Frankenstein: Key Themes and Influences
Scientific Influences on Frankenstein
Humphry Davy, Erasmus Darwin, and Luigi Galvani, along with two of their disciples (Adam Walker and P.B. Shelley), were crucial to Mary Shelley’s understanding of science and the scientific enterprise. As seen in the novel, Victor Frankenstein is inspired by the use of electricity to give life to a person. He was influenced by older philosophers such as Agrippa and Magnus.
Narrative Structure of Frankenstein
Frankenstein is an epistolary narrative with three narrators:
- Captain Walton, the English Arctic explorer
- Victor Frankenstein, the German scientist
- The nameless “man” whom Frankenstein “creates” out of human body parts through electrical experimentation
The narrative is also considered a confessional reading, since it can be difficult to determine who is speaking, due to the similar style used by all narrators.
Key Themes in Frankenstein
Three main themes are developed in Frankenstein:
The Issue of Promise
Victor promises to look after the creature but abandons him. This highlights Victor’s irresponsibility, as he continues to break his promises.
Death
The story originates from death; the Creature is created using pieces of dead bodies. During that period, it was common to illegally trade dead bodies because autopsies were forbidden, and corpses were stolen for study.
Domesticity
Scholars suggest that Shelley’s own domestic life is portrayed in the book. Domesticity is destroyed throughout the novel, such as through the Monster’s abandonment and the death of Victor’s family. No family survives at the end of the book.
The Creature’s Perspective and Romanticism
To understand the Romantic view, it is necessary to consider the Creature’s perspective. The creature defines itself through education; it is educated using rational terms, and this defines the process of the Monster’s identity. The creature is a victim of education and society. It is trying to find a place in society and struggles with where it can fit in. The creature feels different from everyone physically but not emotionally. Its physical appearance leads to its rejection by society and by its own creator.
Marginalization in Frankenstein
Marginalization is a key characteristic of Frankenstein. When Shelley wrote about marginalization, she was also writing about herself. Several examples of marginalized characters exist:
- The De Lacey family: The creature identifies with them since they are also foreigners looking for their place.
- Safie: An Oriental woman in Europe, Safie is the daughter of a “Christian Arab” seized and enslaved by the Turks.
- The Creature: Its existence crosses many boundaries and calls them into question.
The issue of marginalization ultimately ties together the diverse group of characters Mary Shelley juxtaposes in the middle of her novel. More importantly, it provides the most profound basis on which Mary Shelley, as a woman in the 19th century, could identify with her “hideous progeny,” the Creature.