Concetti Chiave
- The Gothic novel is characterized by a dark atmosphere and a gloomy setting, often featuring elements like castles and ghosts.
- Mary Shelley was born in a cultured family and faced personal tragedies, influencing her literary work.
- Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein" narrates the story of Victor Frankenstein, who creates a monster that ultimately ruins his life.
- "Frankenstein" is an epistolary novel with multiple narrators, including Captain Walton, Victor Frankenstein, and the Monster.
- The Myth of Prometheus parallels the themes in "Frankenstein," highlighting the consequences of defying natural boundaries.
• The Gothic Novel
A novel is a long narrative in prose in which an event is related; generally a novel has a starting point, a development and an end. The adjective “gothic” refers to a dark atmosphere, a gloomy setting (castle, ghost, long corridors, catastrophic natural events..).
“We feel emotions not only from beauty, but from ugliness too” Burke.
• Mary Shelley
What is the life of Mary Shelley?
She was born in 1797 in a very cultured family: her father was a radical philosopher and her mother wrote in defence of the woman’s rights. Her mother died when she was 10 days old and she had a bad relationship with her stepmother and half-sister. She had a cultural spurs because her house was the meeting point of artist and writers. In her house she met Percy Bysshe Shelley, a romantic poet, who was already married.
But they fell in love immediately and they eloped , first in Switzerland then to Italy. In Italy Percy Shelley died from a boat accident and he got drowned leaving his wife Mary with a little child and no much money.
Frankenstein or the modern Prometheus.
Plot of Frankenstein
A scientist, Victor Frankenstein, wanted to create the perfect human being, but after assembling many parts from corpses, he realised to have created a monster which will destroy his life.
Frankenstein is an epistolary novel because there are 3 narrators:
1. Captain Walton who is in the North Pole to do scientific investigations saves the Frankenstein’s life.
2. Victor Frankenstein who after recovering his health, tells his story; he wanted to create the perfect human being and for this reason he was punished.
3. Monster Itself: who tells the story from his point of view; he feels rejected by this own creator. He was born good, but he was forced to became bad. The monster ask his creator a female monster and when Victor refuses to do this the monster kill his relatives. At the end of the novel, captain Walton writes to his sister that he gives up his scientific research because it is too risky for him and his crew.
• Prometeo’s Myth.
The Myth of Prometheus
Prometheus stole the fire from the gods to bring to human mankind. For this act he was chained to a rock and an eagle tortured his liver which grew again at night.
Domande da interrogazione
- What are the defining characteristics of a Gothic novel?
A Gothic novel is characterized by a dark atmosphere and a gloomy setting, often featuring elements like castles, ghosts, long corridors, and catastrophic natural events.
Accedi a tutti gli appunti
Tutor AI: studia meglio e in meno tempo
