Mary Shelley and frankenstein In 1818 Mary Shelley

Mary Shelley and frankenstein

• In 1818, Mary Shelley created a monster…

• Readers haven’t been able to get enough of it since…

• • • Universal Studios version Francis Ford Coppola's version Mel Brooks' Young Frankenstein Alvin and the Chipmunks version 1950's Curse of Frankenstein

Mary Shelley • Daughter of William Godwin and Mary Wollonstonecroft – Father champion of poor – Mother champion of women’s rights

Mary Shelley • Married Percy Shelley when she was only seventeen • Percy was already married at the time. • Had to get remarried legally after first wife committed suicide

Mary Shelley • Close friends with Lord Byron • Swapped “ghost stories” at Byron’s summer home in Switzerland. Led to Frankenstein. • Dr. John Polidori wrote “The Vampyre. ” – Led to Bram Stoker’s Dracula • Frankenstein was written when she was only nineteen.

Mary Shelley • Percy drowned 1822. – Mary carried his heart (not a metaphor) with her for the rest of her days. • She died at age 54. • Frankenstein has become a classic work of Romantic fiction.

Archetype • An image, descriptive detail, plot pattern or character type that occurs frequently in literature, myth, religion or folklore • Believed to evoke profound emotions • Touches subconscious memory & calls up illogical but strong responses • First used by Carl Jung

Myth • A story involving archetypes • Presents supernatural episodes as a means of interpreting events • Seeks to explain a special perception of human beings or a cosmic view

Alchemy • Medieval “science” and philosophy • Convert base metals into gold • Universal cure for disease • Means of prolonging life.

Doppelgänger • “Double-Goer” in German • A mysterious double • Highlight character flaws or weakness in twin • Similar in purpose to a dramatic foil

Gothic Novel • Magic, mystery, and chivalry are the chief characteristics • Dark, foreboding settings & brooding, mysterious characters • Quasi-medieval feel • horrific