Frankenstein (Leaving Cert English): Revision Notes
Context
Understanding the context behind Mary Shelley's Frankenstein is essential for appreciating the novel's themes and significance. The work emerged from a unique combination of historical, social, and literary influences that shaped both its creation and meaning.
Historical and social context
Science and religion
During the late 18th and early 19th centuries, significant scientific developments were challenging traditional religious beliefs. This period saw growing concerns about the relationship between scientific progress and spiritual faith.
In 1780, scientist Luigi Galvani conducted experiments using electrical currents to make dead frogs twitch, sparking public speculation about the possibility of bringing organisms back to life. Additionally, anatomical studies involving dissection were becoming increasingly common, raising questions about the boundaries of scientific inquiry.
The novel reflects contemporary anxieties about scientific advancement potentially distancing humanity from religious values. Many people during this era believed that the mysteries of life and death were controlled by divine forces rather than scientific principles.
This tension between scientific curiosity and religious conviction forms a central theme in Shelley's work, with Victor Frankenstein's obsession representing the era's fascination with scientific discovery while highlighting the dangers of unchecked ambition.
The novel portrays scientific pursuit as potentially threatening to the natural order. Victor Frankenstein's obsession with understanding life's secrets represents the era's fascination with scientific discovery, while also highlighting the dangers of unchecked ambition. Through religious imagery and references to divine power, Shelley explores how Victor's desire to create life mirrors god-like aspirations, ultimately leading to destructive consequences.
Society
The Industrial Revolution, spanning from 1760 to 1840, brought rapid changes to society through industrialisation and technological advancement. This period of transformation significantly influenced the social context in which Shelley wrote her novel.
The Industrial Revolution contributed to the emergence of Romantic thinking, which emphasised emotion and nature as responses to increasing mechanisation and urbanisation. Social disparities became more pronounced during this time, with economic hardship and high unemployment following the Napoleonic wars of 1815.
The French Revolution had created political upheaval, leading people to question traditional social structures and individual responsibilities within society. During the 19th century, women faced significant discrimination and lacked equal rights compared to men. Notably, Shelley's mother, Mary Wollstonecraft, was an advocate for women's rights, influencing the novel's treatment of gender issues.
Literary Example: Social Marginalization
The creature in Frankenstein symbolises marginalised individuals in society, describing himself as "the miserable and the abandoned... to be spurned at, and kicked, and trampled on." The portrayal of female characters like Justine, Elizabeth, and Catherine reflects the gender inequalities of the time, while the self-centered behaviour of male characters such as Victor and Walton critiques masculine dominance in society.
Literary context
The Romantic movement
The Romantic movement represented a significant intellectual shift during the 18th and 19th centuries, characterised by emphasis on individualism, nature, emotion, creativity, and artistic expression. This movement profoundly influenced Shelley's writing approach and thematic choices.
Romantics showed particular concern for social inequality and generally sympathised with marginalised groups in society. They viewed the Industrial Revolution's focus on commerce and urbanisation as potentially harmful to human values and natural beauty. Like other Romantic writers, Shelley highlighted nature as a source of reflexion and spiritual renewal.
The Romantic movement also emerged as a reaction against the Age of Enlightenment, which had prioritised reason, science, and structured thinking. Instead, Romantics valued emotion and creativity, reflected in their idealisation of love and feminine qualities.
Romantic philosophy, influenced by thinkers like Rousseau, suggested that people were inherently good and that evil resulted from inadequate nurturing and negative societal influences. Rousseau believed children possessed natural goodness and required proper guidance to develop moral character, arguing that without appropriate guidance, society would corrupt them.
Shelley incorporates multiple references to Romantic literature throughout her novel, particularly Paradise Lost. Both Frankenstein and his creature reference this celebrated Romantic poem, with the creature comparing himself to Satan and Victor suggesting he resembles "the archangel who aspired to omnipotence." The novel also contains allusions to The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, with Frankenstein reciting portions of this poem after creating his creature, suggesting themes of curse and divine punishment for defying natural order.
Nature themes
Romanticism significantly influenced Shelley's treatment of nature, science, and human relationships with the natural world. The novel presents the creature as finding greater happiness in natural environments away from human society.
Literary Example: Nature and Knowledge
Through the creature's words, Shelley expresses how "sorrow only increased with knowledge," suggesting that natural innocence surpasses learned experience. Henry Clerval represents the Romantic appreciation for nature, encouraging Victor to "love the aspect of nature." However, Victor's scientific pursuits are presented as violating natural boundaries, with his desire to "penetrate into the recesses of nature" using language that suggests inappropriate interference with natural processes.
Gothic genre
Frankenstein represents an early example of both science fiction and Gothic literature. Gothic writers, including Shelley, explored the consequences of transgressing social norms and challenging established boundaries.
The novel incorporates several characteristic Gothic elements, including:
- Innocent victims
- Anti-heroic protagonists
- Isolated settings
- Aristocratic characters shrouded in mystery
Justine's death symbolises the loss of innocence, while Victor's lack of heroic qualities reflects the Gothic anti-hero tradition.
The novel questions narrative reliability through Walton's account, which Victor has "corrected and augmented," raising doubts about the truthfulness of events described. Additionally, the story features various isolated settings that enhance the Gothic atmosphere of mystery and danger.
Key Points to Remember:
- Frankenstein emerged from the tension between scientific advancement and religious belief during the Industrial Revolution
- The Romantic movement's emphasis on emotion, nature, and individualism heavily influenced Shelley's writing style and themes
- Social inequalities, including gender discrimination and class divisions, are reflected through the novel's characters and plot
- Gothic elements like transgression, isolation, and anti-heroic characters create the novel's distinctive atmosphere
- Literary allusions to works like Paradise Lost connect the novel to broader Romantic literary traditions