DioGuardi/10th Grade

Frankenstein By Mary Shelley Notes Note: Frankenstein is a very involved novel, with a difficult narrative structure, big words, confusingly structured sentences, and a significant number of references to things you’ve likely never heard of. I’m writing these notes for your own benefit. That said, they are A) informal, and therefore incomplete, and B) mostly my own thoughts and ideas. They are meant to supplement your own reading and research of the novel, as well as our class discussions—not take the place of them. Some of the information may be redundant to what is already in your edition of the book (most of which should have extensive notes and commentary—also there for your benefit). Take it or leave it. Other things of note…this novel was written in the early 19th century. Shakespeare (the last time period we “were in”) lived and wrote in the 16th-17th centuries. Thus, we’re making quite a leap here (we are, in fact, skipping the entire 18th century) and so it should be common sense that A LOT has happened in the 200 or so years since the Enlightenment. We are now in the period of Romanticism (for reference, you can check out “The Romantic Age” in your textbook, pp.455-472), a time dominated by imagination, war, scientific development, and a more complex view of mankind and the world around it. This is the time of the Industrial Revolution. The stars are no longer mysterious God-dots up in the sky, but are now things to be wondered about and discovered. But this pursuit is not without danger; indeed, Frankenstein is all about the relationship (the duality) of science and humanity. Notes on Mary Shelley’s (quite tragic) life… Her parents (as noted below) were both well-known political figures. Her mother died a week and half after Mary was born. In 1812, 15-year-old Mary met her father’s new student, the 18-year-old Percy Bysshe Shelley (already finely educated, monstrously wealthy, and growing in popularity). Percy left his wife, Harriet, to live with Mary and her father, before Mary and Percy fled to France in 1814. In 1815, Percy and Mary had a daughter who died eleven days after her birth. In 1816, Harriet (Percy’s ex-wife) killed herself by drowning; Mary’s half-sister, Fanny, also killed herself. In 1818, the same year the first edition of Frankenstein was published, their second child, the one-year-old Clara, died. In 1819, their third child, the three-year-old William, died. In 1822, Mary nearly died of a miscarriage, and then three months later her husband Percy drowned. Mary died in 1851, at the age of 54. Now for the components of the novel…

DioGuardi/10th Grade

Author’s Introduction At this time, in the 19th century, novels were just becoming popular. Before this, poetry, drama (plays), and philosophy dominated culture. Gothic novels in particular were popular, because they relied on sensationalism (when something is “sensational” it’s usually exaggerated and dramatic…think of the effects that a horror movie today uses…gloomy settings, suspense, etc.), and so they appealed to the “ordinary reader” (as opposed to the more finely educated, sophisticated reader). And so, The Standard Novels Series (for which Mary wrote this intro) was an attempt at printing inexpensive editions of books, so that the above-mentioned “ordinary reader” could partake. Shelley first published Frankenstein in 1818, and then revised another edition in 1823. The edition we’re reading (the commonly read one) was published in 1831. There are some major differences between the editions, though Shelley writes (lies) to the contrary. It’s interesting that Shelley was asked for the “origin of the story,” since so much of this novel deals with origins and authenticity. In fact, the contents of this introduction (the origin of the story…the night at Lord Byron’s villa) have been called into question. Storytellers are creators, remember. She calls the novel “a hideous idea”….stick that word “hideous” under your hats for later. Shelley is the daughter of William Godwin (a famous political writer) and Mary Wollstonecraft (one of the first popular feminist leaders). Godwin believed in anarchism (anarchy): The belief that there isn’t a need for government if man were able to act reasonably. Notice some of the words and phrases she uses (good readers are always looking for key words and clues)…”formation of castles in the air,” “waking dreams,” “imaginary incidents,” “dreams…fantastic,” “close imitator,” “the aerie of freedom,” “creatures of my fancy,” “not confined to my own identity,” “creations” …etc. What do all of these phrases have in common? Notice any similarities to our discussions about Macbeth? Galvanism: named after Luigi Galvani, a late 18th century scientist who discovered that the bodies contain electricity. This electricity exists after a body expires. There was a belief that this electricity could be manipulated to reanimate dead matter. Dr. Darwin is Erasmus, the grandfather of Charles. During Shelley’s time, Erasmus Darwin wrote and published nascent theories of evolution. Other things of note: Percy Shelley played a significant role in the editing of this novel. His script is all over the manuscript. Still, regardless of how much of Frankenstein can be attributed to Mary, she was only 21 years old when it was first published.

