Creating a Real Human Being in Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Creating a Real Human Being in Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Mary Shelley was a Nineteenth-century English novelist. Mary Shelley,

the wife of poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, is best known for her

philosophical gothic horror story Frankenstein which was wrote in 1816

and published two years later in 1818. The novel was produced during a

time of great upheaval and change, and in the era of 'Romanticism'.

This was a reaction to the previous 'age of reason' where social

order, science, and rationality had dominated the way of thinking.

'Romanticism' celebrated emotions, the exotic, and nature over

technology and the individual self.

The idea of 'Frankenstein' came to Mary one night when she was staying

by a lake in Geneva after telling frightening stories with her husband

Percy Bysshe Shelley and Lord Byron. That night Mary had a terrifying

dream, she told her husband about the dream the next morning and he

encouraged her to develop and expand on what she had dreamt. In the

novel, scientist Victor Frankenstein infuses life into a collection of

inanimate body parts, the "birth" of his creation overwhelms

Frankenstein with the horror of what he has done.

The novel 'Frankenstein' is an example of gothic horror. This genre

became widely enjoyed because it was adventurous, imaginative and

exciting, a complete contrast to all that had gone on during the age

of reason. 'Frankenstein' includes some classic characteristics of

gothic horror. For example, 'Frankenstein' is set in wild/remote

locations, uses imaginative plots and deals with the subjects of

identity and the individual self, set apart from society.

Certain key events in Mary Shell...

... middle of paper ...

...ires social company and

is intruiged by humans and sees kindness and good in them. He also

appreciates artistic type things, such as, music and feels pain, and

reacts to it by crying.

There are things that differenciate the 'monster' and humans. For

instance, a human being must be conceived by both a man and a woman,

not made out of other human's body parts. Another thing, which

differentiates him and humans, is the fact that the monster lives out

in the wilderness alone, not in a home with a family.

In my personal opinion, I feel the 'monster' is human as there are

only two reasons to why the 'monster' created by Victor Frankenstein

is not human, and far more reasons why he can be classed as a human.

In my opinion, a human can be defined by having feelings. The

'monster' certainly does, as he experienced many.