terminator69
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- Mar 20, 2008
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- 2009
I'm just looking for some feedback on my essay. My teacher's comment was pretty brief and just mentioned that I should concentrate more on the wider concerns of society like gothic fiction, more than the autobiographical influences of the author. Also, am I supposed to underline the name of any texts when I refer to them, aka everytime i mention Frankenstein? Any comments appreciated, thanks.
Frankenstein is a product of its context, reflecting the ideas and concerns of its age. Discuss.
Frankenstein is a product of its context and is influenced by the ideas and concerns of its age, as well as its author Mary Shelley. The themes expressed in the novel provide a reinforced representation of the issues concerning mainstream society in that era. Gothic themes and galvanism are both discussed in Frankenstein. Although they weren’t mainstream at that time, Shelley mediated them as important enough to include for several reasons including their unknown potential in society and having a reality was unknown. This meant readers would question the events in the novel with genuine realism. Shelley’s radical views on life also impacted on the inclusion of particular themes and discussion points. By using these themes in Frankenstein, especially at the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, Shelley brought forward debate and discovery. Her values and beliefs also propelled the popularity of the novel.
The ideas and concerns addressed in Frankenstein provide a direct correlation between the 1800s and the unique, novelistic talent of Shelley. Her life experiences ultimately determine the content of the novel and influence the plot, characters and setting. There are certain autobiographical occurrences in Frankenstein that juxtapose particular events in Shelley’s life. In February 1815, Shelley gave birth to a daughter named Clara, who died prematurely at birth. Losing a child is a horror for any parent and Shelley is no exception. In contrast, Frankenstein’s younger brother William is murdered in the novel by the Monster. Frankenstein experiences anger and guilt for the death as it was his creation that caused his death. It is likely Shelley had already experienced these feeling when feeling the anguish of watching someone die. By utilising the literary technique of autobiographical references, it has allowed her to add meaning to the novel and create an entertaining situation for the reader that is realistically conveyed.
Mary Shelley sourced her inspiration for Frankenstein while visiting the Alps of Geneva with a selected group of friends. The group supported radical views on topics such as politics and literature. The combination of this rebellious influence and the sight of the Alps in Geneva provided an exclusive source of inspiration and opportunity for Shelley and her group to maximise their creative thinking. Society wasn’t very accepting of their extremist views and censorship towards particular topics such as religion limited the ability to express freedom of speech.
Frankenstein may reflect the ideas of its age, however the success of the novel would allow these ideas to be manipulated and thrust by the Industrial Revolution. Shelley hoped that the assembled, radical beliefs of the group would sculpt her writing habits. She could then devise a piece of fictional and inspirational literature that society hadn’t seen before.
Percy and Mary Shelley were lovers. They shared rebellious perspectives on life which made them outcasts. The romanticism they shared together directly juxtaposes the connection the Monster strived for in the novel. After the Monster approached Victor, he passionately stated “You must create a female for me” and it had to be “as hideous as himself”. The Monster also states “Our lives will not be happy, but they will be harmless, and free from the misery I now feel.” This clarifies that the Monster had developed emotive feelings over its short lifetime and had admitted it was an outcast from society, just like Shelley had been (although she didn’t admit it so vocally).
Mary Shelley shared a strong connection with Percy and it is possible she used the event of Frankenstein’s Monster seeking a female companion, as a platform to reminisce their time together. This is one of the many possible explanations for the Monster seeking a lover. Either way, Mary Shelley thought that adding this romanticism would add meaning to the novel and enhance the motif of togetherness. Frankenstein is a product of its time and is shaped by the author’s inclusiveness of particular themes.
Shelley asserted a connection to the study of electricity, alchemy and galvanism. This incite accounts for the addiction Victor has to studying the creation of life in Frankenstein. The limits of such topics were unknown to society at that period of time. A society that was uneducated on those topics would allow her to write about the creation of life using electricity and audiences would see it as having potential for realism. Plus, it would make them ponder the capabilities of modern and future science, whilst allowing the novel to remain in a fictional genre.
Victor Frankenstein developed a passion for knowledge in the fields of philosophy and chemistry. He pursued this endeavour at university where he diversified his intelligence by learning about galvanism and alchemy, and the creation of life through electricity. As the plot propels forward and the Monster is created, the novel serves as a cautionary tale to warn and question the capabilities of science as well as create interest in the author and her works.
Frankenstein is a collage of different stories, influences and events. It is primarily a product of its context as it is constructed to relate and market to a contemporary audience in a particular moment in time. The life experiences of Shelley, such as the death of her child, have sparked the implementation of similar events in the novel to evoke a response from the reader. Similar to this, the Monster’s content for a partner can be explained once the relationship between Mary and Percy Shelley is examined. With the final assembly of all these factors, a novel like Frankenstein would not receive the same reaction if it was released today, opposed to the age it was written in. This enforces the argument that Frankenstein is a product of its context.
