The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-06-04
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
luded to In Literature and at Times
Quoted Incorrectly.

luded to In Literature and at Times
Quoted Incorrectly.
Everybody, or nearly everybody, has
heard Of the novel of "Frankenstein."
though it is not probable that many
persons read it nowadays. There are
so many illusions 20 it in our ltera-
ture. however, that one absorbs some
sort of notion of il so that he cannot
help knowing that it Is a weird and
CHASTITY story about a monster, but
whether or not Frankenstein 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 in one Of
Charles Summers oratiOns, where he
speaks Of the "soulless monster Of
Frankenstein. the wretched creation Of
mortal science without God" and some
times the reference is to Frankenstein
only, as if 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
"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 a few words. The
facts are as follows:
In 1916 Mary Goodwin, afterward
NJrc
they took up their residence near Ge-
neva, in Switzerland. They had Lord
Byron for a 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 it was not long before the
two poets gave it up as a 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 it was "Frankenstein; or,
he AOueTu 1TOuelneuS. 1t WAS
mediately sent to London for publica-
ton and met with great success.
Erankenstein 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 ANNA
ton to lifeless 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 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 hu,
man being, perfect in all his proper
tons. Frankenstein relates the story:
1T was on a dreary night in Novem
Der that l beheld the accomplishment
| of my tolls With an anxiety that al
most amounted to agony l collected
the instruments of life around me that
the lifeless thing that lay at my feet
1T was already l o'clock in the
morning. The rain battered 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 convulslye motion agitated it
| limbs
Slowly the immense creature arose
and the artist frightened at his OWL
work, fed away. Then he returns tt
find his creation possessed of life ant
every attribute of humanity except ,
soul. Nowhere can it find human sym
pathy. 1t Is out of harmony with al
things about it, and after searchin:
the world in pursuit of happiness i
returns again to Frankenstein and de
mands that he make a companion will
whom it can live in sympathy an(
love.
Frankenstein declines, and thence
forth the monster pursues him witt
hatred and revenge. 1t Stays his broth
ers and sister, his friend and his bride
1t follows him to Russia, to Siberi
and into the Arctic ocean, and Their
creature and artist perish together. I
is a most uncanny story to read c
nights.
Sir Walter Scott reviewed the move
in the Quarterly, but. while admittin
its power, confessed he did not like i
'Our taste and our judgment revolt a
this kind of writing" All the critic