DioGuardi/10th Grade

Novels written in letterform are called epistolary novels --What purpose might this narrative technique serve? --No one writes letters anymore, do they? Why? How and why has the letterform changed? This novel is also a frame narrative (like The Canterbury Tales) because it tells a story within a story (actually, multiple stories) One benefit of the epistolary narrative is that we (usually) know immediately… a) Who is writing b) To whom (s)he is writing c) Where and when each character is Shelley uses an epigraph in the form of a quote from Paradise Lost, an epic poem by the 17th century poet John Milton. It is about the Biblical fall of man, dramatically recreating the story of Lucifer’s revolt against, and eventual expulsion from, heaven. PL is featured throughout Frankenstein, as it also deals with the limits of mankind. Letter I Robert’s first letter to his sister is written sometime in the 18th century (dates were often omitted in literature during this time), on December 11th, from St. Petersburgh (Russia…not Florida). So, what do we know immediately, without reading further? (Remember, a key to reading difficult texts is to establish what you absolutely know and then build off of that.) a) It must be cold…December in Russia b) Robert is pretty far away from his sister, who is in England Robert’s first line indicates that he and his sister have a close relationship; she obviously cares about him enough to have “evil forebodings” about his trip. He assures her that he is okay. So…take what we know: He’s somewhere deathly cold, far from his home and the person he loves. What does this possibly indicate about Robert? (Perhaps that he’s on a mission…he’s passionate…maybe a little crazy?) Robert reveals almost immediately where he is heading (to the North Pole) and why (to study magnetism and seek eternal light). “The Light,” more than in any other work we’ve read, is an essential symbol in this novel. Pay attention to some of the language he uses…”promise,” “day dreams,” “beauty and delight,” the sun is for ever visible,” perpetual splendour,” “surpassing in wonders and in beauty,” “eternal light,” “ardent curiosity”…and those are all in the first two paragraphs! “nothing contributes so much to tranquillise the mind as a steady purpose” …this statement will prove to be ironic. Curious: How true is it?

DioGuardi/10th Grade

Robert has dreamed of this expedition since he was a boy, but he has been “blown off course,” as it were. Archangel is a popular seaport in Russia. Robert is a dreamer, a smart, passionate man with a desire to learn. He doesn’t want money; he wants glory and greatness. Yet, he seems to fall short. Letter II Notice the dates…second letter is 3 months after the first. Robert is lonely. He has a crew, but no true companion to share his thoughts and feelings and discoveries and failures with. THIS IS IMPORTANT. “I am too ardent in execution, and too impatient of difficulties.” Interesting. In the second to last paragraph of this letter, Walton makes the first of what will be many references to a long poem by Samuel Coleridge entitled The Rime of the Ancient Mariner. This poem is about a mariner who, while blown off course and stuck on an ambitious expedition to the south, shoots an albatross and then suffers a series of misfortunes. “there is a love for the marvellous, a belief in the marvellous, intertwined in all my projects, which hurries me out of the common pathways of men, even to the wild sea and unvisited regions I am about to explore.” Why the story of the shipmaster’s wife? What purpose does it serve? Why can’t Robert be friends with this person? Letter III …four months after the first letter; seven months after the initial. Notice that this letter is different both in length and in tone from the first two. He mentions in the first line that he has to write it “in haste.” Why? He says later in the letter that they haven’t encountered any serious problems so far…so, why the hasty letter? As he gets closer to the North Pole, Robert is becoming increasingly confident. Notice his second to last paragraph: “But success shall crown my endeavors.” Definitive. Is he lying to his sister (and himself), because maybe he’s starting to lose hope? Four months at sea is a long time.

