Mary Shelley - Frankenstein - Essay Example

Mary Shelley - Frankenstein Although a truly captivating and powerful novel, Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein calls for a comprehensive analysis of the political and historical backdrop of the period in which it was written, because the themes, ideas, references, etc of the work is presented in this historical context. Therefore, this paper makes a historical reading of the novel, which is one of the earliest products of the modern Western world dealing with the historical backdrop of the period. Significantly, the novel clearly reflects the historical context of the nineteenth century as it appeared to the author, and she presents the upheavals and changes in the socio-political sphere of the Europe during the era.

Thus, it is evident that the author incorporates in her novel the important factors in the history of Europe such as the effect of French Revolution on notions of class and identity, the role of the Industrial Revolution on the socio-economic life of the people. As Essaka Joshua maintains, the social comment in Frankenstein is especially inspired by the ideology of the French Revolution and the works of Jean-Jacques Rousseau. “Critics have recently connected Frankenstein with this period of social upheaval, reading the novel as an ‘allegory of the French Revolution, the attempt to recreate man and the disillusionment and terror that followed.

” (Joshua, 23) Therefore, it is essential to realize that the historical and political context of the author has played a crucial role in the writing of the novel. This essay offers a reflective exploration of the political and historical backdrop of the period in which Mary Shelly wrote her celebrated novel Frankenstein. Much of the critical commentary on Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein has focused on the impact of the historical and political context of the novelist on the major themes, and references in the work.

A comprehensive understanding of the historical and cultural context of the novel is fundamental to a faultless judgment on the merit and quality of the work. Studies on the historical and socio-political context of Shelly’s Frankenstein have been copious, and the evidence from the literature reviews suggests the influence of various historical factors on the novel, including the French Revolution (1789-1799), the philosophical context, especially the philosophy of Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Empiricism, the Enlightenment, Darwinism and its effect on religious thought, the Industrial Revolution, Colonialism, and the influence of Romanticism.

Thus, Mahala Yates Stripling purports that “Mary Shelly wrote Frankenstein during a period of dramatic change partly caused by the many shifting polarities of revolution.” (Stripling, 15) Therefore, the historical and socio-political context of Shelly’s Frankenstein has been central factor in the critical intervention on the novel. This paper makes a crucial step forward in the understanding of the historical and socio-political context of the author’s era which contributed to the writing of the novel.

In short, the central argument of this paper is that the historical and socio-political context of the author has played a decisive role in the writing of Shelly’s Frankenstein, and this historical and socio-political context is suggested by the French Revolution, the philosophical context, especially the philosophy of Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Empiricism, the Enlightenment, Darwinism and its effect on religious thought, the Industrial Revolution, Colonialism, and the influence of Romanticism.

Works Cited Joshua, Essaka. Mary Shelley: ‘Frankenstein’. Humanities-Ebooks. P 23. http://books.google.co.in/books?id=2g7KOI9bOfsC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false Stripling, Mahala Yates. Bioethics and Medical Issues in Literature. Greenwood Publishing Group. 2005. P 15.