It’s alive! It’s alive! The infamous monster, Frankenstein, is one of horror and history. Frankenstein is one of the most well known monsters, but what inspired Mary Shelley to write such a novel and why is the story still alive today? In 1818 Mary Shelley published her novel, Frankenstein, which is now considered the first science fiction novels ever written. To make things even more impressive, she was only 19 years-old! The tale of Frankenstein begins with the protagonist, Victor Frankenstein, and his journey to creating his monster from an amalgamation of dead bodies.
According to an employee at the Morgan Library and Museum, Elizabeth Denlinger, the morbid and gothic tale piqued the interest of readers and boosted its popularity. Another interesting key to the novel is the relationship between Victor and his creation. The monster has a way of gaining sympathy from the reader and the same can be said for Victor.
The story itself is very well-known, however, what really made the story of Frankenstein iconic was the film adaptations of Frankenstein. Produced by Thomas Edison, the first film to focus on Frankenstein debuted in 1910, this followed by the more well known Frankenstein films made in 1935. There are many films that follow these productions including: The Bride of Frankenstein (1935), Son of Frankenstein (1939), and even crossovers such as Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man made in 1943.
The story of Frankenstein is still being talked about and analyzed 200 years later. Mary Shelley created a story that focuses on death but also makes us question and think to this day, which is a big reason it has persisted. Death is something almost everyone has experienced and thus so many people can relate to the thought and want for something to be brought back to life.
The story of Frankenstein has gone through much history, but Mary Shelley herself has some interesting history. According to History.com, one dark and stormy night Mary Shelley, her husband, Percy Bysshe Shelley, their friend Lord Byron and Lord Byron’s physician, John Polidori, were all traveling when they all got caught inside due to the weather. To entertain one another they stayed inside and told ghost stories to each other. This inspired the group to write their own stories. Percy Shelley and Lord Byron would not finish their stories, however Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein and Polidori wrote the also significant novel, The Vampyre.
There have been many adaptations of Frankenstein over the years, including modern day adaptations. Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (1994) features Kenneth Branagh, Robert DeNiro, Helena Bonham-Carter, and Ian Holm. The next adaptations are Frankenstein (2007), Frank3nst31n (2015), and most recently Victor Frankenstein (2015). The most recent adaptation features Daniel Radcliffe and James McAvoy and focuses on Frankenstein’s assistant, who was not in Mary Shelley’s original story.
Mary Shelley went through much hardship in her life with the death of her mother just days after Shelley was born, the death of her own daughter just days after she was born, and her own death not being pleasant. According to biography.com, it is unclear what she died from, all that was known was that she was very ill and it is suspected to be a brain tumor that Shelley suffered. No matter how she died, Mary Shelley left a legacy that is more than a monster story, it explores philosophical themes that have been thought upon for generations and likely generations to come.
