FrankensteinFrankenstein

The Romantic Movement, Gothic The Romantic Movement, Gothic Literature, and the Author Mary Literature, and the Author Mary

ShelleyShelley

The Romantic MovementThe Romantic Movement

Dates: 1785-1830Dates: 1785-1830 Originated in Germany with Johann Originated in Germany with Johann

Wolfgang von GoetheWolfgang von Goethe Earliest Romantic writer was Earliest Romantic writer was William Blake England— England— William Wordsworth and and

Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s book of poetry, book of poetry, Lyrical BalladsLyrical Ballads (1798), established (1798), established European RomanticismEuropean Romanticism

Characteristics of Romantic Characteristics of Romantic LiteratureLiterature

Romantic writers are Romantic writers are concerned with: concerned with: NatureNature Human feelingsHuman feelings Compassion for Compassion for

mankindmankind Freedom of the Freedom of the

individual and individual and Romantic heroRomantic hero

Rebellion against Rebellion against societysociety

Characteristics of Romantic Characteristics of Romantic LiteratureLiterature

Writers also experiment with the Writers also experiment with the discontent that they feel against all that discontent that they feel against all that seems commercial, inhuman, and seems commercial, inhuman, and standardizedstandardized

Rural and rustic life vs. the modern lifeRural and rustic life vs. the modern life Far away places and travel to those placesFar away places and travel to those places Medieval folklore and legendsMedieval folklore and legends Common peopleCommon people

Romantic HeroRomantic Hero

Archetype/Stock CharacterArchetype/Stock Character A character that:A character that:

1. Rejects established norms and conventions1. Rejects established norms and conventions 2. Has been rejected by society2. Has been rejected by society 3. Has the self as the center of his/her own 3. Has the self as the center of his/her own

existenceexistence

* The monster is a Romantic hero because of * The monster is a Romantic hero because of the rejection he must bear from normal society. the rejection he must bear from normal society.

The Gothic NovelThe Gothic Novel

Dates: 1754, Dates: 1754, The Castle of OtrantoThe Castle of Otranto by Horace by Horace Walpole—1847, Walpole—1847, Wuthering HeightsWuthering Heights by Emily by Emily BronteBronte

Gothic fiction (sometimes referred to as Gothic Gothic fiction (sometimes referred to as Gothic horror) is a genre of literature that combines horror) is a genre of literature that combines elements of both horror and romance elements of both horror and romance

A style of novel, especially popular in the late A style of novel, especially popular in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, characterized by 18th and early 19th centuries, characterized by mysterious settings, an atmosphere of gloom mysterious settings, an atmosphere of gloom and terror, supernatural happenings, and often and terror, supernatural happenings, and often violence and horror violence and horror

Characteristics of the Gothic NovelCharacteristics of the Gothic Novel

Focuses on the mysterious and supernaturalFocuses on the mysterious and supernatural Take place in gloomy places like old buildings Take place in gloomy places like old buildings

(particularly castles or rooms with secret (particularly castles or rooms with secret passageways), dungeons, or towers that serve as a passageways), dungeons, or towers that serve as a backdrop for the mysterious circumstancesbackdrop for the mysterious circumstances FrankensteinFrankenstein is set in continental Europe is set in continental Europe

(Switzerland and Germany), as well as the Arctic (Switzerland and Germany), as well as the Arctic region.region.

Characteristics of the Gothic NovelCharacteristics of the Gothic Novel

Elements of mystery and gloomElements of mystery and gloom i.e. Raising the deadi.e. Raising the dead

The characters seem to bridge the mortal The characters seem to bridge the mortal world and the supernatural world. world and the supernatural world.

Mary Wollstonecraft ShelleyMary Wollstonecraft Shelley

(1797-1851)(1797-1851) Parents: Mary Parents: Mary

Wollstonecraft and Wollstonecraft and William GodwinWilliam Godwin

Married Percy Bysshe Married Percy Bysshe Shelley in 1816Shelley in 1816

January 1, 1818—January 1, 1818—FrankensteinFrankenstein in in publishedpublished

How How FrankensteinFrankenstein was Created was Created

Lord Byron, Percy Lord Byron, Percy Shelley, and Mary Shelley, and Mary Shelley were on Shelley were on retreat in Europe retreat in Europe when a rainy month when a rainy month prompted them to prompted them to entertain themselves entertain themselves by writing ghost by writing ghost stories. Mary Shelley stories. Mary Shelley wrote the first draft of wrote the first draft of FrankensteinFrankenstein

FrankensteinFrankenstein: or the Modern : or the Modern PrometheusPrometheus

Prometheus was the God that created mankind and then Prometheus was the God that created mankind and then introduced them to fire (and he had to pay a stiff price for introduced them to fire (and he had to pay a stiff price for his "crimes"...lying on a boulder where crows would rip at his "crimes"...lying on a boulder where crows would rip at entrails for all eternity).  Hence the name of the novel as entrails for all eternity).  Hence the name of the novel as Frankenstein had created a man.  Frankenstein had created a man. 

The doctor's name was Frankenstein, not the monster.  The doctor's name was Frankenstein, not the monster.  The monster was never given a name but he did refer to The monster was never given a name but he did refer to

himself as Adam when correlating Frankenstein as his himself as Adam when correlating Frankenstein as his

"God"."God".

What Frankenstein is NOT: What Frankenstein is NOT:

Themes in Themes in FrankensteinFrankenstein

The use of knowledge for good or evil purposesThe use of knowledge for good or evil purposes ““How can we harness the knowledge that we have so How can we harness the knowledge that we have so

that it is not self destructive and for the benefit of all that it is not self destructive and for the benefit of all mankind?”mankind?”

The invasion of technology into modern lifeThe invasion of technology into modern life ““What responsibility must we exercise once we bring What responsibility must we exercise once we bring

people back from the dead?”people back from the dead?”

The treatment of the poor or uneducatedThe treatment of the poor or uneducated The restorative powers of nature in the face of The restorative powers of nature in the face of

unnatural eventsunnatural events

Character MapCharacter Map

FrankensteinFrankenstein Character Map Character Map

FrankensteinFrankenstein: 1818 vs. 1831 : 1818 vs. 1831 EditionEdition

Annotated FrankensteinAnnotated Frankenstein