During the autumn and winter of 1816-1817, one of the most iconic Gothic novels of all time was being crafted here in Bath. Author Mary Shelley was living at 5 Abbey Churchyard as she wrote much of Frankenstein, the story of a gifted scientist and the monster he brings to life.
In Shelley's 1831 novel edition, the character of Victor Frankenstein was born in Naples, Italy and raised in Geneva with his German-Swiss family. He was the son of Alphonse Frankenstein and Caroline Beaufort, who died of scarlet fever when Victor was 17.
Why did Mary Shelley write Frankenstein in the first place?
Why did Mary Shelley write Frankenstein? Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein as part of a writing challenge between herself, her husband, her step-sister, Lord Byron, and John Polidori. She was also inspired by real experiments that she had seen and her own experiences of motherhood.
Determined to show she could write and look after her son, Mary Shelley returned to England in mid-1823 and lived in The Strand with her father and stepmother until in the summer of 1824 she moved to Kentish Town.
Early life. Mary Shelley was born Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin in Somers Town, London, in 1797. She was the second child of the feminist philosopher, educator, and writer Mary Wollstonecraft and the first child of the philosopher, novelist, and journalist William Godwin.
At the age of seventeen, Victor Frankenstein suffered a terrible loss - his mother passed away. Another significant event from that period of his life refers to his education. His parents believed he should be attending a university in Ingolstadt, which he ultimately did.
After some damning evidence was uncovered, it was found that Shelley had actually tried many of the experiments on her pet dog, Richard. In one particular article in the 'Journal of Transplantation' (1821) Shelley explained how she had used general anesthetic on her pet pooch to knock him out.
In the novel he is never given a specific name, that's why he is just called “the creature”, “the monster”, “Frankenstein's creature” or “Frankenstein's monster”, some argue that he dubbed himself “Adam” and recognized himself as Victor's son making him Adam Frankenstein, but even that is spurious, he does not get the ...
They arrived on May 14, 1816. (“Mary Shelley”) Byron arrived in Switzerland on May 25 where he happened upon the infamous Percy Shelley. Shelley and Byron became extremely fast friends and bought two houses on Lake Geneva in order to orchestrate their establishment as close neighbors.
Mary Shelley and her husband Percy Bysshe Shelley had lived in Italy from 1818 to 1822. Although Percy Shelley and two of their four children died there, Italy became for Mary Shelley "a country which memory painted as paradise", as she put it.
Why did Mary Shelley set Frankenstein in Switzerland?
Mary made Victor Frankenstein Genovese, and his birthplace becomes a significant foundation for his later scientific progress. Indeed, Shelley was a fan of Geneva, particularly the lake, and she often draws out the serene, calm imagery of the city in contrast to the monster's violence and abnormality.
Percy was born in Warnham, Sussex and his father Sir Timothy Shelley was MP for Horsham from 1790-92. Mary herself briefly lived at Field Place, Warnham as well as Castle Goring near Worthing.
In the case of Mary Shelley, her fears of pregnancy and childbirth were based not only on her tragic experience of a very dangerous miscarriage and having a baby that was born prematurely and died soon after that, but also because of the history of her mother that died in labor.
All told, Mary had five children with only one surviving—Percy Florence, named after her beloved and the city he was born. Despite his love for Percy Florence, Percy Shelley experienced chronic nervousness and panic attacks due to all the death in his life.
Mary Shelley wrote one of the first post-apocalyptic novels. One interesting fact about Mary Shelley that few people know is that she not only broke ground by inventing science fiction; she also wrote one of the first post-apocalyptic, dystopian novels.
Victor Frankenstein travels to the Arctic icy waters in an attempt to escape from the monster he created. The weather conditions become dangerous when the ship goes North. Victor falls sick with pneumonia, and his health worsens. Soon after the boat reaches the land, he dies.
At the end of Frankenstein, Victor Frankenstein dies wishing that he could destroy the Monster he created. The Monster visits Frankenstein's body. He tells Walton that he regrets the murders he has committed and that he intends to commit suicide.
Justine's death illustrates the true nature of Victor Frankenstein's enemy, the monster he created. The monster frames Justine for the murder of Victor's youngest brother, William, a murder the monster himself committed, and Justine is swiftly executed.
Mary Shelley's first letter composed during her residence in Bath from 1816-17 was written to her lover Percy Bysshe Shelley. Her name then was Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin, indicating her connection to two of the most famous authors of the late eighteenth century, her parents Mary Wollstonecraft and William Godwin.
What was the age difference between Mary Shelley and her husband?
In 1912 at age 14, Mary met poet and future-husband Percy Bysshe Shelley, 5 years older and an admirer of her father's writing. Two years later, they began a courtship not approved of by Mary's father, and would meet at her mother's grave in the St. Pancras churchyard until they eloped in July 1814.
Mary Shelley was 19 years old when she married Percy Bysshe Shelley, a poet. They had 'eloped' to Italy when Mary was just 16, but as he was still married, they could not be married at that time. Percy's wife Harriet drowned in December 1816, leaving Percy free to marry Mary.
