Mary Shelley

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Early Life of Mary Shelley

Mary Shelley was born Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin on August 30th, 1797.

Mary's mother

Mary's parents were both well-known radicals of the time.
Mary’s mother, Mary Wollstonecraft, was a writer and pioneer feminist. She wrote the proto-feminist tract ‘A Vindication of the Rights of Woman’ (1792), which drew attention to women’s second-class status in the society of the time.

Mary's father

Wollstonecraft died shortly after Mary was born, meaning the child was left in the care of her father, William Godwin.
He was an ex-minister of religion turned atheist.
He was also a philosopher, an anarchist (someone who wants there to be no authority), and a novelist.
Although Godwin appeared to be emotionally distant, Mary adored him.

Radical ideas

Godwin brought Mary up amidst his radical ideas.
Mary benefitted greatly from his library and his cultural and political connections.
- She met important figures such as Lord Byron and Percy Shelley.

Percy Shelley

At the age of sixteen, Mary met the young poet Percy Shelley and fell in love with him, despite the fact he was already married.
- Their relationship enraged their parents.
The couple ran away together and spent time in France, Switzerland and Germany.

Tragedy

Sad events happened in 1816:
- Mary’s half-sister killed herself.
- So did Percy’s wife Harriet, who was pregnant with his child. - Despite these circumstances, Mary and Percy were soon married.

Later Life of Mary Shelley

Mary’s maternal life and later life was filled with tragedy.

Maternal tragedy

In 1815, Mary and Percy’s first child was born prematurely and died.
In 1818, their one-year-old daughter Clara died of dysentery (infection of the intestines).
In 1819, their three-year-old son William died of malaria.

Further deaths and Mary's isolation

In 1822, Percy Shelley drowned off the shore of Tuscany.
When Lord Byron died in 1824, Mary was left alone and isolated.

Devotion

Mary devoted herself to bringing up her only surviving child, Percy Florence Shelley, to writing novels and journal articles, and editing the poetry of her husband.

Death

Mary Shelley died in London in February 1851 at the age of fifty-three.

The Writing of ‘Frankenstein’

‘Frankenstein’ was finished in May 1817 and published less than a year later, in January 1818. The novel was a great success.

Lake Geneva

In May 1816, Mary and Percy set out on another Continental trip, taking with them their son William and Mary’s step-sister Claire.
They joined Lord Byron in the Villa Diodati on the shore of the Lake Geneva, where Byron had set up home.

Ghost stories

During a period of heavy rain, the group was kept inside, and they entertained themselves by reading German ghost stories.
Lord Byron came up with the idea that all of them should write their own ghost story, and they all attempted the task.

‘Frankenstein’

Initially, Mary could not come up with an idea. But after days of thinking about it, inspiration eventually arrived in a dream, and this is what became the story of ‘Frankenstein’.

Mary and Percy

Mary and Percy’s relationship was not only romantic, but also literary:
- Percy edited the manuscript for ‘Frankenstein’, making insertions of his own.
- It is believed that he also wrote the preface for the novel under Mary’s name.

1Plot Summaries

1.1Volume I

1.1.1Letters I-IV

1.1.2Chapters 1-3

1.1.3Chapters 4-6

1.1.4Chapters 7-8

1.1.5End of Topic Test - Volume I

1.2Volume II

1.2.1Chapters 1-3

1.2.2Chapters 4-6

1.2.3Chapters 7-9

1.2.4End of Topic Test - Volume II

1.3Volume III

1.3.1Chapters 1-3

1.3.2Chapters 4-6

1.3.3Chapter 7 & Walton in Continuation

1.3.4End of Topic Test - Volume III

2Characters

2.1Victor Frankenstein

2.1.1Role

2.1.2Quotations

2.1.3End of Topic Test - Victor Frankenstein

2.2The Monster

2.2.1Role

2.2.2Quotations

2.2.3End of Topic Test - The Monster

2.2.4Grade 9 - The Monster Question & Extract

2.3Other Characters

2.3.1Robert Walton

2.3.2Elizabeth Lavenza

2.3.3Alphonse Frankenstein

2.3.4Henry Clerval

2.3.5Justine Moritz

2.3.6The De Laceys

2.3.7End of Topic Test - Walton, Elizabeth & Alphonse

2.3.8End of Topic Test - Henry, Justine & the De Laceys

3Key Themes

3.1Ambition & Pursuit of Knowledge

3.1.1Presentation

3.1.2Key Quotations

3.2Prejudice

3.2.1Presentation & Key Quotations

3.3Justice

3.3.1Presentation & Key Quotations

3.3.2End of Topic Test - Ambition, Prejudice & Justice

3.4Companionship & Family

3.4.1Presentation & Key Quotations

3.5Revenge

3.5.1Presentation & Key Quotations

3.6Monstrosity

3.6.1Presentation

3.6.2Key Quotations

3.7Gender

3.7.1Presentation

3.7.2Key Quotations

3.7.3Key Themes - Companionship, Revenge & More

4Authorial Method

4.1Genre & Intertextuality

4.1.1Genre

4.1.2Intertextuality

4.1.3End of Topic Test - Genre & Intertextuality

4.2Form & Structure

4.2.1Form

4.2.2Structure

4.3Settings & Symbolism

4.3.1Settings

4.3.2Symbolism

4.4Imagery & Doubling

4.4.1Imagery

4.4.2Doubling

4.4.3End of Topic Test - Structure, Settings & More

5Context

5.1Context

5.1.1Mary Shelley

5.1.2Time of Writing

5.1.3End of Topic Test - Context

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