Mary Shelley's Biography and Frankenstein Study Questions

Mary Shelley, born in 1797, grew up mostly in Scotland, with a favorite past time of “making stories.” In Scotland, Shelley had lived next to a Lord who also had a love for writing, which is how the idea of Frankenstein came to life. Shelley had little formal education, but her father had tutored her on most broader subjects, which overall increased her understanding of literature significantly. During a stay in Scotland, Mary met her future husband Percy Shelley, who had offered to pay most of Shelley’s father’s debts in exchange for his daughter’s hand in marriage. But because of his radical views that his family did not really agree with, Percy had little money until he got his inheritance from family. In May 1816, Mary, Percy, and their son Geneva traveled to Claire Clairmount, where they stayed with Lord Byron for a summer. Percy Shelley was one the first English romantic poets, and is regarded by critics as one of the finest lyric poets in the English language. Percy was the oldest son of a member of Parliament, so politically, financially and with education, he was set for life. Although because of anti-political poem Percy wrote, he was expelled by the University of Oxford, so he moved to Scotland and married his first wife.

1. Walton changes the entire story by giving it a third point of view. Basically he is not directly related into the Frankenstein-monster situation, so having this third point of view is almost like having a neutral or unbiased figure to really explain what was happening. Walton’s scientific exploration is to find a location, and legitimate place, while Frankenstein is searching for more of an idea.

2. Frankenstein and Walton have several things in common, which really creates an instant relationship between the two. They both have close connections to their sister, both are men of science, and both have ambitious goals. Their relationship differs because Walton focuses on changing existing life and reaching