The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1908-05-22
MAN WITHOUT A SOUL
The Uncanny Creation of Mary
Goodwin Shelley.
MONSTER OF FRANKENSTEIN.
Tho Interesting History Of an Earlier
Day Novel That 10 Frequently Al
iuded to In Literature and at Times
Quoted Incorrectly.

| Y
Quoted Incorrectly.
Everybody, or nearly everybody, has
heard Of the novel Of "Frankenstein," /"
though IL Is not probable that many
persons read II nowadays. There are
80 many illusions to II In our litera-
ture, however. that one absorbs some
sort OF notion OF 1t so that he cannot
help knowing that It Is weird and
CHASTITY story about monster, but
whether or not Frankensteln is the
monster even we'll Informed people do
not always know. showing that they
never read the story.
Sometimes we hear illusions to
"Frankenstein's monster" as I'm one of
Charles Summers orations, where he
| speaks Of the "soulless monster OF
Frankenstein, the wretched creation OF
mortal science without Cod" and some
times the reference is to Frankenstein
only. as If he were the monster or
| course Sumner, who was very partlcu-
lar In his use Of figures Of speech. was
right. When Mrs. Deland In her novel
OF Sidney" makes Major Lee say that
"Christianlty is Frankensteln" she
suffers the major to talk nonsense
The story Of this weird novel and the
circumstances under which 1t 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 up their residence near Ge-
neva, In Switzerland. They had Lord
Byron for n nelghbor and the three
passed much time together Their con-
vcrsation frequently ran on the occult
and the mysterious. and Byron one day
proposed that each should write
ghost story. All agreed and went to
work, but 1t was not long before the
two poets gave IL up as 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. Ii was
bound TO be the novel of the century!
The name OF ii was "Frankenstein; or,
The Modern Prometheus." 1t was I'm
medlatcly sent to London for publlca-
ton and met with great success
Frankenstein Is Swiss youth,
student ut 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
ton to llfeless matter.
He then resolves to mold q colossal
man, making him beautiful I'm form
and feature and imbue him with life.
lie carries on his work In n studio far
from the habltatons 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
tlons. Frankensteln relates the story:
1T was on n dreary night I'm Novem-
Der that beheld the accomplishment
OF my 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.
1T was already l 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 dull yellow eye OF
the creature open. 1t breathed hard.
and a convulslve motion agitated its
limbs"
Slowly the immense creature arose,
and the artist, frightened at his own
work, fled away. Then he returns TO
hnd his creation possessed OF life and
every attribute OF humanity except n
soul. Nowhere can IL find human SYM
pathy. Ii is out OF harmony with all
things about II, and after searching
the world in pursuit of happiness IL
returns again TO Frankenstein and de-
mands that he make n companion with
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. IL
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 Il.
Our taste and our Judgment revolt at
this kind OF writing" All the critics
agreed as to Its daring originality
Exchange.