Frankenstein book isn

1
Frankensteinbook isnt
2
Who was Mary Shelley?

• Born in 1797 to 2 leading intellectuals Mary
  Wollstonecraft and William Godwin.
• Married Percy Shelley at the age of 16.
• At the age of 18 she wrote Frankenstein The
  Modern Prometheus.
• Frankenstein is the greatest example of British
  Romanticism in the novel form.

3
Shelleys Tragedies

• Shelleys mother died 11 days after giving to
  Mary.
• Mary gave birth to 4 children in 5 years. Three
  of them died in infancy.
• Shelley lost her husband in a boating accident
  after only 8 years of marriage.
• Critics say that Frankenstein is greatly
  influenced by the themes of birth and death.

4
What is Romanticism?

• Romanticism is a reaction to the Age of Reason

5
The Age of Reason

• Time Period roughly 1700-1797
• The Enlightenment, or the Age of Reason, is often
  closely linked with the Scientific Revolution,
  for both movements emphasized reason, science,
  and rationality

6
What is Romanticism?

• Romanticism is also a rejection of Classicism
  which represented order, calm, harmony, balance,
  idealization, and rationality (logos!)
• Romanticism reflected the subjective, the
  irrational, the imaginative, the personal, the
  spontaneous, the emotional, the visionary, and
  the transcendental (pathos!)

7
What did the Romantics Believe?
8
The Natural World

• That the beauty of nature should be studied.
• That trying to control was dangerous .
• That nature provides solace or comfort to the
  individual.

9
Natural World Contd

• In the novel, Roberts attempt to conquer the sea
  and Victors scientific experiments reveal mans
  attempt to control or exploit the natural world

10
The Individual

• Romanticism favored the idea
• of the Individual
• This Individual is Percy Bysshe Shelley, Marys
  husband!

11
The Individual

• The Romantics had a preoccupation with the
  genius, the hero, and the exceptional figure.
• They focused on his passions and inner struggles.
• They viewed the artist as a supremely individual
  creator whose creative spirit is more important
  than strict adherence to formal rules and
  traditional procedures.
• They emphasized imagination as a gateway to the
  transcendental, leading to belief in . . .

12
The Supernatural !!!

• Which leads us to
• The Gothic Novel!

13
The Gothic Novel
The Gothic novel took shape mostly in England
from 1790 to 1830 and falls within the category
of Romantic literature.
14
The Gothic Novel

• The Gothic is far from limited to this set time
  period, as it takes its roots from former
  terrorizing writing that dates back to the Middle
  Ages, and can still be found written today by
  writers such as Stephen King

15
The Gothic Novel

• Gothic novel could be seen as a description of a
  fallen world.
• We experience this fallen world though all
  aspects of the novel plot, setting,
  characterization, and theme.
• This leads us to the Gothic Hero . . .

16
No! Not these kinds of goths!
17
Gothic Archetypes

• Gothic Hero isolated either voluntarily or
  involuntarily.
• Villian epitome of evil, either by his (usually
  a man) own fall from grace, or by some implicit
  malevolence
• The Wanderer found in many Gothic tales, is the
  epitome of isolation as he wanders the earth in
  perpetual exile, usually a form of divine
  punishment

18
Dangerous Knowledge

• Should we fool around with Nature?
• Are there laws that are off limits to humanity?
• Prometheus Myth He stole fire from the Gods for
  humans. He was punished for eternity by being
  tied to a rock and having a vulture eat his liver
  every morning
• Book was alternately titled The Modern Prometheus.

19
Nothing In Excess

• Stressed importance of leading balanced and
  moderate lifestyle.
• During Shelleys time, people were struggling to
  adjust to the Industrial Age.
• In our time, we struggle to balance our humanity
  with our dependence on technology.

20
Sublime Nature

• Throughout the novel, pay attention to how the
  characters are influenced by the natural world.
• Also note Shelleys long descriptions of the
  natural world. This is classic Romanticism!

21
How Does the Novel Begin?

• Series of letters.
• Story within a story, within a story called a
  framed story.

22
Structure and Point of View
23
Who is Frankenstein?

• The story is a Doppelganger, or German word for
  double image.
• Both the Creature and Victor Frankenstein mirror
  each other in their effort to destroy the other.
• The Doppelganger represents a divided self, or
  two alter egos who are more alike than different.

24
Famous Doppelgangers

• Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
• Batman and the Joker
• Bruce Banner and The Incredible Hulk

25
Themes in the Novel

1. Personal Responsibility Are we responsible for
   our own actions?
2. Responsibility to Others Are we responsible for
   the actions of others?
3. Recreate the Past Can we reshape the past?

26
The Hollywood Stereotype

• James Whale directed the 1931 film Frankenstein
  where our image of the Creature comes from.
• In the film, a mad scientists creates a creature
  with little intelligence who rages against
  humanity.

27
The Cultural Myth

• There are over 100 films about Frankenstein.
• Frankenstein has been used to sell merchandise
  such as Twix candy bars, Levis Jeans, Coca-Cola,
  Frankenberry Cereal, MMs, Penzoil, and Pez.

28
Favorite Titles of Frankenstein Movies

• Frankensteins Musical Christmas
• Alvin and the Chipmunks meet Frankenstein
• Frankenstein vs. Dracula
• Frankenstein the College Years

29
Films, Films, Films, Oh My!

• Because the myth of Frankenstein has become such
  a part of our pop culture we will by watching
  clips from various versions of Frankenstein.