preview

Mary Shelley's Frankenstein Essay

Decent Essays
Open Document

Mary Shelley wrote the book Frankenstein sometime in the 1810s. She was born in London in 1797 (Biography). Her mother was an author of prime literary stock who was trying to encourage women to pursue their ideas and strive to earn the status as equals. The Scientific and Industrial Revolutions that were taking place around Mary Shelley certainly influenced her while she was writing the book. The creation of machines and experiments at the time made people wonder what the limit of human technology was. During the Industrial Revolution machines and technology were being introduced to people that made them worry about the lessening of the impact that humans are making (Industrial). There were protestors at the time that thought these …show more content…

She was trying to instill the message that humanity cannot be replaced. In 1811 there was a revolt by the workers who did not like the way machinery was being implemented into their work (Industrial). They felt that due to the machines they could not use their skills and that the jobs became degrading. These people thought that they had proven their worth already and did not need these machines to assist them in their jobs, especially since they were now being paid less. A group of these revolts, the Luddite revolts of 1811-1813, took place only a few short years before Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein. Her husband Percy, was an anti-establishment activist. Neither of them liked the way all jobs were being turned into factory jobs. In the book Victor makes a female companion for the monster but destroys it before it becomes alive. He does this so the monster does not become too human (Burkett). Marriage was created as a human sacrament. One that should not be offered to something that God did not make. This would give the monster too much free will. He chose to have a mate and if it was given to him there would be no difference between him and humans. He had already achieved the intellect by reading books but he could not be given the opportunity to fully experience human emotions. The thought of the horrible things the monster could achieve together scared Victor enough for him to destroy

Get Access