DioGuardi/10th Grade

Letter IV …which is actually several letters that are all sent at once. Robert refers to his first vision as “a strange sight.” This will not be the only time that character is described as such. Then there’s the stranger whom Robert brings on board. Is it the same person he saw earlier, the one with the pack of dogs? This one has just one dog. Notice the stranger’s condition. Why would he be in this state? Clearly, something is wrong. He seems more disheartened than traumatized, I think. He sort of “beats around the bush” when it comes to explaining who he is and how he wound up in the arctic. He says that he’s there “To seek one who fled from me.” Robert likes him…”I never saw a more interesting creature,” “his whole countenance is lighted up…with a beam of benevolence and sweetness” …however, “his eyes have generally an expression of wildness, and even madness” “he is generally melancholy and despairing.” Lots going on inside this character. Well, a lot that Robert sees anyway. Robert seems to find the friend he longs for: “For my own part, I begin to love him as a brother.” “he appeared to despise himself for being the slave of passion” What does it mean to be a “slave of passion” and, further, what does it mean to hate oneself for it? The stranger warms up to Robert a bit (no pun intended), and wants to tell his story. Chapter One Changing narrative point of view. This is now the stranger on the boat telling his story to Robert Walton. Spoiler: The stranger is Victor Frankenstein, the title character. (Another note: Frankenstein refers to Victor, NOT the creature we will meet later. The intermingling of the two is a common mistake.) Genevese: Adjective meaning one who is from Geneva, Switzerland What do we learn about his family? Beaufort hides because of his shame of being a poor merchant, but is eventually found by our narrator’s father. No one can stay hidden forever…? Reuss: 4th largest river in Switzerland; runs through Lake Lucrene Narrator’s father comes to “protect” Caroline. Interesting.

DioGuardi/10th Grade

Notice the language he uses to describe Elizabeth, and how he comes to view her. Is it Caroline’s fault? What does it mean to nurture a child, or to protect and teach one who is in one’s care? Think about Mary Shelley’s own experiences as a mother (see “Notes on her life,” above). We’re going to encounter much more of this. Chapter Two Victor and Elizabeth are one year apart in age. “Harmony was the soul of our companionship” …the differences between Victor and Elizabeth only make their relationship stronger. --Compare the description of Victor and Elizabeth’s relationship with that of his parents’ (in Ch. 1, p 28). There is A LOT of character exposition in the first paragraph of this chapter. We learn all about Victor and Elizabeth. This, like with Clerval, is direct characterization, where we learn about a character not by his or her actions, but in plain-spoken, descriptive terms. Victor’s descriptions of his interests and pursuits are really quite marvelous: “The world was to me a secret which I desired to divine” (32). He is not an ordinary student nor is he willing to take the world for granted; Victor wants to know all there is to know about the unseen forces that surround us and guide us. This is absolutely representative of Romanticism. New character: Victor’s father and Caroline have a second son, who is seven years younger than Victor. They settle down in Switzerland. The Frankenstein family has two homes: One in Geneva (a large city) and a vacation home “in the country,” near Lake Geneva. Note, as you can see on the map below, Geneva is all the way in Western Switzerland, close to the French border. Here’s a map: Geneva, Switzerland New character: Henry Clerval. How is he characterized? How is he different from Victor (and Elizabeth)? “My temper was something violent, and my passions vehement; … It was the secrets of heaven and earth that I desired to learn…” (33) Notice, again, the light imagery used to describe Elizabeth who “shone like a shrinededicated lamp” and had “celestial eyes” that would “animate” (33) everyone in the household. He interrupts his description of Clerval to fawn over Elizabeth, and then gets back to Henry. Victor says that Elizabeth is the reason for Clerval’s goodness. Elizabeth makes everyone better. While in his childhood recollections, he foreshadows “misfortune” and “misery” (34). We must remember that these chapters are Victor telling the story of what has already occurred. He knows what’s about to happen, because it’s already happened to him. The reader, on the other hand, does not know because we haven’t read it yet.

DioGuardi/10th Grade

Cornelius Agrippa: Late 15th-16th century German who taught and wrote about alchemy, astrology, theology, and more obscure, occult interests. He was also a magician. Paracelsus: Late 15th-16th century Swiss-German Renaissance figure who studied botany, psychology, alchemy, and astronomy. Discovered the science of toxicology. Gave zinc its name. Though he was a radical, he made many contributions to various scientific disciplines. Albertus Magnus: 13th century Germany. He was actually a Catholic bishop and later canonized, in 1931, as a saint. (His feast day is November 15th.) Paracelsus made many contributions to science, but Magnus, who also studied alchemy, is potentially the most important. It is rumored that he actually found success in transmuting metal into gold, and therefore discovering the Philosopher’s Stone (see below). His pupil was Thomas Aquinas, one of the most important philosophers of this time. Philosopher’s stone: The first Harry Potter book (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone) was originally titled in the United Kingdom (where it was first published) as Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. Basically, the philosopher’s stone is the most essential component of alchemy, because it is what enables alchemists to transmute metal into gold. Elixir of life: It was believed in many cultures that a particular potion, drunk from a particular cup, at a particular time, would bestow eternal life and eternal youth upon the one who drinks it. Alchemists tried to discover how to produce this. It is what comes out of the stone in the first Harry Potter book.