sciences are advancing daily. A steamship has crossed the Atlantic for the first time. Locomotives, railroads, roads and bridges are built, work is being done in the study of electricity.
Mary Shelley has been influenced by many people and has come up with a novel which seems to be in the Gothic tradition, but actually includes the contradictions of the times she is living in. The main theme in the novel is the conflict between reason and feelings in modern man.
Victor Frankenstein tries to discover the secret of life and is isolated from the society and from his freinds during this difficult quest. This is obviously similar to the theme in Faust, but science has replaced the mysticism and religion. Frankenstein's success is based on a series of stages and enormous effort, rather than supernatural or religious forces. Shelley has not abandoned the basic themes of Romantic Literature and has displayed the dual nature of Man. This duality will later on re-emerge in works like The Picture of Dorian Grey and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
On the one hand there is a belief that Mankind will eventually conquer nature and will improve living conditions, but on the other hand the emphasis is on the nature and character of Man which might prevent him to achieve this goal. Probably Shelley's novel is the first place where the pros and cons of science has been analyzed in literature.
When the novel was first published, it was acclaimed as a successful Gothic novel. Critiques did not really understand the structure and content of the novel which is a departure from the Gothic tradition. Shelley has first described the act of creation, with the spark of her wide imagination - and then has combined her reasoning with a lot of thoughts she had been influenced with, has added some sub-themes on top of the main one and has come up with a balanced synthesis of reason and feeling. These sub-themes have slightly damaged the structure of the novel, but the novel must really be compared to its contemporaries where an omniscient author goes on a didactic monologue for the reader.
One of the interesting points is that the creature in the novel does not have a name. Frankenstein, who signifies the Modern Man getting acquainted with science, becomes the victim of something he has created but has not really understood entirely.
The whole novel reflects a series of conflicts. Shelly swings from Darwinism (not the evolutionary one) where she attributes change and creativity to nature, to Milton & the theology of Paradise Lost. The way the creature describes itself is a reminiscence of Lucifer, the fallen angel.
Another conflict is between different "scientific" traditions. Frankenstein first searches the solution in the books of ancient alchemists like Paracelsus and Albertus Magnus, but then discovers the scientific method - albeit crude by today's standards. Shelley is aware of he changes in the new Era, and that there is no need for alchemy and other dusty remnants of the old Era.
The fact that the novel was usually ignored by the general public is partly because of the success of Frankenstein in the Movie Screen. After being filmed in the Silent Era several times, the movie has really launched after Boris Karloff portrayed the monster in 1931. After that Frankenstein had a Son, Daughter, Ghost, House, Bride, etc. and fought various creatures like Dracula, Werewolfe and other mythical figures.
Behind Karloff's horrifying creature lies a brilliant novel which reflects the complex effect of a changing world on the literature and authors of the time.
As popular as Frankenstein is, few people have actually read the original novel published by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley in 1818. Of course the term "Frankenstein" which has been used as an adjective in some languages to depict a horrible creature, is not the name of the monster - as some people still think - but of the scientist who creates him.
When we look into the life and friends of Mary Shelley - who has been neglected in the area of literature - we will see a lot of authors who have been influential in the 18th and 19th centuries. Her father William Godwin is an atheist who is known for novels like Caleb Williams. He has married Mary Wollstonecraft, who has contributed to the discussion of her times with her work Vindication of the Rights of Women (1792). Her daughter Mary married the famous poet Percy Bysshe Shelley.
It is a period of great events. Captain Cook's voyages in the South Seas have resulted in the import of lots of previously unknown types of plant to Europe. Erasmus Darwin (grandfather of Charles Darwin) has started to use evolutionist ideas in his poems and the two-volume Zoonomia. (He would be forgotten after his grandson became famous) The industrial revolution is in full swing, natural sciences are advancing daily. A steamship has crossed the Atlantic for the first time. Locomotives, railroads, roads and bridges are built, work is being done in the study of electricity.
Mary Shelley has been influenced by many people and has come up with a novel which seems to be in the Gothic tradition, but actually includes the contradictions of the times she is living in. The main theme in the novel is the conflict between reason and feelings in modern man.
Victor Frankenstein tries to discover the secret of life and is isolated from the society and from his freinds during this difficult quest. This is obviously similar to the theme in Faust, but science has replaced the mysticism and religion. Frankenstein's success is based on a series of stages and enormous effort, rather than supernatural or religious forces. Shelley has not abandoned the basic themes of Romantic Literature and has displayed the dual nature of Man. This duality will later on re-emerge in works like The Picture of Dorian Grey and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
On the one hand there is a belief that Mankind will eventually conquer nature and will improve living conditions, but on the other hand the emphasis is on the nature and character of Man which might prevent him to achieve this goal. Probably Shelley's novel is the first place where the pros and cons of science has been analyzed in literature.
When the novel was first published, it was acclaimed as a successful Gothic novel. Critiques did not really understand the structure and content of the novel which is a departure from the Gothic tradition. Shelley has first described the act of creation, with the spark of her wide imagination - and then has combined her reasoning with a lot of thoughts she had been influenced with, has added some sub-themes on top of the main one and has come up with a balanced synthesis of reason and feeling. These sub-themes have slightly damaged the structure of the novel, but the novel must really be compared to its contemporaries where an omniscient author goes on a didactic monologue for the reader.
One of the interesting points is that the creature in the novel does not have a name. Frankenstein, who signifies the Modern Man getting acquainted with science, becomes the victim of something he has created but has not really understood entirely.
The whole novel reflects a series of conflicts. Shelly swings from Darwinism (not the evolutionary one) where she attributes change and creativity to nature, to Milton & the theology of Paradise Lost. The way the creature describes itself is a reminiscence of Lucifer, the fallen angel.
Another conflict is between different "scientific" traditions. Frankenstein first searches the solution in the books of ancient alchemists like Paracelsus and Albertus Magnus, but then discovers the scientific method - albeit crude by today's standards. Shelley is aware of he changes in the new Era, and that there is no need for alchemy and other dusty remnants of the old Era.
The fact that the novel was usually ignored by the general public is partly because of the success of Frankenstein in the Movie Screen. After being filmed in the Silent Era several times, the movie has really launched after Boris Karloff portrayed the monster in 1931. After that Frankenstein had a Son, Daughter, Ghost, House, Bride, etc. and fought various creatures like Dracula, Werewolfe and other mythical figures.
Behind Karloff's horrifying creature lies a brilliant novel which reflects the complex effect of a changing world on the literature and authors of the time.