From: frantz@bvc.edu
Newsgroups: alt.horror
Subject: Re: Question: Frankenstein, the true story?
Date: 18 Aug 92 08:39:52 CDT
Organization: Buena Vista College, Storm Lake, IA

In article <iroderic.714087144@cunews>, iroderic@alfred.carleton.ca (Ian Roderick) writes:
> In <1992Aug17.142337.1819@bvc.edu> frantz@bvc.edu writes:
> 
>>In article <kuehnel.713696426@Physik.TU-Muenchen.DE>, kuehnel@Physik.TU-Muenchen.DE (Hans Kuehnel) writes:
>>> Hello everybody, 
>>> 
>>> please excuse my ingnorance, but: What is the name of the novel/tale
>>> behind the Frankenstein movies? And is there a true story behind this
>>> novel? Where did the real Frankenstein live, where did he die?
>>> Was he german? What was his profession?
>>> Any help is appreciated (mail it to kuehnel@physik.tu-muenchen.de) 
>>> I'll summarize answers to the list 
>>>  
>>> Regards, 
>>>  
>>> --Hans (K"uhnel, +49-89-3209-3766) 
> 
> 
>>The original Frankenstein (yes, that was the name of the novel) was written 
>>by Mary Shelley.  She established herself as one of the first significant 
>>female gothic writers of the 19th century with it.  The fiction behind the 
>>fiction, as it were, is stuff of fable.  There was no Dr. Frankenstein (as 
>>far as anyone knows, of course), but many people who have studied feminist 
>>literature have several theories about the origin of the story.  Mary 
>>Shelley's brother was Percy Shelley--a somewhat famous poet of the time.  
>>His best friend (and later, Mary's husband--I think) was Lord Byron, also 
>>another famous and popular poet of the time.  Mary's mother was Mary 
>>Wollstonecraft, also a famous feminist and writer far ahead of her time.  
>>Anyway, with a family of famous and artistic geniouses around her, Mary 
>>felt somewhat overshadowed and did not ever attempt to write anything of 
>>significance before this story.
> 
>>During a particualrly bleak, stormy week when they couldn't venture out of 
>>doors, Percy, Byron and Mary began to tell eachother ghost stories.  On 
>>night Mary had "a dream" which led her to write Frankenstein.  Some 
>>feminist theories suggest that the story is about the havoc one wreaks when 
>>one messes with nature.  Dr. Frankenstein attempts to thwart nature by 
>>being the first man to "give birth."  What he creates is not physically 
>>glorious as he imagined it would be and he therefore shuns it.  This is 
>>actually quite different from the Hollywood films which came after.  Mary 
>>Shelley had herself lost an infant child and experienced a great deal of 
>>physical and emotional strain during that time.  Many theorists believe 
>>that Frankenstein is Shelley's need to examine the trauma of birth and 
>>creation, but could only do it through a man's voice because it was the 
>>only voice that a larger audience would listen to during the 19th century.
> 
>>Andrea @ BVC
> 
> 
> Close, but I believe you've made a couple of errors.
> 
> Re: Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus
> 
> The proto-feminist you speak of is not Mary's mother but Mary herself.
> She (1797-1851) is known as Mary Shelley, Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley
> and Mary Wollstonecraft depending upon who you talk to.  I don't know
> anything about her mother, I must admit.  Percy Bysshe Shelley
> (1792-1822) was her husband and not her brother.  It is still not
> completely certain as to which, if not both, of the Shelley's Lord
> Byron was having an affair with.  
> 
>                                                   Ian

You may well be right about Percy Shelley being her husband but I am 
positive about Mary Wollstonecraft being Mary Shelley's mother.  I could 
look it up if you want proof (which I may do for my own peace of mind 
anyway), but I recall that tidbit of trivia being hashed over a number of 
times in a feminist lit class I took in grad school.  Perhaps my professor 
was wrong, but I doubt it.

Andrea @ BVC

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