Victor Frankenstein Influences

Throughout history authors have been affected by where, when and how they lived, and this was reflected in their writings. Mary Shelley was impacted by the people around her and the environment she was in when writing Frankenstein. Victor Frankenstein wants to be known by the world and decides to create a human but his creation is a monster and quickly things go wrong for Victor. He travels from his home in Geneva to Ingolstadt to try to fix his problems. The story of Victor Frankenstein and his creation was influenced by Mar Shelley’s peers and atmosphere we was currently residing in. There were many factors in play to cause Shelley to write the world’s first modern horror novel. The time at which Frankenstein was written influenced the creation

As Victor Frankenstein pieces together his creation he begins to question it. “How can I describe my emotions at this catastrophe, or how delineate the wretch whom with such infinite pains and care I had endeavoured from?” Victor does not know if what he created will be what he expects it to be; if it is right. This fits The Gothic because he is questioning the boundaries of what is good or bad. Frankenstein was written in the Romantic movement in the early 19th century and the novel reflects the idea that tragedy comes with ambitious aspirations and that comes from the romantic attitude of this time. “The forms of the beloved death fit before me, and I hasten to their arms. Farewell, Walton! Seek happiness in tranquility, and avoid ambition, even if it be only the apparently innocent one of distinguishing yourself in science and discoveries. Yet why do I say this? I have myself been blasted these hopes, yet another may succeed.” Before Victor dies he is telling this to Robert Walton; he is admitting to his ambition that lead to his downfall. Another

Mary Shelley was on a trip with other poets and they found themselves stuck inside on a dark rainy day. For fun they challenged one another to who could write the best scary story. “These tales excited us a playful desire of imitation. Two other friends and myself agreed to write each a story founded on some supernatural occurrence.” One of the most famous horror stories in history came from a fun game between friends to relieve boredom; that’s just funny to think about. In the novel the creature has to deal with the struggle of being without a mother figure, and a father also in the creature's case, which is something Mary Shelley dealt with in her life. “No father had watched my days, no mother had blessed me with smiles and caresses; or if they had, all my past life was now a blot, a blind vacancy in which I distinguished nothing.” After her birth Shelley’s mother died within short time. So maybe through the creature Shelley is able to cope and describe ways she felt without her mother. Another thing you can see reflected from Shelley's personal life into Frankenstein is a love story. IN the novel Victor Frankenstein falls in love with a girl and marries her. When questioned by his father Victor makes the statement, “No one on Earth. I love Elizabeth, and look forward to our union with delight.” When Shelley wrote this story she had also recently found her love, Percy