Contexts of Frankenstein Flashcards
Paradise Lost
John Milton
1667
An epic poem that retells the biblical story of the Fall of Man, focusing on the temptation of Adam and Eve by Satan and their expulsion from the Garden of Eden.
The creature compares himself to the character of Satan from ‘Paradise Lost’ when he feels abandoned by his creator, Victor Frankenstein. This comparison occurs in Chapter 7 (VII) when the creature is recounting his experiences and expressing his feelings of isolation and abandonment.
“Like Adam, I was created apparently united by no link to any other being in existence; but his state was far different from mine in every other respect. He had come forth from the hands of God a perfect creature… Many times I considered Satan as the fitter emblem of my condition”
The Sorrows of Young Werther
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
1774
This epistolary novel tells the story of a young man named Werther. He deeply loves a woman named Charlotte, but she doesn’t love him back. This unreturned love makes Werther sad, and the story shows how his strong emotions lead to his tragic ending.
This reference is often linked to the creature’s emotional journey and his longing for companionship and affection. It highlights the anguish of an outcast figure, illustrating the creature’s isolation.
“… accorded well with my experience among my protectors, and with the wants which were for ever alive in my own bosom”
Plutarch’s Lives
Plutarch
second century AD
A collection of biographies of famous Greeks and Romans.
The work features comparative biographies of notable historical figures, presenting their lives and virtues
“but Plutarch taught me high thoughts; he elevated me above the wretched sphere of my own reflections, to admire and love the heroes of past ages”
The Ryme of the Ancient Mariner
Samuel Coleridge
1798
This poem recounts the story of a mariner who shoots an albatross, bringing a curse upon his ship and crew. The crew, one by one, suffers mysterious deaths until only the mariner remains alive. The mariner is left to experience intense guilt and isolation, cursed to tell his story to others as a form of atonement.
“I am going to unexplored regions, to “the land of mist and snow;” but I shall kill no albatross, therefore do not be alarmed for my safety”
Romanticism
