This morning I stumbled across a good documentary on the science channel, "Prophets of Science Fiction", and that is the inspiration behind today's post tailored around my all time favorite science fiction book, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. I love the book, not only because of its brilliant story, but also because of its strong interconnection to the author's own personal life and experiences. So today in my blog I wish to share with you not the story of Frankenstein, but rather the Mary Shelley in Frankenstein.
But first, what qualifies a book as well written? In my opinion, a good book is one that engages me in to the story. A book that takes me on a journey and soon I forget that I’m reading or where I’m reading. A book in which the author manages to draw their readers into their stories and establish a form of connection and authenticity with their characters. A great example of such a book is Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. One of the most common misconception about Mary Shelley's Frankenstein however, is that people generally refer to "the monster" as Frankenstein, when in reality the monster was never given a name by Victor Frankenstein, monster's creator. This was primarily done so that Dr. Frankenstein would never be emotionally attached to the result and consequences of his curiosity of creation, the creature, but thats for a different post. Today I'm discussing Mary Shelley :)
In her novel, Shelley uses her life experience and knowledge to create Frankenstein’s personality and environment.
Though never formally educated, Mary Shelley was constantly surrounded by literature figures because of her father’s profession as a political philosopher. When Mary Shelley was very young, hiding behind a sofa, she heard Coleridge recite the famous "Rime of the Ancient Mariner" which would later be referenced many times in Frankenstein. This moment in time bares a significant resemblance to how the Creature, Frankenstien's monster, educated himself by hiding in the cottage shed while listening to the cottagers. Mary Shelley’s desire to acquire knowledge and the powerful passion for research and study is evident throughout the novel, and is established with the help of three narrators: Victor Frankenstein, Walden, and the monster. Frankenstein and Walden's quest for new knowledge of the unknown and the monster's search for knowledge of his origins parallel Mary Shelley's lifelong scholarly pursuit and her interest in her own biological origins.
Through Victor Frankenstein, the readers get a glimpse into Mary Shelley’s own personal views on knowledge "You seek for knowledge and wisdom as I once did; and I ardently hope the gratification of your wishes may not be a serpent to sting you, as mine has been"(Shelley, 15). Mary Shelley believed that not all knowledge was "good" knowledge and there were some areas that were beyond human understanding and should not be fiddled with. This is evident in Victor Frankenstein's desire to explore the mystery of creation.
There are many similarities between Shelley and Frankenstein’s monster. Besides the obvious parallel of being shunned by the society, the quest for knowledge to learn of ones’ origin is something the two share in common. As the monster discovered the horror of his own creation, similarly Mary, thru her father’s very public Memoirs, was subjected to the horrors of her own birth and was able to perceive the primal scene of her creation. In this instance as well, yet again we’re given proof of how the author has used her life experiences as a guide to write a great work of literature.
I believe successful authors can weave a beautiful web with their words and can express themselves with the power of words. In this sense the written word becomes a power medium of communication. Mary Shelley’s story tells a deeper story. One that is revealed through a deeper interpretation of a story that she has written. Oftentimes, when a reader is able to see past the web weaved by the author, a new story is revealed, one that may or may not be as glossy as the written word. In retrospect, I believe knowing that this novel was written based on true events and experience, added to the written story. New emotions were felt, a new connection was made with the leading character, and the readers are given a rare opportunity to glimpse into what made up the character of Mary Shelly. In fact this discovery only further proves the power of written words.
But first, what qualifies a book as well written? In my opinion, a good book is one that engages me in to the story. A book that takes me on a journey and soon I forget that I’m reading or where I’m reading. A book in which the author manages to draw their readers into their stories and establish a form of connection and authenticity with their characters. A great example of such a book is Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. One of the most common misconception about Mary Shelley's Frankenstein however, is that people generally refer to "the monster" as Frankenstein, when in reality the monster was never given a name by Victor Frankenstein, monster's creator. This was primarily done so that Dr. Frankenstein would never be emotionally attached to the result and consequences of his curiosity of creation, the creature, but thats for a different post. Today I'm discussing Mary Shelley :)
In her novel, Shelley uses her life experience and knowledge to create Frankenstein’s personality and environment.
Though never formally educated, Mary Shelley was constantly surrounded by literature figures because of her father’s profession as a political philosopher. When Mary Shelley was very young, hiding behind a sofa, she heard Coleridge recite the famous "Rime of the Ancient Mariner" which would later be referenced many times in Frankenstein. This moment in time bares a significant resemblance to how the Creature, Frankenstien's monster, educated himself by hiding in the cottage shed while listening to the cottagers. Mary Shelley’s desire to acquire knowledge and the powerful passion for research and study is evident throughout the novel, and is established with the help of three narrators: Victor Frankenstein, Walden, and the monster. Frankenstein and Walden's quest for new knowledge of the unknown and the monster's search for knowledge of his origins parallel Mary Shelley's lifelong scholarly pursuit and her interest in her own biological origins.
Through Victor Frankenstein, the readers get a glimpse into Mary Shelley’s own personal views on knowledge "You seek for knowledge and wisdom as I once did; and I ardently hope the gratification of your wishes may not be a serpent to sting you, as mine has been"(Shelley, 15). Mary Shelley believed that not all knowledge was "good" knowledge and there were some areas that were beyond human understanding and should not be fiddled with. This is evident in Victor Frankenstein's desire to explore the mystery of creation.
There are many similarities between Shelley and Frankenstein’s monster. Besides the obvious parallel of being shunned by the society, the quest for knowledge to learn of ones’ origin is something the two share in common. As the monster discovered the horror of his own creation, similarly Mary, thru her father’s very public Memoirs, was subjected to the horrors of her own birth and was able to perceive the primal scene of her creation. In this instance as well, yet again we’re given proof of how the author has used her life experiences as a guide to write a great work of literature.
I believe successful authors can weave a beautiful web with their words and can express themselves with the power of words. In this sense the written word becomes a power medium of communication. Mary Shelley’s story tells a deeper story. One that is revealed through a deeper interpretation of a story that she has written. Oftentimes, when a reader is able to see past the web weaved by the author, a new story is revealed, one that may or may not be as glossy as the written word. In retrospect, I believe knowing that this novel was written based on true events and experience, added to the written story. New emotions were felt, a new connection was made with the leading character, and the readers are given a rare opportunity to glimpse into what made up the character of Mary Shelly. In fact this discovery only further proves the power of written words.
If not already done so, I hope now you can revisit the book with a different perspective. I hope that you read the book first and not see the movie, but if you must see the movie first then I recommend the 1994 version directed by Kenneth Branagh, staring Robert De Niro as the Creature.
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