Concetti Chiave
- The plot of "Frankenstein" centers around Dr. Frankenstein, who creates a living creature using electricity, leading to tragic events as the creature seeks revenge.
- "Frankenstein" is a Gothic novel that explores scientific themes, inspired by Galvani's theory that electricity can animate dead tissue.
- The novel draws parallels with Prometheus, highlighting themes of overstepping human limits and the consequences of defying natural laws.
- Mary Shelley's work addresses social justice issues, showing the creature's discrimination due to his appearance and the ethical implications of scientific pursuits.
- Written in first person, the novel uses multiple narrators and an epistolary format to provide different perspectives on the story.
Indice
- The plot of Frankenstein
- Scientific theories in Frankenstein
- Prometheus and Frankenstein
- Science and moral in Frankenstein
- Writing tcnique of Frankenstein
- The creation of the Monster
- Mary Shelley's biography
The plot of Frankenstein
The plot begins with Dr Frankenstein that is found dying by the captain of a ship. The doctor, with a flashback, tells him his story. He is a brilliant scientist that, in Ginevra, want to give a new life to a dead body.
He, maybe with an electric shock, brings to life a creature. The doctor is frightened by the creature and he runs away. The monster, at the beginning, wants make friends but people, frightened by his appearance reject him. So He began to become a murderess. He wants take his revenge on his creator because He considers him guilty of his sufferings. So He kills his son, his brother, his best friend and his wife. At the end doctor Frankenstein sails on a ship to the North Pole to kill the creature although the doctor is mortally wounded as the beginning of the novel shows.
Frankenstein is a gothic novel that entered in collective visionary. Its plot became very famous time after time and many films were made from it not only serious ones but also comedies like Frankenstein Jr.
Scientific theories in Frankenstein
Frankenstein was a Gothic novel but it aimes to scientific divulgation. The novel proposes the scientific theory of Galvani, an Italian scientist. He discovered that an electric sparkle provoked the movement of a dead tissue. Frankenstein is seen as an outcast because he lived in solitude and he was refused by society.
Prometheus and Frankenstein
The creature of Frankenstein becomes wicked against mankind when He is refused by society. In creature's opinion Frankenstein was the responsible of the creature's unhappiness. In fact the creature hates the doctor because he created it. The monster asked to the doctor a female partner to feel not alone. He feels desolated in a populated land. In fact when He meets the child He wants to stay with him. The doctor infuses a sparkle of life in a body without life. However who doesn't respect the human laws is doomed to be defeated like Prometeo. In fact Frankenstein is considered a modern Prometeo. He was a titan and He committed a crime because He stole the fire from gods and for this reason He was punished. He was tied to a rock while a crow used to eat his stomach daily. He felt pain but He wanted to show that He was brave and proud. In both cases the main characters dared to overcome human limits.
Science and moral in Frankenstein
This novel deals with the problems of social justice. In fact at the beginning the creature didn't commit any crime but He was discriminated because He was very ugly. Mary Shelly was concerned with the relationship between science and moral. She sympathizes for the monster but She is very worried about its behavior. At the same time Mary Shelly, in her romance, wanted to side with the middle class, according to the French revolution, but she couldn't do this.
Writing tcnique of Frankenstein
Frankenstein is written in first person by three different non-omniscientnarrators. The first part of the novel is in epistolaryform because Walton writes to his sister how he has saved Dr Frankenstein. The Dr. Frankenstein himself tells the story of his life so this is an autobiographical account. In the novel there is a part in which the creature explains the reason of his behavior. The narration is concluded by Walton again, always in epistolary form.
The creation of the Monster
This passage of Frankenstein deals with the birth of the creature. The scientist manages to give life to a dead body with an electric shock. The result is monstrous. The yellow skin, black hairs, white teethes are in contrast with empty eyes and black lips. The scientist, frightened, runs away from the laboratory, leaving alone the living creature.
Mary Shelley's biography
Mary, Percy Shelly's wife, was the daughter of philosopher William Godway and Mary Wollstonecraft. She grew up in a family with strong exchanges of ideas, in fact the mother was a feminist and She anticipated the time because the feminism developed in the 20th century. She lost her mother when she was young and her stepmother and stepsister were very cruel with her. She was grown up between the ideals of worry and attention for mankind.
She met the P.B. Shelley and began to travel in Europe until she settled in Ginevra, when she wrote the romance. The romance was written for a competition of ghost stories. She won the competition but she published her romance anonymously because she was a female. After settling in Italy she lost her husband who drowned in the see in Liguria. After his death Mary, destroyed by her love, she opened his body and she kept his heart in a box for the rest of her life. Although this anecdote may be false, it underline the bond of these young intellectuals.
Domande da interrogazione
- Qual è la trama principale di "Frankenstein"?
- Qual è il legame tra Frankenstein e Prometeo?
- Come viene rappresentata la scienza nel romanzo "Frankenstein"?
- Qual è la tecnica narrativa utilizzata in "Frankenstein"?
- Chi era Mary Shelley e quale fu il contesto della creazione del romanzo?
La trama inizia con il Dr. Frankenstein, trovato morente dal capitano di una nave, che racconta la sua storia. È un brillante scienziato che dà vita a una creatura con una scossa elettrica, ma ne è spaventato e fugge. La creatura, inizialmente desiderosa di amicizia, viene respinta dalla società e diventa un assassino per vendicarsi del suo creatore.
Frankenstein è considerato un moderno Prometeo perché, come il titano che rubò il fuoco agli dei, ha osato superare i limiti umani creando vita. Entrambi i personaggi sono puniti per aver violato le leggi umane e divine.
Il romanzo esplora i problemi della giustizia sociale e il rapporto tra scienza e morale. Mary Shelley esprime preoccupazione per il comportamento del mostro, pur simpatizzando con lui, e riflette sulle conseguenze della discriminazione basata sull'aspetto.
"Frankenstein" è scritto in prima persona da tre narratori non onniscienti. La prima parte è in forma epistolare, con Walton che scrive alla sorella. Il Dr. Frankenstein racconta la sua storia in modo autobiografico, e c'è una parte in cui la creatura spiega il suo comportamento. La narrazione si conclude di nuovo con Walton in forma epistolare.
Mary Shelley, moglie di Percy Shelley, era figlia del filosofo William Godwin e di Mary Wollstonecraft. Cresciuta in un ambiente di scambio di idee, scrisse "Frankenstein" a Ginevra per un concorso di storie di fantasmi, vincendolo ma pubblicando anonimamente perché era una donna.
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