Riassunto esame Cultura e Letteratura Inglese I, prof Polopoli, libro consigliato Frankenstein, Mary Shelley

Frankenstein - Mary Shelley

The idea of the creation of this novel came with the ‘ghost-story competition’ that Byron had started during a journey in Switzerland in order to entertain the guests. The author, Mary Shelley, deals in her novel with several social and public questions of the period; so, Frankenstein is not about a battle between good and evil, but it goes deep into the culture of the period in which it was written. There are, in fact, a range of scientific, philosophical, and political ideas of the time which reflect theories from Darwin, Davy, and Galvani, which are some of the key names.

Influences from scientific figures

• Darwin was interested in botany and the process of evolution, without trying to change it. His experiment where he animated a piece of vermicelli is an important source for Frankenstein.
• Davy was a chemist and believed in the power of chemistry as the underlying principle of life, which gave the opportunity to enter the natural world and change it.
• Galvani has the most important impact on the novel thanks to the restoration of dead tissue. He also experimented on animal electricity.

Shelley knew about these ideas because her father was Davy’s friend and interested in new scientific knowledge. Also, her husband encourages her to study radical science. Even if Mary Shelley extended her scientific and philosophical knowledge, we do not know for sure her attitude towards science.

Key aspects of science in the novel

Two of the most important aspects of science are, in the novel, the masculinity of scientific thought and the responsibility of the scientist after his experiments. The masculinity is evident in the removal of any feminine element from the Creature’s birth, which is seen only by the point of view of science, excluding any kind of humanity or compassion. Victor has failed because he never thought what to do with his creature once he has been created.

The exclusion of the feminine element continues even in the novel with the destruction of women connected with Victor’s life. Therefore, the novel shows the separation between the feminine nature and the scientific pursuit, seen in a masculine way. In order to succeed, these elements should be joined together and not seen as separate parts. The marginalisation of Elizabeth, Justine and even the female creature shows the exclusion of domestic and human concerns from scientific progress.

Victor's failure and the Creature's isolation

Also, an important concept to remember is that Victor fails at educating and loving his ‘child’. In fact, the Creature is like a baby when abandoned and he had to teach himself the way to survive and he has to discover what he needs in order to do that, because there is no parent, Victor, who can and should guide him. He also learns that his horrible appearance is what causes the rejection, despite his benevolence.

He is isolated from humanity and this is represented by the absence of a real name and the presence, instead of a series of labels such as ‘wretch’, ‘demon’, ‘monster’. Milton’s Paradise Lost, a book which he has found, is essential to comprehend his nature; in fact, like Milton’s Satan he is seen as ‘evil’, even though he is only isolated and in pain. The attempts of the Creature to be accepted by the family are the agent which ultimately turns his nature from benevolent to unkind.