Creatures of the Night: Frankenstein

This is the second entry in the Creature of the Night series.

Graveyard Frankenstein 1 10172016

In the opening scene of Frankenstein viewers are greeted with the sound of a frightening storm rumbling threateningly as two figures stalk a graveyard. These images would haunt the imaginations of many generations, and make a name for Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley. What is it about the story of Frankenstein that has stood the test of time and made the iconic monster a figure of Halloween history?

The story of Frankenstein was first written in 1816 by a then-21 year old Mary Shelley. Experts report the legend of the story finds its basis in a ghost story telling contest between herself and her companions, her husband Percy Shelley and the infamous poet Lord Byron. Shelley is said to have created the story from a nightmare she had experienced. The tale would gain the reputation of being proclaimed the world’s first science fiction novel.

But perhaps Shelley’s story was conceived not from the dark reckonings of her own mind but rather the guilt and tragedy that plagued her own life. Experts claim that Shelley may have written her story because she felt herself indirectly responsible for two deaths. The first would be her mother, who died shortly after Mary Shelley was born due to complications from childbirth. The second death would be the suicide of Percy Shelley’s pregnant wife, whom he left to pursue his relationship with Mary. Shelley was perhaps carrying a lot of guilt around with her as she constructed her story. Shelley’s mad scientist and creator may have been invented from a real alchemist she and Percy encountered on their European tour. It seems that both of the Shelleys were fascinated with the use of electricity to reanimate limbs, which had become a popular scientific technique of the age.

It is rumored that they most likely heard of the work and experiments of alchemist Johann Konrad Dipple, a figure believed to have robbed graves and experimented on corpses at Frankenstein Castle. Many whom followed the work of the alchemist were said to believe that he had figured out the secret to prolonging life to 135 years.

Experts report that Shelley almost certainly found bases for her story in the ancient Greek myth Prometheus. At the time she was constructing her story, her husband was also working on his own poem about the myth, Prometheus Unbound. Some scholars have said that the poem mirrors characteristics of Victor Frankenstein, whom the novel is named after. Many believe that the name of the monster itself is Frankenstein, but in the novel the creature is never given a name.

Some belive that the legend of Frankenstein is a more modern version of the Prometheus myth, and that Shelley adapted the story to fit her audience. The story also raises philosophical themes and challenges the romantic ideals about beauty and goodness of nature. Despite its horrific appearance, Frankenstein’s creation is largely misunderstood and is not the true monster of the story. The tragic experiment serves as a cautionary tale in our Creature of the Night series.

The myth and legend of Frankenstein is bound in the fabric and imagination and history; Mary Shelley has frightened and entertained generations as her story has stood the test of time. Although in our modern age we may nor find it as frightening as we once did, the story has opened the door for the horror genre of today, and still has us asking questions about what kind of monster may lurk inside us all.

Source: Elizabeth Lane, Jefferson County Post Staff Writer