Frankenstein is a product of its context, reflecting the ideas and concerns of its age. Discuss.
Frankenstein is a product of its context and is influenced by the ideas and concerns of its age, as well as its author Mary Shelley. The themes expressed in the novel provide a reinforced representation of the issues concerning mainstream society in that era. Gothic themes and galvanism are both discussed in Frankenstein. Although they weren’t mainstream at that time, Shelley mediated them as important enough to include for several reasons including their unknown potential in society and having a reality was unknown. This meant readers would question the events in the novel with genuine realism. Shelley’s radical views on life also impacted on the inclusion of particular themes and discussion points. By using these themes in Frankenstein, especially at the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, Shelley brought forward debate and discovery. Her values and beliefs also propelled the popularity of the novel.
The ideas and concerns addressed in Frankenstein provide a direct correlation between the 1800s and the unique, novelistic talent of Shelley. Her life experiences ultimately determine the content of the novel and influence the plot, characters and setting. There are certain autobiographical occurrences in Frankenstein that juxtapose particular events in Shelley’s life. In February 1815, Shelley gave birth to a daughter named Clara, who died prematurely at birth. Losing a child is a horror for any parent and Shelley is no exception. In contrast, Frankenstein’s younger brother William is murdered in the novel by the Monster. Frankenstein experiences anger and guilt for the death as it was his creation that caused his death. It is likely Shelley had already experienced these feeling when feeling the anguish of watching someone die. By utilising the literary technique of autobiographical references, it has allowed her to add meaning to the novel and create an entertaining situation for the reader that is realistically conveyed.
Mary Shelley sourced her inspiration for Frankenstein while visiting the Alps of Geneva with a selected group of friends. The group supported radical views on topics such as politics and literature. The combination of this rebellious influence and the sight of the Alps in Geneva provided an exclusive source of inspiration and opportunity for Shelley and her group to maximise their creative thinking. Society wasn’t very accepting of their extremist views and censorship towards particular topics such as religion limited the ability to express freedom of speech.
Frankenstein may reflect the ideas of its age, however the success of the novel would allow these ideas to be manipulated and thrust by the Industrial Revolution. Shelley hoped that the assembled, radical beliefs of the group would sculpt her writing habits. She could then devise a piece of fictional and inspirational literature that society hadn’t seen before.
Percy and Mary Shelley were lovers. They shared rebellious perspectives on life which made them outcasts. The romanticism they shared together directly juxtaposes the connection the Monster strived for in the novel. After the Monster approached Victor, he passionately stated “You must create a female for me” and it had to be “as hideous as himself”. The Monster also states “Our lives will not be happy, but they will be harmless, and free from the misery I now feel.” This clarifies that the Monster had developed emotive feelings over its short lifetime and had admitted it was an outcast from society, just like Shelley had been (although she didn’t admit it so vocally).
Mary Shelley shared a strong connection with Percy and it is possible she used the event of Frankenstein’s Monster seeking a female companion, as a platform to reminisce their time together. This is one of the many possible explanations for the Monster seeking a lover. Either way, Mary Shelley thought that adding this romanticism would add meaning to the novel and enhance the motif of togetherness. Frankenstein is a product of its time and is shaped by the author’s inclusiveness of particular themes.
Shelley asserted a connection to the study of electricity, alchemy and galvanism. This incite accounts for the addiction Victor has to studying the creation of life in Frankenstein. The limits of such topics were unknown to society at that period of time. A society that was uneducated on those topics would allow her to write about the creation of life using electricity and audiences would see it as having potential for realism. Plus, it would make them ponder the capabilities of modern and future science, whilst allowing the novel to remain in a fictional genre.
Victor Frankenstein developed a passion for knowledge in the fields of philosophy and chemistry. He pursued this endeavour at university where he diversified his intelligence by learning about galvanism and alchemy, and the creation of life through electricity. As the plot propels forward and the Monster is created, the novel serves as a cautionary tale to warn and question the capabilities of science as well as create interest in the author and her works.
Frankenstein is a collage of different stories, influences and events. It is primarily a product of its context as it is constructed to relate and market to a contemporary audience in a particular moment in time. The life experiences of Shelley, such as the death of her child, have sparked the implementation of similar events in the novel to evoke a response from the reader. Similar to this, the Monster’s content for a partner can be explained once the relationship between Mary and Percy Shelley is examined. With the final assembly of all these factors, a novel like Frankenstein would not receive the same reaction if it was released today, opposed to the age it was written in. This enforces the argument that Frankenstein is a product of its context.
