The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1908-05-23
man WITHOUT A SOUL
The Uncanny Creation of Mary
Goodwin Shelley.
MONSTER OF FRANkENSTEIN.
The interesting History Of an Earlier
Day Novel That Is Frequently Al
iuded TO In Literature and at Times
Quoted Incorrectly.

Quoted Incorrectly.
Everybody. or nearly everybody. has
heard Of the novel of "Frankenstein,"
though II is not probable that many
persons read II nowadays. There are
so many illusions TO 1t In our litera-
ture. however, that one absorbs some
sort of notion of it so that he cannot
help knowing that 1t is weird and
CHASTITY story about monster, but
whether or not Frankensteln is the
monster even well Informed people do
not always know. showing that they
never read the story.
Sometimes we hear illusions TO
"Frankensteln's monster" as In one of
Charles Summers orations, where he
| speaks of the "soulless monster of
Frankenstelu. the wretched creation Of
mortal science without God" and some
times the reference Is to Frankenstein
only. as II he were the monster OF
course Sumner, who was very particu-
lar In his use of figures Of speech. was
| right. When Mrs. Deland In her novel
of Sidney" makes Major Lee say that
"Christiapity Is a Frankensteln' 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 a 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 neighbor, and the three
| passed much time together. Their con.
| versatlon 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 II was not long before the
two poets gave 1t 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 It 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." II was i'm
mediately sent to London for publlca-
tion and met with great success
| Frankenstein Is 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 anlma.
tion to llfeless matter.
He then resolves to mold a colossal
man. making him beautiful in form
and feature and Undue him with life.
He carries on 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 hu.
man being, perfect in all his proper,
tions. Frankensteln relates the story:
ut was on dreary night in 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 a 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 m!
candle was nearly burned out when
, by the gllmmer Of the half extingulsh
ed light, saw the dull yellow eye o
the creature open. 1t breathed hard
and a convulslve motion agitated IL
limbs"
Slowly the immense creature arose
and the artist, frightened at his owl
work. fed away, Then he returns t
find his creation possessed of life an,
every attribute of humanity except
soul. Nowhere can It find human sym
pathy. 1t Is out Of harmony with al
things about 1t, and after searching
the world In pursuit of happiness
returns again to Frankensteln and dc
mands that he make companion wit
whom 1t can live In sympathy an
love.
Frankenstein declines, and thence
forth the monster pursues him wit
hatred and revenge. 1t Stays his brotl
ers and sister, his friend and his brld
1t follows him to Russia, to Slberl
and into the Arctic ocean, and thel
creature and artist perish together,
is a most uncanny story to read
. nights.
u Sir Walter Scott reviewed the nov
In the Quarterly. but. while admittlr
its power, confessed he did not like
81 "Our taste and our judgment revolt
al this kind of writing" All the crlti
ID agreed as to Its daring originality.
=, | ExchanpC