Frankenstein context

Blackwood (1818) first of its time

The author’s original genius

Reception

Blasphemous, criticism of refusal to moralise Frankenstein’s act

The Quarterly Review 1818

It indicates no lesson of conduct, manners or morality

William Godwin - philosopher

Enquiry Concerning Political Justice, 1793

Enquiry Concerning Political Justice, 1793

condemned human institutions as corrupt, championed reason

Mary Wollstonecraft (Feminist)

A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, 1792

Mary Wollstonecraft (familial)

died ten days after Mary born

1814/15

Eloped in summer, travelled Europe, alienated from father and generally socially isolated, prematurely gave birth to son who died

1816

William, Villa Diodati, Lake Geneva - Lord Byron, John Polidori, half-sister Fanny Imlay and Harriet Shelley commit suicide

The Mortal Immortal

1834, alchemists apprentice, examines meaning/ consequence of immortality, eternally cursed

The Mourner

Monstrosity, the double, family relationships (1830)

Late 18thc + 19thc - development of industrial Britain - science, technology

Time of social/ political upheaval, traditional ways of living/ beliefs endangered/ undermined

Luddite disturbances

1811-17, factories and mills attacked, machines destroyed

French Revolution 1789 (philosophy)

Economic crisis - taxation of poor, Enlightenment ideals - challenged divine right of kings

French Revolution 1789

Louis XIV, Marie Antoinette executed (1793) - king traditionally considered representative of divine on earth/ appointed by God - defiance of God’s laws

FRev - Godwin/ Wordsworth

Sign of new era, removed corrupt instituions

Anne Mellor - monster as an allegory for FRev

A ‘gigantic body politic’ ‘originated in a desire to benefit all of mankind’

British uprising designed to overthrow government

Pentridge uprising 1917, confirmed possibility of working class revolt, leaders executed, Percy responded with political pamphlet deploring the state of country torn between anarchy/ oppression

MS radical sympathies

Portrayal of monster reveals awareness of social injustice, fear of revolutionary violence

18thc science

Traditional metaphysical and theological explanations for meaning of life displaced by secular and materialist explorations of origins in nature

1771

Joseph Priestley - respiration, reliance on vegetative world, challenges beliefs of humanity’s unique position in the world

1814 life principle

Royal College of Surgeons, Joseph Abernethy (president) - retain metaphysical/ religious elements vs William Lawrence (second professor) - strictly material

Humphry Davy

A Discourse, Introductory to a Course of Lectures of Chemistry (1802) - suggested chemistry might provide secret of life (MS read - information about chem)

Humphry Davy vs Erasmus Darwin

Distinguishes master scientist (interferes/ controls nature), scholar (seeks to understand) vs opposed to creating/ changing life - evolutionist not creationist

Luigi Galvani (Galvinism)

Commentary of the Effects of Electricity on Muscular Motion (1791) - animal tissue contains vital life force

Giovani Adini

‘Galvinism’ on corpse of murderer Thomas Forster (hanged at Newgate) - wires attached to stimulate galvanic activity, corpse moved giving appearance of reanimation

David Hartley

Early sensory experience - key to human identity

John Locke

Person born black slate (tabular rasa) - nobody is naturally good/ evil, born with rights to liberty and property

Jean Jaques Rousseau

‘Natural’ man corrupted by society, governments should rule with peoples’ consent, ‘the noble savage’ - a discourse on inequality 1755

The Enlightenment (late 17thc to early 19thc)

reason, science, individual rights, skepticism of authority, challenged traditional institutions (monarchy, church), promoted democracy, secularism, freedom, logic