Wikibooks: 19th Century Literature/Frankenstein

• Format: Book
• Language: English
• Subjects: Arctic
• Online Access: https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/19th_Century_Literature/Frankenstein

Mary Shelley s Frankenstein was first published in 1818 then later revised into the form we know it as today. One of the most notable differences was the change in Elizabeth s personal history from Victor s cousin to adopted orphan. For more information on Mary Shelley a plot summary of Frankenstein and its representation in the media check out their Wikipedia pages. = Narrative Structure = The novel is structured as a frame narrative opening and concluding with a letter written by Captain Walton an arctic explorer who comes across Victor on the ice. He claims to be transcribing Victor s story as it is told to him thus switching to Victor s perspective. Half way through Victor s narrative he describes a meeting with his creation in which the creature tells his own life history to Victor. As Victor recounts this apparently word for word we change perspectives again creating a third layer within the narrative. In this first sentence of letter one the information is that is read about is that the journey or quest that the speaker was on was successful so far. He is writing to someone who did not have a good insight on how this would end up. He is telling them you will rejoice be happy because he has accomplished what they thought would be evil. = Characters = = Victor Frankenstein = Despite what Hollywood might have you believe Victor is not a wholly evil character. The novel follows him from childhood and shows how his keen interest in science developed from studying ancient texts in particular concerning alchemy. Science was his passion he even delayed marrying Elizabeth and left his home to attend university and become a doctor. It is during his anatomy classes that he hits upon an idea that could bring life to dead flesh just as an alchemist might create gold out of lead. Despite building his creature out of the parts of executed criminals Victor is so enamored with his own brilliance that he expects it to be beautiful and envisions himself to be the god of a new race of people free from the hardships of ...