Scarica Frankenstein, Mary Shelley e più Appunti in PDF di Inglese solo su Docsity! Frankenstein, or The modern Prometheus. Plot and settings. The plot of the novel is very simple. It talks about the story of Victor Frankenstein, a Swiss scientist, who lost his mother when he was a child and from that moment, he became obsessed with trying to create life to avoid death. As a matter of fact, after some studies, he manages to create a human being by joining beautiful parts selected from different corpses. Despite careful preparation, as a matter of fact he spent two years studying, the result of the experiment is ugly and revolting. And that is because Dr Frankenstein went against the principles and laws of the nature established by God. However, at the beginning of the novel, this creature was good but due to social prejudice he was considered an evil creature because he was ugly; so, people avoid him because they were scared. As a consequence, the monster becomes a murderer and at the end he destroys his creator. However, the story is not told chronologically and is introduced to us through a series of letters written by Capitan Walton, a young explorer on a voyage of expedition to the North Pole, to his sister Margaret. The events of the story happen all over Europe, from Geneva to the Alps, to France, England and Scotland, as well as the university at Ingolstadt. However, the most important setting is the North Pole, where Walton and his shipmates are stuck by the ice and where Frankenstein is found following his creation. As a matter of fact, Capitan Walton meet Frankenstein who tells him the story about the creation of his creature. The influence of science. The influence of Percy Bysshe Shelley was really important. He and Mary were interested in science, and particularly in chemistry, so that by the time she wrote Frankenstein, she was aware of the latest scientific theories and experiments in the fields of chemistry, evolutionism and electricity. As a matter of fact, Dr. Frankenstein tries to create a human being through the use of electricity and chemistry without respecting the rules of nature as far as creation and life are concerned. He went against God’s laws and principles: the laws of nature; and this could be considered as Dr Frankenstein’s sin. Literary influences. The monster can be considered Rousseau’s natural man, a man in a primitive state, not influenced by civilisation. However, it could be also seen the influence of the philosopher Locke. In particular, his influence can be seen in the description of the monster’s self-awareness and his education by experience. The myth of Prometheus is also important. Prometheus was a giant who stole the fire from the gods in order to give it to men. In so doing, he challenged the divine authority and freed men from god’s power. As a matter of fact, we Know that also Dr Frankenstein challenged the divine power of God and the principle and laws of nature when he created the creature. Narrative structure. The novel is told by different narrators: Walton, who informs his sister Margaret of his voyage; the, Frankenstein informs Walton; finally, the monster. So, the novel is composed of three different points of view. And the form of the novel is epistolary. Themes. The main themes of the novel are: the quest for forbidden knowledge, which is present throughout; the overreacher, in the character of Walton and Dr Frankenstein; the double: Dr Frankenstein and the monster are two aspects of the same being; also, Walton could be considered the double of Dr Frankenstein because both of them are punished for their ambition. The three most important characters of the novel are all linked to the theme of the double. Walton is the double of Frankenstein since he manifests the same ambition, the wish to overcome human limits in his travelling towards the unknown. While Frankenstein and his creature are complementary because they both suffer from a sense of alienation and isolation; the penetration of nature’s secrets, which is related to the theme of the overreacher; the usurpation of the female role, since the creation of human beings becomes possible without the participation of women;
