With Halloween approaching, it’s important to use the limited time we have left to truly
appreciate the inspiration behind one of the greatest classic horrors of all time: Frankenstein.
Written by the young Mary Shelley of only 18 years old, it’s easy to feel incredibly
unsuccessful in comparison to the genius of her writing, but also, it’s more important to
wonder, how did she even begin to create this story? Well possibly, it’s not entirely all fictional, as the young Shelley drew on inspiration from the turmoil of the 18th Century around her. In this article I’ll explore how Shelley’s experiences as a young woman, and other societal issues, heavily inspired the dark gothic themes in this novel.
To begin with, Mary Shelley’s mother, Mary Wollstonecraft, was one of the earliest advocates
for the universal educational rights for women, famously writing about such issues in ‘A
Vindication of the Rights of Woman’. This was likely a strong influence on the young Mary
Shelley who similarly suffered under the patriarchal doctrines of her society, having to
originally publish ‘Frankenstein’ anonymously to avoid the criticisms of her disapproving
society – she was unable to claim any credit for her work up until 4 years later, yet still having
her work edited by her husband.
The concept of a monster throughout the novel is also significant in exposing societal issues.
The character of ‘Elizabeth Lavenza’ writes “[..] men appear to me as monsters thirsting for
each other’s blood”, highlighting the ‘real’ monster in society is to be man. Possibly, this
reversal is Shelley’s way of commenting on the subjugation of women in society at the hands
of men.
In the novel the Monster learns the human language through books it finds in the forest, and
only through this is it able to communicate with the rest of society and use it as a tool to tell
its story. This may have been inspired by Shelley’s own similar experiences, as she acquired
her education through learning from books from her own father’s collections. This shows the
inherent similarities between Shelley and the Monster she portrays in the novel, with their
search for knowledge being symbolic of the difficulties of accessing education for those who
were in minority groups in society.
Shelley may have also drawn from her mother’s own troubles for inspiration for the novel.
The novel was written in a time where women’s value was dictated by their role to serve men
as either wives or mothers. Without this, women were neglected and discarded from society.
This largely influenced the themes of isolation within ‘Frankenstein’, and ultimately it could
have been these societal pressures on women which lead to Mary Wollstonecraft’s own
suicide. This death is mirrored in ‘Frankenstein’ with the alternative interpretation of the
ending, which included the Monster’s own foreshadowed death, showing feminist issues to
impact the themes within the novel.
These patriarchal pressures on women can also be seen through the female characters in
the novel, who have few lines, and are only perceived as wives or mothers too. Critics argue
this could be inspired by Mary’s own perceived pressure to be a wife to her spouse Percy
Bysshe Shelley. Also, Mary struggled to be a mother, with tragic miscarriages and early
deaths of her children occurring. Possibly, this grief also affected her writing, even inspiring
the dark themes of this gothic novel. This reflects the damaging nature of society’s pressures
on women to have children in the 18th Century, which Shelley pulls on to create the ominous
fictional world of ‘Frankenstein’.
Whilst the novel itself may be upfront in its isolating and depressing nature, arguably it only
slightly mirrors the deep wormhole of societal issues women faced in the 18th Century. Yet
Shelley’s own classical masterpiece is a testament to the strength and integrity of women
from across the world, proving the intelligence and ability of women, even in the face of
prejudice. ‘Frankenstein’ – a much beloved Halloween classic, yet deeply revealing of the
issues that are still greatly relevant in our contemporary society today.