Shelley\'s Frankenstien Mary Shelley and Her Frankenstein

Shelley's Frankenstien

Mary Shelley and her Frankenstein Monster

Mary Shelley is the author of the famous novel Frankenstein and was born in London, England the year of 1797 (Merriman, 2006). Shelley came from strong genes as both her mother (Mary Wollstonecraft) and father (William Godwin) were considered philosophers and enlightened thinkers (Merriman, 2006). Shelley is credited (believed) to have started the science fiction genre during this time period. As a writer, Shelley was well versed in penned novels, short stories, dramas, essays, and biographies. Shelley's husband is famous poet, Percy Bysshe Shelley, who was known to have been a radical, often encouraging the working class to rebel against the nobles in his works (Prentice Hall, 2006). Shelley also helped in editing and often times marketing her husband's (Percy Bysshe Shelley) Romantic poems.

This essay will discuss background information about the historical period when Frankenstein was written and include a detailed discussion of how this historical context is reflected in the literary work. The time period in which Shelley was born was the end of the 18th century and beginning of the 19th, which indicates that the period of time in which she lived encompassed the early 1800's to the mid-1850's and the major events that took place during that time frame.

Historical Period-1800's

The eighteenth century was considered one of science, discovery, and philosophical thought. Historically, this time period is recognized as the Enlightenment or Age of Reason (Porter, 2001). The Enlightenment was not a set of ideals but was more of a set of values. The core belief of the Enlightenment was in the questioning of traditional institutions (like the church and government), customs, and morals, and a strong belief in rationality (thinking for oneself) and science (Porter, 2001).

The Enlightenment stemmed from the American Revolution and the ideas of American forefathers Thomas Jefferson, Ben Franklin, John Adams, Alexander Hamilton and many others who were part of the process in writing the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights (Staloff, 2005). Enlightened thoughts from the American Revolution and the independence gained from Great Britain led directly to the French Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, and the Polish -- Lithuania Constitution (Porter, 2001). The Enlightenment eventually encompassed the areas of Russia, France, Great Britain, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, Spain, and Portugal (Porter, 2001).

The Enlightenment was important to Shelley and other thinkers of this time period because it allowed them to think for themselves; not just do or believe in what the church or government says is correct. At first, Great Britain was not keen of the idea of the ideology behind the Enlightenment, but this did not stop Shelley and her contemporaries from using abstract reasoning. The idea behind the new science spurned many new thoughts in society and scientists such as Benjamin Franklin, Isaac Newton, and Antoine Lavoisier helped bring meaning to the idea that "the universe could be understood by human beings who observed the natural world (Prentice-Hall, 2006)."

During the early nineteenth century writing and science began to intertwine more than ever before (Prentice-Hall, 2006). With science and abstract reasoning stemming from the Enlightenment authors and poets would be free to explore nature and the human condition. This time period is considered by many historians as the birth (dawn) of modern science spurning Shelley to say that "it was both exciting and dangerous" to be a writer at this moment (Prentice-Hall, 2006). Shelley had a baby who passed a few days after birth, prompting her to write in her personal journal about dreams she had been having about the dead baby coming back to life. This was a point in Shelley's life in which the pain of reality (death of her child) met with her imagination of something dead coming back to live yet again. Hence, the seeds for a science fiction story had been planted.

Reflection: historical context is in the literary work of Frankenstein

The origins for Frankenstein had started when Shelley had a vivid dream of her deceased child rising from the dead. In May of 1816, Shelley and her husband traveled to meet friends at Lake Geneva in the Village of Cologny (Merriman, 2006). Much time was dedicated to writing, spending time on the lake boating, and talking into the night. On one evening the topic of discussion shifted to the poet and philosopher Erasmus Darwin and his experiments that included the possibility of bringing the dead back from the grave (Shelley, 1823). The discussions between friends had shifted to ghost stories and other supernatural tales. A friend (Lord Byron) suggested that they all write their own supernatural tale or book. The time spent at Lake Geneva inspired Shelley to write what she would later call Frankenstein (Shelley, 1823).

Shelley began writing the book at the tender age of 18 and at the time she only intended for it to be a short story. With her husband's support she turned what was supposed to be a short story into a novel. When Shelley turned 21, Frankenstein was published without her name in the first edition (Merriman, 2006). When the second edition came out, she removed the anonymous and used her name. There must have been some conflictions and Shelley even explains herself in the preface of the Frankenstein and describes how the book is fiction and does not reflect upon her religious views (1823).

The ideas and topics that surrounded Shelley are evident in the novel. There are four major historical contexts that are spread throughout Frankenstein. First, the setting in which the story occurs is very similar to Geneva a place in which Shelley had traveled (Shelley, 1823). Next, the idea of galvanism and other Erasmus Darwin topics that were discussed with Shelley and her friends at Geneva take place in the novel (1823). Shelley's novel also included some of her husband's Romantic ideas in the story. Finally, Shelley gives warning against the expansion of man in the Industrial Revolution (1823). When researching and studying Shelley as an author, it is easy to see how her modern world especially the Enlightenment are present; Frankenstein, as a science fiction work, was well ahead of its time which is maybe one of the reasons it has stood up to the test of time.

There have been many attempts by Hollywood to recreate the modern day Frankenstein monster by using Shelley's original novel as the basis. The idea of the Frankenstein monster has inspired a genre of horror and scientific books and movies. Other producers have taken Shelley's idea from 1823 and made many books and movies about "evil" characters coming back from the dead. For instance, Friday the 13th's main character Jason Voorhees rose from the dead to avenge his mother's death. There are many other cases like the movies Robocop, Blade Runner, and the Terminator to name a few (Prentice-Hall, 2006).