The Monster Within Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

The Monster Within
Is it possible that a work of literature can be influenced by the beliefs and events that are occurring during that time period? Mary Shelley's 1818 Novel, Frankenstein, is considered by many, to be the book that began the gothic literature era. Based in Europe, during the beginning of the Enlightenment era, the book explores many topics relating to creation and the position of people in the world. The book, heavily influenced by Shelley's early life, follows young fictitious Victor Frankenstein through his early years in an upper class, European family. Throughout his early years in college, Victor explores the land of scientific knowledge as he studies the new science innovations that were occurring during this time
Mary Shelley used the Enlightenment ideas that were occurring during that time period to create a novel that explored the scientific and religious aspect of life, and how they interact with each other.
In the early 1800’s, the science world was thriving and making innovations that would push the world further than ever before. Using these new ideas, Shelley created characters that would make scientific breakthroughs that had never before been imagined. In the beginning of the book, the reader is introduced to a character by the name of Robert Walton, who is on a mission to be the first man to reach Antarctica. But when looking at history, Antarctica was in fact founded in 1820. So at this time, the race to find “new land” was a major event that many were competing in, and displays some of the Enlightenment ideas of “discovery” of that time. When writing the novel, Shelley included this important detail to add relevance and
When looking at Shelley's background and her stances, it is shown that she was an atheist along with her husband. However, when writing the book, she references to another piece of literature: Paradise Lost, an epic poem about the creation of man, more specifically Adam and Eve. But why include this if she does not have the same beliefs? This piece of literature was included to add credibility to her work and also show what many religious thinkers during her time believed. Enlightenment thinkers during this time were challenging the religious aspects in life and exploring new lenses in which life could be viewed. Paradise Lost was a staple in the world of literature and had been proved to be a knowledgeable read that forced readers to further analyze the effects that religion has on a person and on a society. Again it is shown that events and literature present in Shelley's life corresponds with her novel. During the time of enlightenment, people were questioning if religion was even necessary, and if science could give us all of the answers needed in life. Her stance on religion suggests that she indeed relied on science over religion, but adding the reference to a religious-heavy poem took away her baise opinions, again adding to her credibility. By adding religious literature and thoughts into her book and by adding