Mary Shelley

A cura di M.L. Sillitti 
 
 One of the most famous horror stories ever written, it was the first novel of a very young Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley.
 A scientist, Victor Frankenstein, learns how to give life to dead tissue and succeeds in creating a new being. Physically horrible, the monster is rejected by Frankenstein.
 The lack of love or simple acceptance, not only from people but also from his creator, turns an inwardly good being into a cruel and merciless murderer: the consequences will be tragical for many people.
 Stimulating activities, cues for reflections and interesting original inserts enrich the book.
 Teacher's Resources available online: Answer Key - Audioscripts - Key to Summing-up Activities. 
 
 Una delle più famose storie horror mai scritte, fu il primo romanzo di una giovanissima Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley. È la storia di uno scienziato, Frankenstein, che apprende come dare vita a tessuti morti riuscendo così a creare un mostro. Fisicamente orribile, viene rifiutato da Frankenstein. Il non sentirsi accettato non solo dagli esseri umani, ma anche dal suo creatore, trasforma un essere interiormente buono in un crudele e spietato assassino con conseguenze tragiche per molti.

Letters

Extension: Genesis of Frankenstein

Chapter I

Extension: A plea for women’s education

Chapter II

Extension: Reading and dramatizing (I)

Chapter III

Extension: Reading and dramatizing (II)

Chapter IV

Extension: The title and subtitle

Chapter V

Extension: Gothic fiction and science fiction

Chapter VI

Extension: The birth of a monster (I)

Chapter VII

Extension: The birth of a monster (II)

Walton, in continuation

Extension: Frankenstein at the Cinema

Summing-up activities

E X T E N S I O N THE BIRTH OF A MONSTER (II) Mary s account of the creature s moral and intellectual development follows the theories of John Locke, David Hartley and Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Mary Shelley read Rousseau s Emile in 1816. Rousseau stated that:  God makes all things good; man meddles with them1 and they become evil.  Rousseau specifically attributed moral failings to the lack2 of a mother s love. Without mothering3 and a loving education  a man left to himself from birth would be more of a monster than the rest.  Thus, Mary Shelley is suggesting that a rejected and unmothered child can become a killer, especially a killer of its own family. Even without the proper nurturing the creature manages to get an education. Mary alludes to Rousseau s theory of the natural man as a noble savage, born free but in chains and corrupted by society. In the battle of nature vs. nurture for development, Mary definitely sides4 with nurture. The creature is Rousseau s natural man, a creature no different from the animals responding only to physical needs. It is only later through contact with the De Laceys (society) that the creature develops a consciousness and realizes that he is a societal outcast. While alluding to a couple of Rousseau s ideas, in particular the natural man, Mary Shelley utilizes the theories of Hartley and Locke for the development and education of the creature. The creature s moral development follows David Hartley s theories in 1. meddles with them: ci mette le mani. 2. lack: mancanza. John Locke (1632-1704) 3. mothering: cure materne. 4. side: schierarsi. David Hartley (1705-1755) 94 J. J. Rousseau (1712-1778) 

Observations of Man, His Frame, His Duty, and His Expectations (1749) and Locke s Essay Concerning Human Understanding (1690). David Hartley argued5 that early sensitive experience determines adult behaviour and John Locke argued that man is neither innately good nor innately evil but is rather a tabula rasa (blank slate) on which sensations create impressions which later become conscious experience. The monster first experiences the physical sensations of light, dark, heat, cold, hunger, and pain. This was his period of infancy where he felt the sensations but had no conscious expression of them. Through time and experience the creature eventually learns to distinguish the various sensations and how to remedy them. He learns to gather food, clothe himself, and acquire shelter. In other words, his sensitive experiences cause him to learn for them and provide for his basic necessities. The creature obtains a moral and intellectual education through his observation of the De Lacey family, who lived in the cottage near his hovel. The De Laceys provide the creature with an example of a loving, kind, and virtuous family. They stimulate his emotions and inspire him to do good deeds for others (he secretly collects firewood for the family). Through the creature s observation of the De Lacey family, the creature is also stimulated intellectually and is introduced to spoken and written language. Mary Shelley traces the linguistic development of the creature from his earliest acquisition to his ability to grasp6 abstract concepts and eventually read and write. Not only does the creature learn morality and virtue from the De Lacey family but also acquires a small library, which enlarges his knowledge of human vice and virtue. After being rejected by Victor Frankenstein, his father, the De Lacey family, and society, the creature abandons all good and lives out a course of vengeance7 against Frankenstein. He murders those close to Victor and eventually leads him on a journey that will destroy both of them. Even though the creature received a moral and intellectual education, the lack of a nurturing and loving parent as well as companionship and acceptance from society led him to reject morality. The creature as well as the reader realizes that he would be better off8 without any education. If he isn t going to have love and acceptance, it would probably be better for him to live in an animal-like state without a developed consciousness that makes him realize how alone he is. Victor never understands that his lack of parental love and guidance is what has led to the creature s murderous path. He only feels guilt from having created a monster. If Victor had only been a loving parent, the creature could have probably overcome all other obstacles and remained moral. The most significant mark of the monster s alienation from society is his lack of a name. The absence of a name denies the monster the knowledge of who he is, his familial origins, and a connection to successive generations. Kim A. Woodbridge 5. argue: sostenere. 6. grasp: afferrare. 7. vengeance: vendetta. 8. be better off: stare meglio. 95 

"Frankenstein" di Mary Shelley, un capolavoro horror, racconta la tragica vicenda di un mostro creato dallo scienziato Frankenstein.

Frankenstein - Collana Rainbows

Level B2 • Intermediate - Collana RAINBOWS

Frankenstein

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