1. (The Modern Prometheus)

2. Shelley’s Inspiration “How I, then a young girl, came to think of, and to dilate upon, so very hideous an idea?”  Summer of 1816, at age 18, Shelley was visiting the villa of friend Lord Byron, along with her future husband Percy Bysshe Shelley.  Bad weather forced everyone to stay indoors and read ghost stories.  Byron suggested that they each write a ghost story.

3.  Unable to think of a story for several days; each morning Shelley was asked if she had thought of a story yet and had to reply “No”.  One evening in June 1816, the group discussed the nature of the principle of life and re-animation.

4.  Later that night, Shelley “dreamed” of the story of Frankenstein.

5.  The next morning she began writing the story as a short story. But expanded it to a novel with the encouragement of her husband Percy.  The novel was published anonymously two years later in 1818. Mary Shelley was 20 yrs old.

6. Frankenstein’s Monster

7. aka The Modern Prometheus  The novel’s subtitle, though sometimes dropped in modern editions  Based on the myth of Prometheus ( Titan who created mankind, stole fire from the gods and gave it to man, and was punished by Zeus for eternity )  In Greek mythology, Prometheus parallels Victor Frankenstein

9. The Gothic Romance Novel  Popular during the late 18 th and early 19 th century in England.  Setting is usually isolated  Often involved the supernatural with elements of horror.  Omens, portents, visions: a character may have a disturbing dream, foreshadowing, etc

10.  An atmosphere of mystery and suspense: fleeting images, sense of impending disaster, unexplained deaths, “darkness”, etc.  High emotion: Characters are usually high strung or have a feeling of impending doom  Women in distress/abandoned or left alone  Protagonist is usually isolated (voluntarily or involuntarily)