Mary Shelley's Frankenstein Is Published
"Frankenstein; or the Modern Prometheus," written by Mary Shelley and published in 1818, is a seminal work of Gothic literature that explores complex themes such as ambition, parental rejection, and the consequences of scientific overreach. The novel tells the story of Victor Frankenstein, a scientist who becomes obsessed with the idea of restoring life to the dead, ultimately creating a sentient creature that he abandons. This narrative emerged from a challenge during a summer in Switzerland, where Shelley, alongside poets Lord Byron and Percy Bysshe Shelley, sought to craft a ghost story.
Mary Shelley's background, heavily influenced by her parents—feminist Mary Wollstonecraft and philosopher William Godwin—shapes the novel's exploration of isolation and the trauma of loss. Unlike the typical domestic tales of the time, "Frankenstein" presents a darker vision where familial bonds are severed and societal norms are upended. Since its release, the book has faced initial skepticism regarding its authorship and has since inspired countless adaptations in film and television, solidifying its place in Western culture. The moral and philosophical questions raised in the narrative continue to resonate, making it a relevant work for discussions on ethics in science and human rights.
Mary Shelley's Frankenstein Is Published
Mary Shelley's Frankenstein Is Published
The book Frankenstein; or the Modern Prometheus, the “hideous progeny” of 19-year-old Mary Shelley, was published on this day in 1818. It was the product of an alleged bet between Mary and the English poets Lord Byron and Percy Bysshe Shelley, her husband. Not only did Mary win the bet—to write a ghost story—made during one particularly rainy summer in Switzerland in 1816, but the story she produced has become a classic of Gothic literature and one of the most famous works in the English language. By the end of the 20th century, her story about a brilliant but overly ambitious scientist named Victor Frankenstein, who steals thunder from the gods by restoring life to a dead human being, had inspired numerous film and television adaptations and become ingrained in Western culture. Victor's Promethean endeavor in “giving birth” to his malformed creature has served as a cautionary tale for scientists for nearly two centuries.
The daughter of feminist Mary Wollstonecraft and the philosopher William Godwin, Mary Shelley received a unique education. Her mother died while giving birth to her in 1797, so Mary was raised by her father in a house frequented by some of the most radical philosophical minds in Europe. She listened to their conversations while reading their works and those of her mother, who had vigorously promoted the education of young girls. Mary eloped with Percy Shelley in 1814 while he was still married to his wife Harriet, prompting Godwin to cut off all communication with Mary for two years. In 1816 Harriet drowned herself and her unborn child (her third with Percy); Mary and Percy Shelley married, and Mary and her father began speaking again. During her elopement with Shelley, Mary had given birth prematurely to a girl, Clara, who had died shortly thereafter, and then to a healthy boy, William. Mary's personal history is reflected in Frankenstein, with its themes of parental rejection, the trauma of childbirth, and the tragedy of untimely death.
When the novel (Mary's first) was published, it was greeted with a fair amount of shock, and many did not believe that it could have been written by a young woman. Women who did write during the 19th century typically produced bucolic domestic tales of virtuous heroines whose primary goal was to preserve or establish a happy marriage and family life. Frankenstein, by contrast, is a domestic nightmare, in which men isolate themselves from their families, parents reject children, an innocent creature is deemed “monstrous” by his father and by society, and one man's attempt to play God causes the deaths of everyone he loves. The book's vivid imagery and the manner in which it addresses complex moral and philosophical issues about science and human rights have resonated with readers for nearly two centuries, making it a favorite work of students and film adaptors worldwide.