The thesis of the text is that Mary Shelley incorporated aspects of her own life into the novel Frankenstein.
Introduction
- A.Who was Mary Shelley
- B.When Frankenstein was foremost published
- C.What was Frankenstein about
- D.Thesis statement
I. Mary Shelley
- A.Birth/Death
- B.Parents
- C.Parents background
II. Percy and Their Marriage
- A. Dates
- B.Relationship
- C.Children
- D.Deaths
III. Frankenstein
- A.Why/How was it written
- B.Published
- a.When
- b.Where
C.Summary
IV. Information about Frankenstein
- A.Different point-of-views
- B.Examples of Mary’s life portrayed in Frankenstein
- C.Similarities between Mary’s life and Frankenstein
Decision
- A.When was Frankenstein published
- B.What was Frankenstein about
- C.Who was Mary Shelley
- D.State that thesis statement is true
Mary Shelley, a prominent figure in English Literature during the Romantic Era, frequently encountered underestimation. In 1818, she first published her novel Frankenstein. Mary started writing Frankenstein when she was still a teenager and finished it within twelve months. The narrative centers around a man’s aspiration to bring life into existence, which results in his creation of a monster that ultimately leads to his own demise. Mary Shelley integrated elements from her personal experiences into this book.
Mary Shelley was born on August 30, 1797 to Mary Wollstonecraft and William Godwin. Her mother was a well-known feminist and her father was a philosopher and novelist. Due to the reputations of her parents, high expectations were placed upon Mary since birth. However, when she reached the age of ten, her mother passed away, leaving her father responsible for taking care of Mary and Fanny Imlay, Wollstonecraft’s daughter from a previous relationship. Four years later, her father remarried, introducing a stepmother and two step-siblings into Mary’s life. While these additions provided some support at home, Mary often felt neglected by her new stepmother.
Despite not having received a formal education, Mary immersed herself in an environment of intellectualism that was fostered by her father. She had a great love for reading and spent numerous hours studying various books. Whenever she needed solace or comfort,Mary would visit her mother’s grave in St.Pancras Cemetery where she would engage in reading,writing,and ultimately meeting Shelly. Throughout her life,Mary faced many challenges and experienced several losses including the death ofher spouse,children,and father. In the course of her lifetime,she wrote multiple novels and short storiesMary Shelley tragically died on February 1st, 1851 as a result of complications from a brain tumor.
Percy Bysshe Shelley, a renowned poet, had a great admiration for Mary’s father, Godwin. They first crossed paths when Mary was 14 years old; however, their attraction did not blossom until they met again two years later. At that time, Percy was 22 and his wife was expecting their second child. Despite Godwin disapproving of their relationship, Mary confessed her love for Percy.
In order to be with him, Mary made the agreement to no longer see Percy, but his drastic threat of suicide convinced her to escape with him to France in July 1814. With the exception of two brief visits back to England, they extensively traveled together throughout Switzerland, Germany, and Italy over the following years. This period was marked by financial troubles and personal tragedies.
Following their elopement, Percy’s affluent father Sir Timothy Shelley ceased providing his son with a generous allowance. In 1816 tragedy struck as Mary’s half-sister Fanny took her own life and shortly after that devastating event occurred, Percy’s wife Harriet also drowned herself.
Mary and Percy eventually married in London primarily in hopes of gaining custody of Percy’s two children from his previous marriage; however this request was denied. Three of their own children passed away during infancy which plunged Mary into severe depression. Her mental state gradually improved after giving birth to their only surviving child named Percy Florence in 1819.
The Shelley’s marriage was greatly affected by the loss of their children, leading both individuals to form romantic connections with others. Tragically, Percy drowned while sailing during a storm in 1822. After spending a sorrow-filled year in Italy, Mary returned permanently to England with her son. She faced challenges and depression as she tried to support herself and her child following Percy’s death. In the aftermath of his demise, Mary wrote four novels and contributed biographical and critical studies for Chamber’s Cabinet Cyclopedia. Additionally, she occasionally penned short stories called “potboilers” for the literary annuals of that time (Abbey-246).
While in Geneva, Mary and Percy spent most of their time with poet Lord Byron. Lord Byron suggested that each of them write a ghost story to share with the others (Nardo-34). Mary overheard a conversation between her husband and Lord Byron, which helped her decide what to write her ghost story about. She wanted to create a narrative that addressed the mysterious fears within human nature and evoked thrilling horror (Blooms-11). Mary also heard a conversation about the concept of life’s rules, Dr. Darwin’s experiments, and the possibility of reviving a corpse. The night before she began to write “Frankenstein,” Mary had a dream/nightmare that ultimately influenced her choice of topic for her story. Her dream was:
I saw a pale student of immoral humanistic studies kneeling next to the creation he had made. I observed a frightening apparition of a man lying still until, through the use of a strong engine, he showed signs of life. The success of this experiment would scare the creator so much that he would run away. He wished for this abomination to disappear. But when he opened his eyes, he found himself confronted by the terrifying beings by his bed who were pulling back the curtains. (L.M.S.-3)
Mary Shelley discovered her story the next morning and began writing the lines that introduced chapter IV in Frankenstein – “It was on a dreary night in November.” Additionally, Mary Shelley’s time in Geneva provided the setting for the novel. The beautiful natural landscape of Switzerland, along with nature itself, played a crucial role in the novel and greatly influenced the main characters. (Blooms-11)
Mary Shelley finished writing Frankenstein in May 1817, though it was not published until January 1, 1818. The novel revolves around a man/scientist who becomes obsessed with discovering the mysteries of life to fashion an impeccable being. Dr. Victor Frankenstein succeeds in animating his creation but is appalled by its repulsive and unnatural form, leading him to desert it. Left alone by Frankenstein, the creature embarks on a journey into society.
