Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

4. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

4.1 The author
Mary Shelley (1797-1851, London) was the only daughter of William Godwin (1756-1836), a philosopher and a writer, the author of a notable essay An Enquiry Concerning Political Justice (1793) and an audacious novel Things as They are, or The Adventures of Caleb Williams (1794), which breaking the current literary tradition presented a common man as the main character, and his wife Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin, also an outstanding woman, a novelist and publicist, the author of a well-known book A Vindication of the Rights of Woman (1792), one of the first works of feminists.  She died on the birth of Mary.  Godwin soon married again.  There were totally five children in his family: Mary, a daughter of her mother in her first marriage, a child of Godwin and his second wife, and her two children.
Mary as a child was remarkable for her intellect, beauty, love for reading, and literary inclination.  She was 16 when she met for the first time the young poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, an ardent admirer of her father.  They fell in love with each other, although Shelley was married to Harriet Westbrook, the younger daughter of a London tavern owner, and had a daughter.  Then, in 1814, against Godwin's objections, Shelley and Mary eloped abroad together with Claire Clairmont, Mary's step-sister.  They experienced a lot of financial and emotional misfortunes, for Shelley was denied any help from his parents and shunned by the Godwins, while his poems and articles benefited him little.
The birth of Shelley's son (to Harriet, 1814), his grandfather's death (1815), provisions of Sir Bysshe's will forced Sir Timothy to pay Shelley's debts and grand him an annual income.
Their second journey abroad took place in 1816.  In Geneva Shelley met Lord Byron, and they kept company during some spring and summer months.  Byron and Claire, Shelley and Mary, and J.W. Polidori (Byron's physician, an Italian) amused themselves reading fearful stories about spirits, visions, and apparitions.  Byron's suggestion was that they each should compose a ghost story.  Only Mary and Polidori completed their works.  Mary Shelley published her novel Frankenstein in 1818.
In 1816, Mary and Percy Shelley could get married with Godwin's blessing, after Shelley's first wife had commited a suicide, drowned herself.  Mary Shelley apparently came as near as any woman could to meeting Percy Shelley's requirements for his life's partner.  She could feel poetry and understand philosophy.  They settled down in Italy, and lived there till 1822.
One day a storm arose when Shelley was out at sea on his little yacht, where he used to enjoy some hours of real freedom; for several days nothing was heard of him.  Then, when his dead body was found on the sea-shore, Mary and her only survived son (her first daughter had died in cot) returned to England.
Mary Shelley managed to get the Shelleys recognize their marriage and bequeath Shelley's son the estate.  Mary Shelley was very energetic.  She wrote several novels: Valperga (1823), The Last Man (1826), and others that were all inferior to Frankenstein (1818).  Still the greatest credit we owe her is the publication and the commentary on P.B. Shelley lyric heritage.  She collected, classified and made out his handwritings, sometimes just guessing on indistinct letters and signs.
The letters and diaries of Mary Shelley herself are very important for the investigation of her life and the life of her famous husband and social and literary circumstances of the epoch.

