Mary Shelleys Frankenstein - 1689 Words

Discuss the extent to which one of the following novels is informed by contemporary social issues: Great Expectations Fathers and Son, Frankenstein. The novel I have chosen to discuss is Frankenstein. Written in 1818 by Mary Shelley, Frankenstein is classified as a gothic novel, however, Shelly uses both realist and non-realist techniques. I will be looking at her reasons for writing the novel and what influenced her, as well as the realist and non-realist techniques used. I will be looking at some of the contemporary social issues that affected Shelley’s life at the time she wrote her novel. These will include Nature versus Nurture and Love and Responsibility. Frankenstein was written after Mary Shelley and a group of her friends†¦show more content†¦Victor tells us about his family ‘I am by birth a Genevese; and my family is one of the most distinguished of that republic’ (Frankenstein p18) He tells of how his parents met and how Elizabeth came to live with his family. He portrays a happy childhood with loving parents. We as readers have no reason to doubt what we are being told. Victor’s vo ice is authoritative and his descriptions believable. The language is ‘transparent’ it ‘does not draw attention to itself ‘(The Realist Novel p10). Shelley uses vivid descriptions of the locations. The Shelley’s were well travelled and spent time in the Alpine region. She mentions actual place names ‘the bridge of Pelissier’ and ‘the Valley of Chamounix’(p73) Vivid descriptions are given ‘The view of the tremendous and ever moving glacier†¦ the surface is very uneven rising like he waves of a troubled sea’.(p75) The use of simile here makes the language more elaborate and authenticates the location. She loved the Alpine region and was happy there. She spent time with some brilliant literary minds namely Shelley, Byron her father and others. She listened, if not always taking part in, conversations on politics and science. Speaking in London in 1831 she said of her book, ‘its several pages speak of m any a walk, many a drive, and many a conversation, when I was not alone; and my companion one who, in this world I shall never see more. But this is for myself; my readers have nothing to do withShow MoreRelatedMary Shelleys Frankenstein1179 Words   |  5 Pagesbecome determined to perfect at what they do. They eventually become tragically doomed through creating their own individual moral codes by struggling with their internal battles within their minds. Mary Shelley presents us the first persona of a romantic hero through Victor Frankenstein in her book Frankenstein. Shelley fabricates Victor as the main narrator throughout the book, along with Captain Walton and the creature, which Victor creates. Another hero during the Romantic era is the Ancient MarinerRead MoreMary Shelleys Frankenstein Feminism1429 Words   |  6 PagesRobert Youshock Prof. Matthew Gerber HIST 1012 10/19/18 Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein: Feminism before it was mainstream? Writing a paper on the topic of Frankenstein days before Halloween might give you the wrong idea- lets clear something up straight away Frankenstein is the doctor not the monster and the monster doesn’t have a name (which we later learn is mildly important to the story). You see, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is arguably a story of creation, murder, love, and learning amongst manyRead More Mary Shelleys Frankenstein Essay929 Words   |  4 PagesMary Shelleys Frankenstein The characterization of Victor’s creature, the monster, in the movie although somewhat dramatically different from Mary Shelley’s portrayal in the novel Frankenstein also had its similarities. Shelley’s views of the monster were to make him seem like a human being, while the movie made the monster out to be a hideous creation. The creature’s appearance and personality are two aspects that differ between the novel and movie while his intellectual and tender sidesRead More Mary Shelleys Frankenstein Essay1312 Words   |  6 PagesMary Shelleys Frankenstein In order to illustrate the main theme of her novel â€Å"Frankenstein†, Mary Shelly draws strongly on the myth of Prometheus, as the subtitle The Modern Prometheus indicates. Maurice Hindle, in his critical study of the novel, suggests, â€Å"the primary theme of Frankenstein is what happens to human sympathies and relationships when men seek obsessively to satisfy their Promethean longings to â€Å"conquer the unknown† - supposedly in the service of their fellow-humans†. ThisRead More Mary Shelleys Frankenstein Essay1622 Words   |  7 PagesMary Shelleys Frankenstein Nineteen-year-old Mary Shelley didn’t know when she began it that her â€Å"ghost story† would become an enduring part of classic literature. Frankenstein is an admirable work simply for its captivating plot. To the careful reader, however, Shelley’s tale offers complex insights into human experience. The reader identifies with all of the major characters and is left to heed or ignore the cautions that their situations provide. Shelley uses the second person narrativeRead MoreEssay on Mary Shelleys Frankenstein1643 Words   |  7 PagesMary Shelleys Frankenstein In 1818 a novel was written that tingled people’s minds and thrilled literary critics alike. Frankenstein was an instant success and sold more copies than any book had before. The immediate success of the book can be attributed to the spine-tingling horror of the plot, and the strong embedded ethical message. Although her name did not come originally attached to the text, Mary Shelley had written a masterpiece that would live on for centuries. Read MoreEvil in Mary Shelleys Frankenstein1462 Words   |  6 PagesMary Shelleys Frankenstein is very much a commentary on the Enlightenment and its failure to tame the human condition through reason. The human condition can be defined as the unique features which mold a human being. The creature is undoubtedly a victim of this predicament. He grapples with the meaning of life, the search for gratification, the sense of curiosity, the inevitability of isolation, and the awareness of the inescapability of death. These qualities and his ceaseless stalking of hisRead MoreMary Shelleys Frankenstein Essay1086 Words   |  5 Pages Mary Shelley wrote the book Frankenstein sometime in the 1810s. She was born in London in 1797 (Biography). Her mother was an author of prime literary stock who was trying to encourage women to pursue their ideas and strive to earn the status as equals. The Scientific and Industrial Revolutions that were taking place around Mary Shelley certainly influ enced her while she was writing the book. The creation of machines and experiments at the time made people wonder what the limit of human technologyRead MoreMary Shelleys Frankenstein Essay846 Words   |  4 Pages Shelley’s Frankenstein does an excellent job at demonstrating the ideas and accomplishments of the enlightenment period. Shelly expresses these ideas and thoughts through the character of Victor Frankenstein who is an aspiring scientist seeking an intellectual challenge. Victor Frankenstein live s his hometown of Geneva and leaves in quest of a valued education in Ingolstadt. When Victor arrives at college he is lonely and finds himself in a new world in which he lives by himself. He than meetsRead More Mary Shelleys Frankenstein Essay753 Words   |  4 PagesMary Shelleys Frankenstein An outsider is someone who is not a member of a particular circle or group of people He/She is isolated (separated) from other people and regarded as being different such as people looking, dressing, acting or talk differently. Outsiders have always been around and always will exist! Because society (i.e. - those who are not outsiders) like someone to pick on to make themselves feel better or superior. Outsiders are treated in various ways, sometimes people