Frankenstein Flashcards
(12 cards)
What is the epigraph for Frankenstein?
Extract from John Milton’s ‘Paradise Lost’ - “Did I request thee, Maker, from my clay to mould Me man? Did I solicit thee from darkness to promote me?” Adam’s words to God mirror the Creature’s questions to Victor
Who is Frankenstein dedicated to?
William Godwin, author of ‘Political Justice’, (Mary Shelley’s father)
What year was Frankenstein published? What year was the revised version?
1818 and 1831
When is Frankenstein set?
Late 1700s (about 1790s) as told by Walton in his letters
Which new science was feared during Shelley’s time of writing?
Galvanism - Luigi Galvani shocked electricity into frogs legs and his nephew Giovanni Aldini shocked electricity in corpses
When/Where did Shelley get the idea for Frankenstein?
Shelley and her husband were in the Swiss Alps, stuck inside during a storm with Lord Byron. Byron proposed a scary story competition to pass the time and Shelley wrote Chapter 5 of Frankenstein.
Define John Locke’s idea of the Tableu Rasseau
Humans are born as a blank slate
Define Russo’s idea of the Noble Savage
Man is born free, but in life he is in chains.
What fears of new science can be recognised by modern readers?
- rise of AI
- antivaxxers
What historical period recently ended before Shelley published Frankenstein?
The Enlightenment Era
Summarise the Gothic idea of the doppelgänger
- a figure that often mirrors or opposes the protagonist
- explores themes of the uncanny, duality, separation of self, a loss of identity or control
- idea of the uncanny: doppelgängers are often unsettling due to their appearance and behaviour
- may reflect the anxieties or insecurities of the protagonist
- may serve as a vehicle for social commentary (for Shelley the Creature may reflect fears of new science and the risks of ‘playing God’)
Summarise the myth of Prometheus
In Greek mythology, Prometheus defied the gods by giving fire to humanity. He also created humans from clay. His actions earned him eternal punishment, creating him as a symbol of the consequences of overreaching and challenging divine authority.
