Consider how the monster is portrayed In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and the Two film versions of Frankenstein

Essay by CharliHigh School, 10th gradeA+, May 2004

download word file, 18 pages 4.6

The famous novel 'Frankenstein' is known world wide for its horror and intrigue into the aspect of enforcing life into the deceased. It was written by the equally famous Mary Shelley, formally known as Mary Godwin. She was an English author and first published her novel in 1818, but wrote it when she was just 18 in 1816.

Mary Godwin was born in 1797 to William Godwin, a writer and freethinker, and Mary Wollstonecraft, the founder of feminism and also a writer. Unfortunately, Wollstonecraft died at the age of 38, 11 days after Mary was born, so Mary never knew her mother. But, if she had have known her, she would have found out that Wollstonecraft knew many thinkers of the time who were seriously considering bringing the dead back to life.

It was in the summer of 1816 when Mary Shelly was set the task of writing a ghost story that the novel 'Frankenstein' came about.

Mary and her lover Percy Shelley visited Lord Byron at his villa near Lake Geneva, Switzerland. Many close acquaintances had joined Byron. However, the weather was not suitable for them to go outside, and for many nights it was very stormy. This meant that outdoor activities were not possible, so when some of the guests were drunk, Byron made the suggestion of writing a horror story. Mary wanted to create something that would make even Percy and Byron shiver, so she rose to the challenge and produced 'Frankenstein.' The ideas for this novel were inspired by an extremely disturbing nightmare that Mary had been unfortunate to dream. It was about her dead infant daughter who when she was held in front of the fire and rubbed vigorously; came back to life. This dream frightened Mary and it wasn't until she woke that...