Frankenstien

 The first half of Frankenstein starts with a young boy interested in Natural Philosophy. Victor was in love with the readings of Philosophy until he reached university. where his love and desire for more knowledge spiraled out of control upon learning about the beauties of Science from a beloved professor. Getting so lost in his work that he forgets to contact family and becomes fascinated by life and death.

Then a question comes across Victor Frankenstein's mind, "Can I create life?" 

This sent him into a dangerous spiral of experiments he conducted in his apartment. Only going out to rob the graves of those passed for his "most perfect creation." It took him months but he finally managed to create life. Once the animated creature opened its eyes, Victor ran and fainted at the sight of its eyes. While the creature was beautiful its yellow eyes were natural, signaling failure for Victor. 

The monster ran out into the night while Victor was fainted, which started the monster's journey. while Victor lay sick in bed, the monster roamed, coming across a family in which he was able to learn English and how to read and write. He would come out at night to feast and complete chores for the family. The monster began to feel like he was at home. However good things never last as one day he encounters the blind old man in the family and proceeds to tell him his fake life story, hoping that the man will let him stay.

When the man and woman came home they chased him out ruining the perfect family he had. It was at that moment he knew he must get revenge. He searched out Victor's family and killed them one by one. 

This story is quite interesting in the way it's told. Instead of being a first-person narrative, it's a series of two stories, inside of a letter to the Captain of the ship's sister. The story is first told from the ship captain's perspective, how he viewed Victor and then the monster as he came to tell his life story.

I think the reason that Mary Shelly wrote this book, looking at the historical context, is because of the extreme medical advancements that were being made at the time. Mary Shelley herself got the idea from a nightmarish dream she had about a doctor doing immoral things and creating new life. Around her time there were so many technological advances with medication including grave robbing and questionable medical practices. It only made sense that Mary Shelley express her fears in the only way she knew how. Writing, especially after a prestigious long line of writers in her family. It is quite odd however that she mixes romanticism with fear and monstrosity. 

I did a little research and found that Mary Shelly primarily wrote romance before Frankenstein. That being said, the undertones of romance were only natural, but this makes for a more tragic story as we find out the love that Victor has for Evangeline.  

Mary Shelley truly crafted a new genre of science fiction horror based on the fear of the scientifically unknown. The fear of immoral scientists.