Mary Shelley

and the gothic fiction

Alessandro Altini, Sabrina De Pra and Lucrezia Talpina - Cl. 4G

MARY SHELLeY

Some examples of this type of novel are: The castle of Otranto, The Mysteries of Udolpho, The monk and Frankenstein.

the gothic fiction

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The adjective ‘Gothic’ in literature was first used by the writer Horace Walpole.

In the second half of the 18th century.

The characters include supernatural beings, like monsters, vampires and witches.

CHARACTERS

The plots are complex and are often complicated by embedded narratives.

PLOTS

The settings included ancient settings, mysterious abbeys and convents.

SETTINGS

gothic characteristics

-In the summer of 1816 they rented a country house on the shores of Lake Geneva.

-Mary met the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley and the two started a relationship.

1816

1814

THE LIFE OF MARY SHELLEY

-Born in London. -Daughter of William Godwin and Mary Wollstonecraft.

1797

-Mary died in London the 1st February.

-The Shelleys had four children together one of them was their son Percy.

1851

1819

THE LIFE OF MARY SHELLEY

-Frankenstein was published anonymously.

1818

the plot of frankenstein

• Robert Walton goes on an expedition to the North Pole.

• He wishes that he had killed his creation.

• Frankestein dies on the ship.

• One day a man is taken aboard and tells Robert about his life.

-It doesn't follow the chronological order.

the analysis of frankenstein

-There are 3 narratives with 3 different point of view.

It's written as an epistolary novel in the form of embedded narratives and Margaret Saville is the receiver of those letter.

-Shelley dedicated Frakestein to his father. -Percy Shelley & Mary Shelley were fascinated by experiments with electricity. -The monster can be considered the Rousseau's "natural man".

the analysis of frankenstein

the themes of frankenstein

The creation of the monster

-It's set in a dark and dreary November night at 1 o'clock in the morning.-Dr. Frankenstein brings the monster to life with his electric appliances. -He feels disgust and fear when he sees the creature.

It's the fifth chapter of the novel written by mary shelley.

He has thin black lips but his teeth are white like pearls.

His hair is black and his eyes are yellow with gray orbs.

The monster has a yellow, wrinkled skin despite the films, where he has a green-tinted skin.

monster's characteristics

Dr. Frankenstein runs away.

Out of the window there is the monster, that is staring at him.

He makes a strange dream and after that he wakes up.

The scientist runs away and he goes to his bedroom.

the end of the chapter 5

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