Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1900-02-22
TIE CITIZEN.
AN UNCANNY STORY.
ORIGIN OF 1HE "SOULleSS MONSTER
OF FRANKENSTElN."

Time Novel That Is often Alluded
to In Literature and at Times Quot
ed Incorrectly.
Everybody, or nearly everybody, has
heard of the novel OF "F'rankensteln,
though it is not probable that many
persons read it nowadays. There are
SO many allusions TO it in our litera-
ture, however, that one abSorbs some
sort of hOtion OF it so that he can
not help knowing that 1t is weird ana
CHASTITY story about a monster, but
whether or not F'rankerstein IS the
monster even we'll informed people do
not always know, showing that they
never read the story.
Sometimes we hear illusions 10
"Frankenstein's monster" as in one or
Charles Summers oraions. where he
speaks of the "soullesS monster or
Frankenstcin the wretched creation
of mortal science without God, ana
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
specch. WAS right When Mrs. Deland,
in her fine novel nf sidney" makes
Major Lee say that christianity is a
Frankensiein. she suffers the major
to talk nonsense.
The story Of this weird novel aud the
circumstances under which it came to
be written are decidedly interesting
and may be told In Il few words The
facts are as follows:
In 1916 Mary Goodwin, afterward
Mrs. Shelley. eIoped with Shelley, and
they took Up their residence near Ge-
neva, In Switzerland. They had Lord
Byron for neighbor and the three
passed much time together. Their con-
yersation 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 1t was not long before the
two poets gave 1t up as 4 hopeless
task. They could write poetry, but
they could not write stories.
Mary perSevered and completed her
tale in the spring of 1917. When BY
ron and Shelley heard 1t read, they
were surprised and delighted. 1t was
| bound to be the novel Of the century!
| The name Of II was "Frankenstein; or.
| The Modern Prometheus." 1t was I'M
mediate cent to London for publica-
| ton and ..ct with n great success.
Frankenstein Is Swiss youth,
| student at the University or lngol-
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 lmpart movement and aniSa-
| ton to lifeless matter.
He then resolves to mold q colossal
| man. making him beautiful In form
| and feature and lmbue him with life.
| He carries on his work in a 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 hui
| man being. perfect in all his proper
/ tious. Frankcnstein relates the story:
| "It was on dready night in Novem-
| Der that beheld the accomplishment
| of MI tolls. With an anxiety that al
| most amounted to agony | collected
| the instruments Of life around me that
| | might infuse n spark of being into
the lifeless thing that lay at my feet.
at 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 light, saw the duh yellow eye OF
the creature open. 1t breathed hard
and a convulsive motion agitated Its
limbs"
Slowly the immense creature arose
and the artist. frightened at his OWL
work. fled away. Then he returns tc
find his creation possessed of life and
every attribute OF humanity except q
soul Nowhere can II find human sym
pathy 1t is out of harmony with al
things about IT. and after searching
the world in pursuit of happiness II
returns again to Frankenstein and de
mands that .le make Il companion wifi
whom II can live in sympathy and
love.
| Frankenstein Declines and thence
forth the monster pursues him with
hatred and revenge. 1t slays 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 II
Is most uncanny story to read o
nights.
Sir Walter Scott reviewed the move
10 The Quarterly. but while admitting
It's power confessed he did not like It
"Our taste and our judgment revolt a
this kind Of writing" All the critic:
agreed as to It's daring originality
Chicago Post.