Mary B. Shelley's Frankenstein

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Many people believe, in the modern American society, that the purpose of an author is to provide society with deep, enthralling tales that capture the history, actions, or fantasies of humans. While this common conception maybe somewhat true, in reality, an author’s primary purpose is to write a tale that communicates a message of morals and beliefs for society to acknowledge. Born in the year of 1797, Mary Shelley proves to be one of the latter as she becomes a revered pioneer in the creation of artificial life. This is because, as an author, Mary Shelley’s book Frankenstein brings to society a question that many scientist even now continue to withhold from answering: the endless possibilities and imposing dangers in the creation of artificial life. As a one of the most impactful writer of the early 19th century , Mary Shelley has forever influenced modern day's ideas of artificial creation with her book Frankenstein as she has made many of today's scientist rethink the gains and dangers of artificial life.

The Beginning of it all

First and Foremost, the beginnings of this humble, life changing book is that of the year 1816, which is when Mary Shelley and her husband Percy Bysshe Shelley traveled to Geneva and stayed with a friend known as Lord Byron. Under the unsetting rain in the summer, It is there the story of Frankenstein was contrived as that day, Byron proposed for a way to pass time that each of the guests were to write their own horror story (History Group). Inspired from many of the group’s discussions about galvanism and a horrifying nightmare to which she describes ”I saw the pale student of unhallowed arts kneeling beside the thing he had put together. I saw the hideous phantasm of a man stretched out, and ...

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Looney, Jarrid. "The Frankenstein Effect: "Man Creates Dinosaur, Dinosaur Eats Man" Academia.edu,

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