Mary Shelley was born to political parents and eleven days after her birth her mother died. She then became pregnant by a married man and was alienated by her father, as well as her losing her prematurely born daughter. Shelley being shunned by her peers helped influence the plot, setting, and characters development in Frankenstein. During the time period, scientist researched electricity and its effects on dead animals as well as humans. Many grave robberies took place during this time period as well-which inspired Shelley in the original opener of Frankenstein. Likewise, D.H. Lawrence was born a frail child and grew up with working class parents who had tension between each other. This is the main motive and inspiration behind “The Rocking Horse Winner”. Both these writers faced certain experiences which influenced the writings of Shelley’s Frankenstein as well as Lawrence’s short story “The Rocking Horse Winner.”The two literary works present the topics of Alienation and a need for acceptance. With alienation meaning being withdrawn from society either by one’s self or by society which can easily be associated with wanting or needing acceptance. The need for acceptance and love in Shelley’s Frankenstein and Lawrence’s “The Rocking Horse Winner” ultimately leads to the alienation and deaths of the main characters in each of the literary works.
From the very beginning of the Monsters birth in Frankenstein, he wants to be accepted by his creator. Victor realizes the atrocity he creates and flees his laboratory once the Monster awakens. “Unable to endure the aspect of the being I had created, I rushed out of the room”(Shelley 43). This is first time the monster is alienated and by his own creator. This foreshadows how the Monste...
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...ce, D. H., and Dominick Peter Consolo. The Rocking-horse Winner. Columbus, OH: C.E. Merrill Pub., 1969. Print.
Oates, Joyce Carol. "Frankenstein's Fallen Angel." Critical Inguiry 10.3 (1984): 543-54. Print.
Shelley, Mary Wollstonecraft, and Maurice Hindle. Frankenstein, Or, The Modern Prometheus. London: Penguin, 2003. Print.
"“The Rocking-Horse Winner”." Literature and Its Times: Profiles of 300 Notable Literary Works and the Historical Events that Influenced Them. Joyce Moss and George Wilson. Vol. 3: Growth of Empires to the Great Depression (1890-1930s). Detroit: Gale, 1997. 344-349. Gale Power Search. Web. 10 Feb. 2014.
Zimmerman, Lee. "Frankenstein, Invisibility, and Nameless Dread." American Imago 60.2 (Summer 2003): 135-158. Rpt. inChildren's Literature Review. Ed. Tom Burns. Vol. 133. Detroit: Gale, 2008. Literature Resource Center. Web. 10 Feb. 2014.
Frankenstein: Contexts, nineteenth century responses, criticism. By Mary Shelley. Norton Critical Edition. New York: New York. 1996.
Shelley, Mary "Frankenstein". The Presence of Others. Comp Andrea A. Lunsford and John J. Ruskiewicz. New York: St. Martins, 1997 230-235.
As a tragic hero, Victor’s tragedies begin with his overly obsessive thirst for knowledge. Throughout his life, Victor has always been looking for new things to learn in the areas of science and philosophy. He goes so far with his knowledge that he ends up creating a living creature. Victor has extremely high expectations for his creation but is highly disappointed with the outcome. He says, “I had desired it with an ardour that far exceeded moderation; but now that I had finished, the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart” (Shelley 35). Frankenstein neglects the creature because of his horrifying looks, which spark the beginning of numerous conflicts and tragedies. At this point, the creature becomes a monster because of Victor’s neglect and irresponsibility. The monster is forced to learn to survive on his own, without anyone or anything to guide him along the way. Plus, the monster’s ugly looks cause society to turn against him, ad...
Frankenstein and his abominable creation are two characters inexorably linked with eachother, as father and son, as inventor and invention, and even as reflections of eachother. Their conflict deals with themes of the morality of science and the fears of child birth, and their characters are drawn from a wealth of experience and reading. Shelley’s doppleganger of mankind is like a twisted vision of reality; based in some sense on reality but wildly taken out of proportion, the monster is so inhuman that it cannot reconcile itself with its master or the world of humanity. Its tragic story serves as a warning of what mankind could become as well as a reflection of Shelley’s own personal demons, and her creation has changed the face of literature.
Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein or the Modern Prometheus. Edited with an Introduction and notes by Maurice Hindle. Penguin books, 1992
Works Cited Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein: A Norton Critical Edition. ed. J. Paul Hunter. New York: W. W. Norton, 1996.
Shelley, Mary Wollstonecraft, and Maurice Hindle. Frankenstein, Or, The Modern Prometheus. London: Penguin, 2003. Print.
Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein or the Modern Prometheus. Edited by: D.L. Macdonald & Kathleen Scherf. Broadview Editions. 3rd Edition. June 20, 2012
Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is a nineteenth century literary work that delves into the world of science and the plausible outcomes of morally insensitive technological research. Although the novel brings to the forefront several issues about knowledge and sublime nature, the novel mostly explores the psychological and physical journey of two complex characters. While each character exhibits several interesting traits that range from passive and contemplative to rash and impulsive, their most attractive quality is their monstrosity. Their monstrosities, however, differ in the way each of the character’s act and respond to their environment. Throughout Frankenstein, one assumes that Frankenstein’s creation is the true monster. While the creation’s actions are indeed monstrous, one must also realize that his creator, Victor Frankenstein is also a villain. His inconsiderate and selfish acts as well as his passion for science result in the death of his friend and family members and ultimately in his own demise.
Frankenstein, which also known as The Modern Prometheus is the most famous novel written by a British writer named Mary Shelley. This book was published when Mary Shelley was nineteen years old. Even though she was very young when she started writing Frankenstein, she had exploded the British literature at that time. There is so much discussion about the inspiration that led Mary Shelley to write Frankenstein. From my point of view, I think that her unhappy experience as being a mother was the main factor that probably led her to write this story. My goal throughout this research paper is to show you how the loss of Mary Shelley’s first daughter inspired her to write Frankenstein to satisfy the dream of being a mother.
Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein or the Modern Prometheus. Edited with an Introduction and notes by Maurice Hindle. Penguin books, 1992
“Allure, Authority, and Psychoanalysis” discusses the unconscious wishes, effects, conflicts, anxieties, and fantasies within “Frankenstein.” The absence of strong female characters in “Frankenstein” suggests the idea of Victor’s desire to create life without the female. This desire possibly stems from Victor’s attempt to compensate for the lack of a penis or, similarly, from the fear of female sexuality. Victor’s strong desire for maternal love is transferred to Elizabeth, the orphan taken into the Frankenstein family. This idea is then reincarnated in the form of a monster which leads to the conclusion that Mary Shelley felt like an abandoned child who is reflected in the rage of the monster.
Shelley, Mary Wollstonecraft, Walter James Miller, and Harold Bloom. Frankenstein, Or, The Modern Prometheus. New York: New American Library, 2000. Print.
Shelley, Mary. “Frankenstein.” In A Norton Critical Edition. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, Inc. 1996.
Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein or the Modern Prometheus. Edited with an Introduction and notes by Maurice Hindle. Penguin books, 1992