In order to gain acceptance, the creature was in a state of repulsiveness and unattractiveness, causing people to avoid him completely. Feeling rejected, the creature sought revenge against Frankenstein and proceeded to kill everyone dear to him. Requesting Frankenstein to create a companion for him, the creature initially agreed but later changed his mind. As the creature continued his pursuit of Frankenstein across Europe and eventually to the Arctic, he took pleasure in learning of Frankenstein’s death. Following this revelation, the creature departed and disappeared forever. (Shelley-11-251)
Various perspectives exist regarding the origins and purpose behind this narrative. Many individuals contend that Dr. Victor Frankenstein is a fictional character created for the story. Conversely, some argue that Mary utilized Dr. Frankenstein and the plotline to reflect aspects of her own life. Numerous parallels exist between Mary’s personal experiences and the events depicted in the narrative. (L.M.S.-14)
Mary Shelley faced numerous challenges during her childhood due to the absence of both her parents and a proper education. These difficulties persisted as she grew older. Her marriage to Percy was troubled, and she had to overcome multiple deaths. (Evans- 138) Mary employed the novel Frankenstein as a means of subtly illustrating her own life. While certain elements may be seen as mere coincidences, others could not have been unintentional.
The first two chapters of Frankenstein introduce facts about Victor Frankenstein’s childhood and household. According to the novel, Victor was born into a well-known family and his mother adopted a girl named Elizabeth (Shelley-29-42). These two examples mirror similarities in Mary Shelley’s own life, as her parents were also well known and she gained two new siblings when her father remarried. It was almost as if they were adopted.
Both Victor and Mary share similarities in their personal lives. In chapters three and four, Victor’s mother tragically died while nursing her adoptive daughter, Elizabeth, who was suffering from vermilion fever. This event mirrors Mary’s own life, as her own mother passed away just ten days after giving birth to her due to complications during labor. Furthermore, like Mary, Victor also sought to acquire an education and went off to university. Interestingly, both Mary and Victor discovered hidden abilities that they were previously unaware of. While Mary never had the opportunity for formal education, every time she ventured into something new, she naturally excelled. These chapters highlight these shared experiences between Victor and Mary.
Chapters seven through nine of the book depicted a significant event in Mary’s life, which was the murder of Victor’s brother. This event holds a similarity to Mary’s own life as her half sister took her own life. Both Victor and Mary experienced the profound loss of a sibling, which strongly suggests that Mary was drawing from her own experiences when portraying her life through the character of Victor Frankenstein.
In chapters ten through 17, the animal gained knowledge about himself and life. He easily grasped the concepts of existence and the reasons behind events. However, he struggled to comprehend why people feared him due to his physical appearance. While in the forest, the animal attempted to befriend a child but ended up terrifying them instead. The child’s fear perplexed the animal, causing it to unintentionally kill them. This incident is mentioned on pages 105-170 of Shelley’s work and somewhat resembles Mary’s own journey of self-discovery. Mary discovered aspects about herself and her family through her reading and writing but found it challenging to understand certain occurrences in her life. The child who was killed by the animal might symbolize Mary’s own infants who passed away prematurely.
Chapters 22 and 23 of the novel depict two significant events that bear similarities to Mary’s own life. These events involve Victor and Elizabeth getting married, followed by Elizabeth’s tragic death (Shelley- 210-226). Despite Elizabeth being adopted by Victor’s mother as a baby, Victor still chose to marry her, just like Mary who married Percy despite his close ties to her family. In the end, Elizabeth’s death mirrors Mary’s life as Percy was to Mary, similarly as Elizabeth was to Victor.
In the conclusion (Shelley- 227-236) of the book, Victor Frankenstein dies. This event shares similarities with Mary’s own life in various ways. Victor did not simply succumb to death; instead, he fought and tried to remain resilient during his struggles. Mary also exhibited the same kind of resilience. There were multiple incidents in her life that could have ended it and potentially brought her happiness. However, she never gave up and persevered through all the challenges. Like Victor, she faced difficult times in her life. Both of them experienced the loss of everyone they loved, yet they continued to live their lives.
The novel, Frankenstein, and Mary Shelley’s life share several similarities. These include minor details such as the books the creature read, certain quotation marks, and similar events. Additionally, there are similarities in the characters themselves. Mary sometimes gave Victor qualities that reflected aspects of herself, while other times she bestowed these qualities upon the creature. Both Victor and Mary experienced similar events like losing a parent and a sibling. Similarly, the creature also went through comparable experiences of learning about life and himself independently, facing challenges without receiving anything easily.
Published in 1818, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein tells the story of a man consumed by the pursuit of creating a flawless creature. This iconic tale has been adapted into various films and books, but none can compare to the renowned original by Mary Shelley. Despite her overlooked status in the Romantic Era of English Literature, Shelley was an exceptional literary figure. Remarkably, she completed this novel at the young age of 19, infusing elements from her own life into the story.
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