4.2 The plot of the novel

4.2.1 The story of Frankenstein
I've paid my dues -
Time after time -
I've done my sentence
But committed no crime
And bad mistakes
I've made a few
/Freddie Mercury/
The main theme of the novel is the story of Victor Frankenstein.  He has a genius for scientific work, and carried on the research work on the phenomenon of life and death.  He succeeded in discovering the origin of life and got the power to animate lifeless things.
He tried to perform an experiment and created a monster.  This caused a number of problems, some of which were fatal to the creator and other people.
Dr Frankenstein is a scientist, and by his example Mary Shelley points out some innate features which a man should possess in order to be a successful scientist.  The first of them is longing for knowledge.
Frankenstein has said of himself the following:
While my companion contemplated with a serious and satisfied spirit the magnificent appearances of things, I delighted in investigating their causes.  The world was to me a secret which I desired to divine.  Curiosity, earnest research to learn the hidden laws of nature, gladness akin to rapture, as they were unfolded to me, are among the earliest sensation I can remember.1
Another thing necessary for being employed in science is mastering the knowledge available.  A lot of time must be spent on studying and, of course, there must be possibilities to study. The library of his father was a good facility for Frankenstein to get acquainted with the teachings of ancient scientists.  Frankenstein also got a lucky opportunity to be sent to Ingolstadt University, where he could meet and communicate with the modern scientists.
His teachers were to him good examples of scientists and scientific work.  They helped him not only to learn the latest achievements in the natural science but also to understand that the science was an integrated and complete system, where the works of different scientists, modern and ancient, played their particular roles and were equally significant.
Frankenstein himself depreciated his passion and accused it of all horrible effects happened to him.  He was right to a degree.  Although it seemed logical that to make considerable progress in the science took a lot of intellectual efforts and required a complete concentration on the one single task. That concentration was certainly a kind of passion.  Frankenstein was very worried how to keep it in check, but the chief difficulty was how to get into that state.
A man has to share his full attention among plenty of things: conversations with friends, reading interesting books, contemplation of picturesque landscapes, and leisure.  The work engrossed Frankenstein due to the fact that he was very reserved and friendless in a strange city.  The research itself was his only entertainment.  Little by little it occupied all his time and mind and became the only reality to him.  He devoted himself totally to the one goal, to discover the laws of the nature and the mystery of life and death.
I confess that neither the structure of languages, nor the code of governments, nor the politics of various states, possessed attraction for me.  It was he secrets of heaven and earth that I desired to learn; and whether it was the outward substance of things, or the inner spirit of nature and the mysterious soul of man that occupied me still my inquiries were directed to the metaphysical, or, in its highest sense, the physical secrets of the world.2
Eventually he was lucky to succeed.  Then Frankenstein's discovery was made, and he became capable of animating things.  He was a great scientist, and his primary duty as the duty of a scientist was to inform other scientists about his discovery and thus to make it the part of the world's science.  He should write articles, monographs, textbooks on it and put it at the disposal of the whole mankind, and thus to extend the powers of man.
But the temptation, and especially his ambitions, were too enormous.  Frankenstein had no desire to share his discovery with anybody.  He wanted to profit by it himself.  He was interested in neither money nor fame, but his goal was not less ambitious.  Although he never expressed it directly, but he felt himself to be equal to God. He thought that he could create his "Adam".
Frankenstein invaded the sanctity of life and death.  He completed the experiment and created a new life.  But strictly speaking, it was not the creation of one more life, because it ultimately took some other lives of people who were dear to Frankenstein.  The monster was the result of the creation, and the consequences of its activity were the deaths of people.
Generally, it took Frankenstein some lives of his friends and his own to give a life to a monster.  So the experiment could hardly be called a creation, it was rather a destruction of life.

