Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is a fascinating tale about a man playing God and the lure of power. Through its gothic setting, feminist lens, and characterization of both Victor Frankenstein and his monster, Shelley’s novel maintains its status as a literary masterpiece.
Mary Shelley was the wife of the famous romantic poet Percy Shelley and a close acquaintance of the infamous bisexual Lord George Byron. She was also the daughter of Mary Wollstonecraft. an avid 18th-century feminist. The origins of the story Frankenstein derive from a gothic competition when Mary was just nineteen years old between John Polidori (The Vampyre), Percy Shelley, Lord Byron and Mary Shelley herself, which resulted in the gothic novel, Frankenstein: The Modern Prometheus. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley was published on January 1, 1818. In the public consciousness, it is remembered as the first true science fiction novel
In Mary Shelley’s novel, Victor Frankenstein, a young European scientist from Geneva seeks to play God by creating life. He becomes obsessed with creating human life through the combination of grave-robbing corpses for their body parts and early electric technology. He is successful, but in his arrogance and lust for power, he destroys himself, his loved ones and the creature itself. The book is framed as a past-tense narrative told as a cautionary tale to an Arctic-bound ship captain in Victor’s final days.
Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is a compelling novel. She utilized many tropes in her science fiction and gothic horror masterpiece. Among them are a dark, sinister gothic setting, a human-like frightening monster, and a man playing God. Another poignant feature of Shelley’s novel is the feminist portrait of the arrogant, obsessive man. This is demonstrated through Victor’s ignorance, self-assuredness and hubris and his complete detachment from his wife as well as close friends and family. Shelley’s characterization of the creation of Adam, Frankenstein’s monster, is unique in its vulnerability and humanity. Until the creature is made an outcast by his frightening appearance, Adam reads, studies the classics, and makes emotional connections with other characters. The fact he longs for a mate to fill the void of loneliness instills empathy in the reader.
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley is still a poignant read and an exploration of humanity and monstrosity. It is above all a story of a man playing God and a cautionary tale against obsession and arrogance. There is a reason it has been retold in movies and plays multiple times. Frankenstein will delight and fascinate readers for generations to come.
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