Mary Shelley
Story Elements
Historical Context
Vocab
100
Mary Shelley's mother, Mary Wollenstonecraft, was a very prolific essayist & social activist for this cause
What is a feminism
100
In the novel, this is the monster's name.
What is nothing. He is nameless, often referred to merely as "the creature".
100
While Mary Shelley was actually British, the tale was written in this country- where much of the action takes place.
What is Switzerland.
100
This term refers to the literary technique of embedding a story within another story. For instance, Frankenstein OR the Princess Bride.
What is a Frame story
200
Mary Shelley's husband, Percy Shelley, was, perhaps, more famous than she during their time as he wrote this type of literature.
What is Romantic poetry
200
In the novel, this is the name of the man who creates the monster.
What is Victor Frankenstein.
200
Frankenstein was created one stormy night while the Shelleys & their friends were on Holiday & decided to have a contest to see who could do this.
What is write the best ghost story.
200
This type of literature is marked by a new emphasis on emotion, wonder, and the glory & power of the natural world. They shyed away from rationalization & logic and focused instead on escape through imagination.
What is Romanticism
300
Percy Shelley was married to 2 women at the same time, making him, unfortunately, a _________.
What is a bigamist. (Also accepted: "skeazeball")
300
The protagonist, Victor, brings a corpse to life using this.
What is electricity.
300
Mary Shelley published the novel anonymously for the first 5 years it ran in print for this reason.
What is because she was a woman.
300
In addition to being Romantic, Frankenstein also falls into this category of literature which created an atmosphere of horror or suspense, have an overall gloomy or mysterious tone, and often include elements of the supernatural or dangerous. (Think Poe)
What is Gothic Literature
400
If we say that this novel falls under the tradition of British Romanticism (or Gothic Literature), we can correctly infer that it was written somewhere between these decades.
What is the 1800s-1840s (published in 1818)
400
This is how the story will end (spoiler alert) (but not really...).
What is unhappily
400
This is the age the preceded the Romantic period in which Shelley lived. It was marked by huge advances in science and a shift from blindly accepting religious explanations for natural phenomenal to a push toward inquiry, experimentation, and discovery.
What is the age of Enlightenment
400
Much of the novel's effect comes from Shelley's skill in using language maintain a terrifying and foreboding ________ throughout the novel.
What is tone
500
She died just 10 days after Mary Shelley's birth, leading some academics to speculate that themes of abandonment, indifference, and irresponsibility that exist between Victor & his creature in the novel Frankenstein stem from Shelley's own sense of abandonment growing up.
Who is Mary Shelley's mother
500
The novel is subtitled the modern ___________, referencing the Titan from Greek mythology who stole fire (symbolizing knowledge & progress) and gave it to man.
What is Prometheus
500
"Wanderer above the Sea Fog" is a famous Romantic painting most commonly found on the cover of this novel (found on yours) and was chosen because it seems to represent the feeling prevalent in the early 19th century that the future was entirely _______________.
What is unknown or unseen.
500
The monster, created by Frankenstein, goes on to murder many people. This makes Frankenstein simultaneously a creator and, as a direct result, a destroyer of human life. A perfect example of this term.
What is a paradox.