Frankenstein - Mary Shelley

Description

characters, themes and symbols in Frankenstein
Johnny Hammer
Mind Map by Johnny Hammer, updated more than 1 year ago
Johnny Hammer
Created by Johnny Hammer about 8 years ago
2012
14

Resource summary

Frankenstein - Mary Shelley
  1. Mary Shelley

    Attachments:

    1. Daughter of Mary Wollstonecraft

      Annotations:

      • Wrote A Vindication of the Rights of Woman (1792)
      1. Married to Percy Bysshe Shelley

        Attachments:

        1. Father was philosopher William Godwin
          1. Wrote Frankenstein in 1818, when she was only 18 years old!
            1. Originally published anonymously
            2. Close friend of Lord Byron

              Annotations:

              • (Romantic Poet - Don Juan)
            3. Themes
              1. Ambition/Hubris

                Annotations:

                • Walton's quest for discovery Frankenstein's desire to create life Danger of this - the Modern Prometheus...
                1. knowledge/ education

                  Annotations:

                  • * Victor's study at college and Independent research * The creature learns from observing the De Lacey family and reading * Safie learns language from the De Laceys * Walton's quest of discovery
                  1. Prejudice

                    Annotations:

                    • The only person who doesn't judge the creature negatively is the old man De Lacey who is blind so can't see him
                    1. Family

                      Annotations:

                      • Family relationships are very important: * Victor and Elizabeth * The impact of William's death on Victor * The effect of seeing the De Lacey family on the Creature * The Creature's lack of family and desire for a mate * The narrator, Walton, writes to his dear sister
                      1. Revenge

                        Annotations:

                        • The creature takes revenge on Frankenstein by killing Elizabeth on their wedding night
                        1. Nature Vs. Society

                          Annotations:

                          • Nature is sublime: beautiful and restores health, but also dangerous. Creature wants to be part of society but  it is corrupting and leads to loss of innocence.
                        2. Structure and Genre

                          Attachments:

                          1. Epistolary form (Walton's letters)

                            Attachments:

                            1. Romantic

                              Attachments:

                              1. Gothic

                                Attachments:

                                1. Developed while competing with Byron, Percy Shelley and John Polidori to make a scary horror story at Lake Geneva
                                  1. Narrative frame (Victor's story within Walton's, the creature's story within Victor's)
                                  2. Symbols
                                    1. Light

                                      Annotations:

                                      • * Symbolises enlightenment * Walton's quest to the Arctic: "a country of eternal light" * Victor refers to light when he discovers natural philosophy and when he feels his study is advancing ***Light can be blinding as well as illuminating***
                                      1. Fire

                                        Annotations:

                                        • The Creature discovers fire: it warms him, but also burns him. Fire as a source of punishment, e.g. the Creature's description of Hell (influence of Milton's Paradise Lost)
                                        1. Subtitle: The Modern Prometheus

                                          Annotations:

                                          • Prometheus: Greek God who stole fire from Mount Olympus and gave to humans
                                      2. Cultural Influence

                                        Attachments:

                                        1. 1931 Frankenstein, Boris Karloff as the creature
                                          1. 1974 Young Frankenstein, directed by Mel Brooks
                                            1. 1994: Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, directed by Kenneth Branagh
                                            2. Characters
                                              1. Victor Frankenstein

                                                Attachments:

                                                1. Elizabeth (adopted sister/fiance)
                                                  1. Clerval (best friend)
                                                    1. Justine, accused of William's murder
                                                      1. William (brother), killed by the creature
                                                        1. Walton (first narrator)
                                                          1. The Creature
                                                            1. The DeLacey Family
                                                              1. Safie
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