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It was Mary Shelley that gave birth to Frankenstein. Mary Shelley was just nineteen years old when she first wrote Frankenstein. It was her first ever novel written and little did she know at that time just what an affect it would have on the world. Considering it was her first novel it was and will always be a classic. It doesn’t just address matters that were worrying when Mary Shelley wrote this novel, but it has relevance for our society today.

The plot of this frightening novel is deep and complex. It looks at the troubles and pressures of living a life in a highly scientific and industrial age. Although many believe that Frankenstein was created by Boris Karloff for Hollywood it was actually Mary Shelley that created him. Mary Shelley created Frankenstein from a dream that she had then was helped along by inspiration from some of Europe’s first class scientists and thinkers. Frankenstein is a complex character based entirely on the imagination and even though he is a monster he suffered greatly.

Mary Shelley was born into a rich family who had strong literary connections. Her father was a political theorist, novelist, and publisher who persuaded her to write from a young age. The novel begins with a collection of letters from Robert Walton to his sister. Throughout the letters written from Robert Walton we see how he is on a journey from St. Petersburgh to Archangel so that he can hire a ship and a crew for his journey in June. He recollects the situations that have forced him into taking this journey.

Frankenstein blames his creator for inventing him and takes no responsibility for the evilness of his nature. Frankenstein believes that it was not by his own desires that he was brought into existence, but by his creator. The monster begins his path of destruction with Shelley’s first wife, Harriet Westbrook. Frankenstein murders her before she drowns herself as a result of being left for another woman. Before Shelley can even meet Mary, Frankenstein carries out the evil deed of murder.

Death is something that is confronted many times throughout the novel Frankenstein. Each character in the book usually meets their death in one way or another. Many of Frankenstein’s intentions could be considered good though they backfired. He wanted to prevent the finality of death, but the fact that he interfered with the natural process of death had negative results. The book demonstrates how an individual can die in peace and have no need to fear death if they do good and have solved all problems in their lives before they die. In his search for a solution to prevent death, Frankenstein pillages graveyards, displaying total disrespect not just for the way things happen naturally, but also for those who have died previously.

The themes and areas of discussion in this book are endless, but Shelley does seem to present some of her own perspectives on death and suffering. Shelley seems to suggest that no individual should have the power to choose if someone dies or not. That the power the government has over us is not strong enough to decide a person’s death and that it should be left to the forces of nature.

Frankenstein is a powerful novel and has become a popular Halloween theme. Year after year people dress up as Frankenstein and have lot’s of fun. Frankenstein is a dreadful monster that fills his victims with fear. Mary Shelley created a complex being and probably had no idea what effect she would have on people for years to come.

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