4.2.2 The story of the Monster
I've paid my dues -
Time after time -
I've done my sentence
But committed no crime
And bad mistakes
I've made a few
I've had my share of sand kicked in my face
/Freddie Mercury/
The story of the monster begins with it's birth.  It opens it's eyes and starts to perceive the environment.  The monster gets up and being stopped by nobody it mechanically walks out of the laboratory.  It comes into the forest, has a rest by the brook, and learns to eat berries and roots and eventually to use a fire. 
Like every other new-born creature it is under the protection of Lucky Chance.  The life of any creature incapable to answer for it's actions is endangered by a great number of things.  But for Lucky Chance the result of using the trial and error method by a creature or even an infant would be fatal.  The monster might be frozen to death at night or get poisoned with the berries or be drowned in the brook or die in a fire.  The monster is alive, and so it shouldn't take offence for the lack of attention from it's creator.
The monster was quite lucky to have once a delicious meal obtaining the breakfast of a lone shepherd and to find an refuge in the kennel by a cottage.  But the best luck was that the monster can learn French while it was taught to an Arabian in this cottage.  The monster had even the opportunity to continue it's education when it occasionally got hold of some books.
Now the Monster was responsible for his actions.  Lucky Chance wouldn't patronize him any longer.  And he was capable of putting his own aims.
His first aim was to establish contact with the cottagers and to come to feel himself among friends.
Could they turn from their door one, however monstrous, who solicited their compassion and friendship.3
... sometimes I allowed my thoughts, unchecked by reason, to ramble in the fields of Paradise, and dared to fancy amiable and lovely creatures sympathising with my feelings, and cheering my gloom; their angelic countenances breathed smiles of consolation.  But it was all a dream.4
The cottagers did repulse him, moreover, they dashed him to the ground and stuck him violently with a stick.  The malediction on him was his appalling appearance.
Not having achieve the first aim, the Monster chose the second one.  Being aware of the creation of the world through Paradise Lost by John Milton, and vaguely identifying himself with Adam, he was anxious to get his Eve.
The only way to realize this desire was to talk Frankenstein into creating a female.
[There was] ... no Eve soothed my sorrow, nor shared my thoughts; I was alone.  I remembered Adam's supplication to his Creator.  But where was mine?5
To this end the Monster made for Geneva. Unfortunately he had an incident on his way there.
He rescued a little girl6 but the people thought that he wanted to kill her and attacked him and wounded him.  This experience made the Monster lose the faith in good.  Now he determined to solve his problems by means of violence.  He began to do his evil.  He was supposed to be wicked and he did just what was expected.  Incidentally he murdered William, a brother of Frankenstein.
The Monster found and approached Frankenstein, trying to persuade him that he had some duties towards his creation, namely, to create him a female companion.
What I ask of you is reasonable and moderate; I demand a creature of another sex, but as hideous as myself; the gratification is small, but it is all that I can receive, and it shall content me.  It is true we shall be monsters, cut off from all the world; but on that account we shall be more attached to one another.  Our lives will not be happy, but they will be harmless, and free from the misery I now feel.  Oh! my creator, make me happy; let me feel gratitude towards you for one benefit!  Let me see that I excite the sympathy of some existing thing; do not deny me my request!7
Temporary, Frankenstein agreed to his claims, and that was the first victory of the Monster.  But a scientist can't be forced to do what he is not willing to.  In order to complete a successful creation Frankenstein should be calm and full of energy, but, being so, he was going to rebel and withdraw his promises.  The Monster couldn't keep on compelling him.  The Monster gave in.
Failing to achieve his current goal the Monster set himself the next and the last one.  He was determined to enter the final competition with his creator.  There could be no doubt about the defeat of Frankenstein, but on the other hand his defeat was the evidence of his success in producing a real living being.
The only question was what the Monster would do, when his final goal was achieved.  He was going to collect the pile of wood at the very North Pole, where Captain Walton failed to reach, to make a conflagration and ascend it triumphantly.  He would not be overcome. His spirit would be at liberty and in peace, and at last he would be able to do something worthy.

But there was nothing to be done.

4.3 The theme and main problems in the novel

4.3.1 The creation of a new life
It was very difficult for Mary Shelley to invent a topic for her ghost story.  Fortunately, the topic was prompted during the conversations of Lord Byron and P.B. Shelley.
During one of these, various philosophical doctrines were discussed, and among others the nature of the principle of life, and whether there was any probability of its ever being discovered and communicated.  They talked of the experiments of Dr. Darwin, (... of what was then spoken of as having been done by him). ... Perhaps a corpse would be re-animated; galvanism had given token of such things; perhaps the component parts of a creature might be manufactured, brought together, and endured with vital warmth.8
The subject is so rich and complicated that it is still interesting and important nowadays.  It is curious, but during about two centuries the problem of artificial life remains on the point of being solved.

4.3.2 Frankenstein's failure to create a new life
Frankenstein tried to create his own "Adam", but he stood no chances of winning, because the creation of a man doesn't completely belong to the competence of the natural science.
We are all well aware of the natural process of producing human being that is taking place on the Earth.  The two sides taking part in it are parents and children.  The process is very complicated one and the birth of a child causes a number of duties and demands a lot of attention from the parents: providing good living conditions, some basic education, and a fair amount of happiness.
Besides the creation of a human body and the development of an intellect, it is also necessary to constitute a soul.

4.3.3 The lack of humanity
The Monster has no name, and he is called Frankenstein by the most of the readers.  Although, vice versa it would be fairer.
Frankenstein's failure is not of knowledge but of humanity.
The climactic event is of course Frankenstein's refusal to create a mate -  companion for the Monster; ignoring in the name of human good a human need.
Dr. Frankenstein is less than fully human, and therefore is himself a monster or an automaton.9

4.3.4 The lack of Love
The main theme of the novel is Love.  It is pointed to by negatives, as something that is absent.  The Monster becomes wicked only because he is not loved, but rejected by Frankenstein and everyone else.  He is not an all-out perpetrator of evil, but unfortunately he is unlovable, and that is the difficulty because Frankenstein or someone else or even Sir Launcelot "can't be constrained to love".
'That is truth,' said King Arthur, 'love is free in itself and will never be forced.' ( from The Fair Lady of Astolat and the Adventures of Sir Launcelot of the Lake by Sir Thomas Malory, 15th c.)

