Context

Question 1

Mary Shelley Relationships

Answer 1

Mother died 11 days after giving birth
Lost her sister to suicide
3 children miscarried an died in infancy
She fell in love with Percy Shelley, ran away to France and married him in 1816 after Shelley’s wife died

Question 2

Romantic Movement

Answer 2

Percy was a prominent poet in the movement

Mary was exposed to the same influences as her husband

Question 3

Why did she write the book

Answer 3

Byons challenge to discern who among Percy, Mary or himself could write the best ghost story
A dream

Question 4

What does the creature represent

Answer 4

Dangers of society

Question 5

How does she use the creature

Answer 5

To warn Government against mistreating the masses
warning against dangers of industrialisation- losing control
Luddites (a person opposed to new technology or ways of working) and French treated badly- rebellion

Question 6

What did she use to criticise society

Answer 6

The creatures education

Question 7

Historical background

Answer 7

Written in 1816

First publish anonymously in 1818

Question 8

Scientific background

Answer 8

rapid progress in sciences in:

• Electricity
• Anatomy
• Scientists at the time were discussing the possibility of bringing the dead back to life

Question 9

Key Themes

Answer 9

Desire for knowledge
to understand and control nature
Pro-creation without a woman
Dangers of pushing medical boundaries into realms they shouldn’t be
Prediction of what would happen is knowledge is pursued recklessly and obsessively
warning about the new sciences of the age

Question 10

Social background

Answer 10

1789- French Revolution
- Lower classed treated badly by the state 
First stages of the Industrial Revolution (threatened romantic ideas of importance of the individual and nature)
Social unrest (Luddites)
Promise of freedom (french rev) gave way to misery an suffering (indst rev) London by Blake

Question 11

General themes

Answer 11

Social responsibility
Injustice
Parenting
Isolation