Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley (1797-1851) was the daughter of the political philosopher William Godwin, deeply concerned by political justice and her mother was the feminist activist Mary Wollstonecraft, an advocate of women’s rights who died soon after giving birth. As soon as 1814, Mary Shelley fell in love and started a romance with Percy Bysshe Shelley, one of her father’s political followers. They married in 1816, after the suicide of Percy Shelley’s first wife, Harriet, at age 21. The couple travelled through Europe and particularly spent one summer near Geneva in Switzerland with Lord Byron in 1816 where Mary found the inspiration for her story.
Mary Shelley wrote the Gothic horror story Frankenstein or The Modern Prometheus and published it anonymously (because she was a woman) in 1818. She may be considered the precursor of science fiction. She introduced a new genre with an anti-hero with no name. As a matter of fact Frankenstein was the name of its creator and not the name of the monster as it would be expected, a voluntary confusion from the author.
Within her novel the writer escapes from the romantic trend and questions the frontiers of mankind ahead of her time; she highlights dualities such as science and ethics, self-consciousness and will, creator and creature. The human qualities expected in Victor are found in the creature little by little and deserted from Victor in the meantime. The latter is described as the true monster, showing no responsibility towards his deeds and his creature, he is obsessed with life creation and he cuts himself off from his family. Whereas the creature becomes more and more self-conscious and feels very strong emotions arousing compassion from the reader.
Mary Shelley’s novel was successful at once and had a considerate influence on literature. The name of Mary Shelley as the author of the novel finally appeared in the second edition in 1821 in Paris. The novel has already inspired many adaptations in films or series and plays.
An activist : un militant
An advocate : un défenseur
A trend : une tendance
Mankind : l’humanité
The latter : ce dernier
The deeds : les actions
To arouse : susciter, éveiller