4.3.5 The conflict between intelligence and emotion
Muriel Spark regards the novel by Mary Shelley as the story of duality of a man.  Frankenstein creates the Monster and loses to him an integral portion of his own being.  In other words the mind of Frankenstein splits into two parts.  Only one part remains Frankenstein's own, and he becomes "a lost soul"; the other belongs to the Monster; and they turn into both complementary and antithetical beings.
The manifest change in Frankenstein's nature after the creation of the Monster can be explained by the part-separation of his intellect from his other integral properties.  He becomes a sort of Hamlet figure, indecisive and remorseful too late.  He decides to destroy the Monster, but is persuaded to pity him - he decides to make a female Monster, but fails at the last moment - he receives the Monster's threat of revenge and does nothing...10
The Monster learns intensely and quickly, he is good at reasoning, but he certainly lacks emotion.  On the contrary, Frankenstein's passion are intuitive and lush, but he lacks reason in his actions.
Generally speaking, therefore, it is the emotional and the intellectual that conflict in the form of Frankenstein and his Monster. The culminating emotional frustration by the intellect is reached in the murder of Frankenstein's bride by the Monster.  Thereafter, Frankenstein's hysterical pursuit of his fleeting reason completes the story of his madness.11

4.3.6 The theme of chase
The chase in the novel is peculiar, and sometimes it is not quite clear who is after whom.  First, the Monster chases Frankenstein, and then Frankenstein chases the Monster.  Still, the monster, caring of Frankenstein, leaves him provisions and warning messages, but all this makes Frankenstein only more furious.
The pattern of pursuit is the framework of the novel, a theme in itself which encloses a further theme; there, Frankenstein's relationship to the Monster expresses itself in the paradox of identity and conflict - an anticipation of the Jekyll;and;Hyde theme - from which certain symbolic situations emerge.12

4.3.7 The fatal competition
The eternal psychological conflict between Frankenstein (the creator) and the Monster (the creature) has also much in common with that between Miss Brodie (the teacher) and Sandy Stranger (the pupil) in Muriel Spark's The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1961), with the same result of it, Brodie-Frankenstein is assassinated by Sandy-Monster.
On the one hand, this is a type of self-assurance, common to both human beings and animals.  A young creature grows up and gets strong.  Now it is time to prove its strength.  It usually chooses its father, teacher, or creator as the best criterion for this examination.  As a rule the competition of this kind is to be extremely tense and relentless.  The challenger seized with passion fights violently and cruelly. The youth must win a victory over the elder.  The champion stands no chance however firm and proud he is.

4.3.8 Moral justice
On the other hand, especially in literature, the conflict can serve the idea of moral justice.  The reader sympathises with the main character, that is nearly absolutely good, but for the one ill feature, that is absolutely unacceptable, the character must be put a stop to.
In the case of Dr. Frankenstein, like in case of Caesar, it is his ambition that must be punished.
Romans, countrymen, and lovers! hear me for my cause, and be silent, that you may hear: believe me for mine honour, that you may believe: censure me in your wisdom, and awake your senses, that you may the better judge.  If there be any in this assembly, any dear friend of Caesar's, to him I say that Brutus' love to Caesar was no less than his.  If then that friend demand why Brutus rose against Caesar, this is my answer: not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more.  Had you rather Caesar were living, and die all slaves, than that Caesar were dead, to live all free men?  As Caesar loved me, I weep for him; as he was fortunate, I rejoice at it; as he was valiant, I honour him.  There is tears for his love; joy for his fortune; honour for his valour; and death for his ambition.  Who is here so base that would be a bondman?  If any, speak; for him have I offended.  Who is here so rude that would not be a Roman?  If any, speak; for him have I offended.  Who is here so vile that will not love his country If any, speak; for him have I offended. [Brutus' words]13

