How Does Mary Shelley Use Biblical Allusions In Frankenstein

A religious view of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

The resurrection of the dead is an ever-present theme in literature and the myths and stories created by mankind throughout the centuries. Long before Christianity, in Mesopotamia around 2100 BC, and specifically in Babylon, the epic poem 'Epic of Gilgamesh' was written. The epic poem contained the story of a goddess Ishtar who was supposed to posses the power needed to raise an army of corpses. This is the first recorded reference to resurrection. In Christianity Jesus is the one that comes back from the dead, probably the most famous resurrected figure in existence. The Creature, in Mary Shelley's 'Frankenstein' is surely a close second. It is fairly obvious 'Frankenstein' was strongly influenced

a few more months should have added to my sagacity.” As Chris Baldick said “By far the most important literary source for Frankenstein, though, is Milton's 'Paradise Lost', as repeated allusions in the novel remind us..”6 Mary Shelley wove a story very close related to 'Paradise Lost', as she took it's themes and applied them on her novel. It's not only the biblical allusions and similarities found between the two, but also because the creature read the poem himself and identified and behaved like Adam at first and Lucifer later on, “Most frequently, to be sure, it is the monster himself, fresh from his study of Paradise Lost, who sees himself as a new Adam, rambling in the fields of Paradise but soon abandoned by his creator. In this analogy, of course, Frankenstein is equiva lent to God the Creator.”7 Shelley creates a religious picture in this passage of the novel, where the creature finally understands himself through the study of 'Paradise Lost'. Like Adam cast away from heaven he does not despair, but tries to overcome his personal deformities and win the acceptance of his neighbors “...should become acquainted with my admiration of their virtues, they would compassionate me and overlook my personal deformity.”8 A very Christian view of the world, yet another religious allusion, this time

Begone! I am firm, and your words will only exasperate my rage.” In this scene of the novel, we find Frankenstein finally completing the allusion of creation from the 'Bible', since he is working in order to create the creature's companion. The Eve to his Adam. But also this is were Shelley destroys that allusion by having Frankenstein destroy his second creation. In a novel that followed a more religious theme and path, we would expect him to finish his creation and in that way complete the allusion, or at the very least a God send hero would destroy her. I say a hero because Frankenstein's own reason in destroying his work was the responsibility he felt towards the rest of the world. A new creature, another monster, would be let loose in the world, with no assurances that it would remain hidden forever. Even if it did it might be the mother of a race that would annihilate mankind. “He had sworn to quit the neighborhood of man...the species of man condition precarious and full of terror.”9 Frankenstein takes it upon himself to be the hero and face the wrath of this creation. His self sacrifice is very different of what we would expect in Christian mythology, because it implies we are able to make mistakes and then become our