The Year Without a Summer and the Birth of "Frankenstein"

• 1815 Eruption of Mount Tambora:

  • Caused global cooling, known as The Year Without a Summer.
  • Influenced Mary and Percy Shelley’s stay at Lord Byron’s house on Lake Geneva.

• Byron’s Ghost Story Challenge:

  • Prompted Mary Shelley to conceive the story of "Frankenstein."

Key Points about "Frankenstein"

• Misconceptions:

  • Popular idea of a green, groaning monster differs from the book.
  • "Frankenstein" refers to Dr. Victor Frankenstein, the creator, not the monster.

• Plot Summary:

  • Dr. Frankenstein’s attempt to create life using dead matter and electricity.
  • Horrified by his creation, he abandons it, leading to a chase between creator and creature.

• Subtitles and Mythical References:

  • Subtitled "The Modern Prometheus."
  • Reference to Greek myth of Prometheus, who gave fire to humanity and suffered eternal punishment.
  • Highlights the theme of knowledge and power.

Romantic Period Influence

• Romantic Movement:

  • Mary Shelley was part of the Romantic movement, valuing nature, emotion, and art.
  • Skeptical of modernity and science.

• Percy Shelley’s "Prometheus Unbound":

  • Reimagined Prometheus myth, emphasizing Romantic ideals.

Gothic Elements and Personal Trauma

• Gothic Genre:

  • Unease, eerie settings, grotesque elements prevalent in "Frankenstein."

• Personal Influences:

  • Mary Shelley’s troubled family history and personal tragedies.
  • Loss of her mother, Mary Wollstonecraft, and her own motherhood struggles.
  • Themes of creation and destruction linked to her personal life.

Themes and Literary Devices

• Birth and Creation:

  • Depicted as creative and destructive.
  • Monster as a mirror of natural life corrupted by Dr. Frankenstein.

• Fatal Flaw (Hamartia):

  • Dr. Frankenstein’s god complex and ethical transgressions.
  • Desire to break boundaries of life and death, creating "awe-inspiring" yet dangerous outcomes.

• Fire and Light Imagery:

  • Symbolizes Promethean fire and radical ideas exposing darkness.

Conclusion

• "Frankenstein" serves as a cautionary tale about unchecked scientific ambition and the ethical implications of playing with natural laws, foreshadowing concerns about artificial intelligence.