4.4 Language and style of the novel

4.4.1 Realistic features
In 1953, Muriel Spark14 wrote a reassessment of Mary Shelley, in which she specially pointed out realistic features of Frankenstein.
We must recognise the primary Gothic influence on Frankenstein.  But we can see this novel both as the apex and the last of Gothic fiction - for though many other works of the Radcliffe school were to follow, their death-stroke was delivered, their mysteries solved, by Frankenstein's rational inquisition.15
Indeed, the events in the novel develop logically and definitely.  Mary Shelley needs no occasional happenings or unmotivated acts of characters for the development of the plot.  All the effects have their causes, and vice versa.  There is only one fantastic element, the successful creation of a monster.  This contradicts no physical laws, about which Mary Shelley is very correct.  Even after 180 year time no mistake can be found.

4.4.2 Gothic features
Still, Frankenstein is a Gothic novel.  But it deals not with the "Gothicism" of outward world, but that of the self-destructive nature of man.
Victor Frankenstein is an ordinary man throughout.  His charm, his great sensibility, his intellectual brilliance are not presented in the images that set him apart. ... Unlike so many Gothic figures, he is not identified with a house, castle, or any other buildings that may serve to make such a villain massive, threatening, engulfing. ... To the extent that our identification with Frankenstein is close, our fear of the evil that comes from him will be great.16

4.4.3 Pathetic fallacy
Mary Shelley makes a wide use of the stylistic technique called Pathetic Fallacy.  The device is based on the correspondence between the feelings of the character and the state of the weather.  So the emotions of the character can be expressed by means of the description of the landscape.  Thus, the more severe the conflict in the novel becomes, the farther northwards the action takes place.  The final, climactic scene takes place among the ices of the Arctic.

4.5 Specifics

4.5.1 The exact description of a scientist
The great mystery of the novel is that it was written by a 19 year old girl.  She perfectly describes the creative work of a scientist, which must be experienced to be understood.
My application was at first fluctuating and uncertain; it gained strength as I proceeded, and soon became so ardent and eager that the stars often disappeared in the light of morning whilst I was yet engaged in my laboratory.
I seemed to have lost all soul or sensation but for this one pursuit.
The summer months passed while I was thus engaged, heart and soul, in one pursuit.  It was a most beautiful season; never did the fields bestow a more plentiful harvest, or the vines yield a more luxuriant vintage: but my eyes were insensible to the charms of nature.  And the same feelings which made me neglect the scenes around me caused me also to forget those friends who were so many miles absent, and whom I had not seen for so long a time.17
Mary Shelley managed to compose a beautiful true-to-life portray of a science only because she could see an example of Percy Bysshe Shelley, who in his youth dabbled with chemical experiments and pored over ancient books of magic.18

4.5.2 Books for the Monster
The Monster occasionally got hold of the books Paradise Lost by John Milton, Sorrows of Werter by Geothe and Lives by Plutarch.
The important fact is that there was no the Bible among them.  The Christian doctrine is martyrdom, but the Monster was to revolt against his creator, so another book was wanted by Mary Shelley.  And such a book was lucky to be found.  Percy Bysshe Shelley had read Paradise Lost to Mary at evenings for a week.

4.6 Other characters
Frankenstein has two friends, Elizabeth Lavenza and Henry Clerval, which are well educated and talented but they have chosen for themselves other spheres of activity than the science.
Elizabeth was of a calmer and more concentrated disposition; but, with all my ardour, I was capable of a more intense application, and was more deeply smitten with the thirst for knowledge.  She busied herself with following the aerial creations of the poets; and in the majestic and wondrous scenes which surrounded our Swiss home -- the sublime shapes of the mountains; the changes of the seasons; tempest and calm; the silence of winter, and the life and turbulence of our Alpine summers -- she found ample scope for admiration and delight.19
Meanwhile Clerval occupied himself, so to speak, with the moral relations of things.  The busy stage of life, the virtues of heroes, and the actions of men, were his theme; and his hope and his dream was to become one among those whose names are recorded in story, as the gallant and adventurous benefactors of our species.20
The image of Frankenstein is, in a way, counterbalanced by the image of another scientist Robert Walton.
Walton gives up his own quest so as not to endanger the lives of his crew, and this is the triumph of his humanity.21