Context In Frankenstein Essay Research Paper What

Context In Frankenstein Essay, Research Paper

What influences of context are there to be found in Mary Shelley´s ‘Frankenstein´.

How does an understanding of these context help to shape your response to the text.

Discuss with reference to the three key different aspects of context.

The context of a novel is the circumstances in which it was written. The three

most important areas of context in literary terms are cultural, biographical, and

political contexts. The context of a novel provides clarification of meaning aswell as

giving a deeper understanding of why a particular text was written in a particular way,

by a particular author at a particular time. These three areas are evident in

‘Frankenstein´, however it is important to note that different contexts have relative

importance, both in terms of the type of context and how much emphasis it is given in

relation to key themes as well as the importance of a context as perceived by

contemporary societies. Both the context in which ‘Frankenstein´ was written and the

novel itself help to formulate a fair and balanced response to the text. The biographical context of ‘Frankenstein´ is key in order to understand the

themes in the book. It is important to point out however, that in analysing the text one

must avoid analysing the creator as opposed to the created. In literary analysis, the

main aim is to understand the work better, not the person who wrote it. Mary Shelley

was the daughter of Mary Wollstonecraft, a prominant feminist, and William Godwin,

a radical philosopher and novelist. Both her parents were noted freethinkers, and

objected to institution. This is evident in the text, for example, when the magistrate

presumes Frankenstein guilty of Henry´s murder, questioning the justice system. Mary

W died soon after giving birth and so Mary S was educated in the intellectual circles of

her father´s contemporaries. The death of the key women in the plot (Elizabeth,

Caroline, Justine) aswell as the imbalance caused by having no feminine influence while

Frankenstein made the monster, could be a projection of the lack of a dominant

feminine in Shelley´s own upbringing, aswell as relaying some of her mother´s own

feminist views. These feminist undertones are apparent when Frankenstein destroys the

female monster, symbolising male domination, and also when the monster finds a

portrait of Caroline, “a most lovely woman”, highlighting his need for a maternal

influence.

Mary was not formally educated and was brought up by an unloving

stepmother, and was often alone and unhappy. The idyllic upbringing of Frankenstein

can be seen as a reaction to this, “my mother´s tender caresses and my father´s smile of

benevolent pleasure” and along with the monsters isolated upbringing shows Mary´s

own views about the importance of upbringing, and nurturing. Frankenstein deals with

the idea of loss, which can be related to Shelley´s own life. Aswell as being motherless,

Shelley lost three of her children, her sister to suicide, and her husband. Mary Shelley

fell in love with Percy at the age of seventeen. She lived in an irregular household of

men, intent on achieving glory through their genius (Percy, Byron). In writing

Frankenstein, Shelley was reacting to the selfish nature of such ideals. “The labours of

men of genius,..are erroneously directed”. This can also be related to the detrimental

effects of Frankenstein´s own unchecked intellectual ambition.

The biographical context helps to understand some of the themes in the book

but is relatively limited in that it only tells the reader about the individual and not

society as a whole. It does not show the political aspect nor the established order that

Shelley was reacting against. Nevertheless, biographical context is very useful in order

to understand Shelley´s own situation and further explain some of the themes in the

book.

The political or social context is key in order to understand themes, as well as

the perception of the themes by it´s contemporary society. Advances in science were

apparent at this time, with Darwin´s theory of evolution, and science had a great

impact on the work of Shelley. Indeed, Darwin was a close friend of Percy and

advances in medicine and the need for cadavers also figured at the time. At the time

grave robbing was a common occurence as the bodies were sold to hospitals so that

medical students could dissect and study them. This enforces the idea that science

fiction novels are merely “satirical versions of the here and now” as opposed to an

imagined world. Through Frankenstein, Shelley explores her own fears about the

dangers of science. Frankenstein is a victim of his own unchecked ambition, “the world

was to me a secret which I desired to divine”. He cannot deal, both emotionally and

physically, with th

Внимание, отключите Adblock

Вы посетили наш сайт со включенным блокировщиком рекламы!
Ссылка для скачивания станет доступной сразу после отключения Adblock!

Скачать