Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1899-09-07
AN UNCANNY STORY.
ORIGIN OF THE "SoULLESS MONSTER
OF FRANKENSTEIN."

The Interesting History OF an Old
Time Novel That ls Often Alluded
to In Literature and at Times Quot
ed Incorrectly.
Everybody, or nearly everybody, has
heard of the novel of "Frankenstein," I"
though 1t is not probable that many
persons read it nowadays. There are
SO many illusions to it in our Htera-
ture, however, that one absorbs some
sort of a notion of it so that he can
not help knowing that it is a weird and
ghastly story about a monster, but
| whether or not Frankenstein is the
monster even well informed people do
not always know, showing that they
never read the story.
Sometimes we hear illusions to
"Frankenstein's monster" as in one Of
Charles Summers orations, where he
/ speaks Of the "soulless monster Of
Frankenstein, the wretched creation
of mortal science without Cod" and
sometimes the reference is to Frank
enstein only, as If he were the mon
ster. OF course Sumner, who was
very particular in his use of figures Of
speech, was right. When Mrs. Deland,
in her fine novel of Sidney" makes
Major Lee say that christianity is a
Frankenstein,' she suffers the major
to talk nonsense.
The story of this weird novel and the
circumstances under which it came to
be written are decidedly interesting
and may be told in few words. The
facts are as follows:
In 1916 Mary Goodwin, afterward
Mrs. Shelley, eloped with Shelley. and
they took ZIP their residence near Ge-
neva, in Switzerland. They had Lord
Byron for a neighbOr, and the three
passed much time together. Their con-
versation frequently ran ON the occult
and the mysterious, and Byron one day
proposed that each should write a
ghost story All agreed and went TO
work. but it was not long before the
two poets gave it up as hopeless
task. They could write poetry, but
they could not write stories.
Mary persevered and completed her
tale in the spring of 1877. When by
ron and Shelley heard it read they
were surprised and delighted. II was
bound to be the novel of the century!
The name of it was 'F'rankeustein; or,
The Modern Prometheus." 1t was i'm
mediately sent to London for publica
ton and met with great success.
Frankenstein is a Swiss youth, a
student at the University of Ingol-
stadt, deeply interested in the study of
chemistry and natural philosophy. He
resolves to penetrate the mysteries of
life and death and wrest from nature
the secret of creation. After prolong
ed study he succeeds and discovers
how to impart movement and anima
tion to lifeless matter.
He then resolves to mold colossal
man. making him beautiful In form
and feature and Undue him with life
He carries Oh his work In studio far
from the habitatiOns of man, labOrs
long and secretly. and at last the work
Is completed. There in the great room
lies the form and semblance Of q hu-
man being, perfect in all his proper
tions. F'rankenstein relates the story:
''It was Oh dready night in Novem-
ber that l beheld the accomplishment
of my tolls. With an anxiety that al
most amounted to agony / collected
the instruments of life around me that
l might infuse spark Of being into
the lifeless thing that lay at my feet.
1T was already ! o'clock in the
morning. The rain pattered dismally
against the window panes, and my
candle was nearly burned out, when,
by the glimmer of the half extinguish-
ed ligB, / saw the duh yellow eye of
the creature open. 1t breathed hard.
and a convulsive motion agitated its
limbs"
Slowly the immense creature arose,
work, fed away. Then he returns to
find his creation possessed Of life and
every attribute Of humanity except a
soul. Nowhere can it find human SYM
pathy. 1t is out of harmony with all
things about it, and after searching
the world in pursuit of happiness it
returns again to Frankenstein and de-
mands that he make a companion with
whom it can live in sympathy and
love.
E'rankenstein declines, and thence
forth the monster pursues him with
hatred and revenge. 1t Stays his broth
erS and sister, his friend and his bride.
1t follows him to Russia, to Siberia
and into the: Arctic ocean, and there
creature and artist perish together 1t
is most uncanny story to read o.
nights.
Sir Walter Scott reviewed the novel
in The Quarterly, but while admitting
its power confessed he did not like it.
"Our taste and our Judgment revolt at
this kind of writing" All the critics
agreed as to its daring originality
Chicago Post