Mary Shelley’s Early Life
This essay about Mary Shelley’s age when she wrote *Frankenstein* explores how her youthful perspective enriched the novel’s themes and its reception. Shelley began writing *Frankenstein* at age 18 during a summer spent with Percy Shelley, Lord Byron, and others, where a challenge to write ghost stories was posed. Inspired by discussions on galvanism and the nature of life, she conceived a story that has since become a seminal work in Gothic literature. Published when she was just 20, the novel challenged early 19th-century scientific and societal norms through its profound ethical questions about creation and responsibility. Mary Shelley’s environment, filled with intellectual debate and personal tragedy, influenced her deeply, allowing her to infuse *Frankenstein* with insights that resonate with themes of scientific exploration and human experience. Her status as a young, female writer added layers of complexity to the novel’s reception and emphasized its challenge to contemporary scientific and ethical boundaries.
Mary Shelley's Frankenstein stands as a testament not merely to the Gothic literary canon but also as a testament to the extraordinary achievement of a writer in her youth. Shelley embarked on the novel's creation at the tender age of 18, its publication occurring a mere two years later, when she reached 20. The youthfulness of Shelley during the genesis of this seminal work transcends mere chronology, offering profound insights into the depth and intricacy of the narrative.
Born Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin on August 30, 1797, Mary was the offspring of two esteemed intellectuals: the philosopher and novelist William Godwin and the feminist philosopher Mary Wollstonecraft, who tragically passed shortly after Mary's birth.
Nurtured in an environment saturated with intellectual discourse, Mary was immersed in the ideas of prominent intellectuals and writers from an early age, including Percy Bysshe Shelley, her father's protégé and later her husband.
The inception of Frankenstein took root during the summer of 1816, when Mary, alongside Percy Shelley, Lord Byron, and John Polidori, sojourned near Lake Geneva, Switzerland. This particular summer earned infamy as "the year without a summer" due to the chilling aftermath of Mount Tambora's eruption the previous year. Cooped up indoors by the inclement weather, the group entertained themselves with ghostly tales. It was Lord Byron's suggestion that each member craft their own supernatural narrative that catalyzed the birth of Frankenstein.
At a mere 18 years of age, amidst this fertile creative atmosphere, Mary Shelley conceived the notion for Frankenstein amid discussions concerning life's essence and the potential of galvanism to animate inert matter. It was during one such conversation that Mary envisioned the tale of Victor Frankenstein, a youthful scientist engrossed in an unconventional scientific endeavor. Haunted by her vision of a "hideous phantasm of a man stretched out, and then, on the working of some powerful engine, show signs of life," Mary embarked on her literary odyssey. The undertaking was ambitious, mirroring her erudition and the intellectual dialogues in which she participated, encompassing debates on the realms of science and creation.
Published anonymously in 1818, Frankenstein garnered immediate and enduring acclaim. Despite its initial anonymity, the novel eventually garnered recognition as Mary Shelley's brainchild. Her youth and gender added to the astonishment and admiration surrounding the novel's originality and the profound ethical queries it posed. These facets of her identity intersected with contemporary attitudes toward science, galvanism, and the bounds of ethical inquiry, infusing the text with a complexity that continues to fuel literary and philosophical discourse.
Thus, Mary Shelley's youth played a pivotal role in the genesis of Frankenstein, influencing the novel's reception and accentuating its challenge to the scientific and societal norms of the early 19th century. Her perspective as a youthful woman amidst a period of scientific enlightenment and political tumult provided a fresh vantage point through which to explore themes of creation, accountability, and monstrosity. In retrospect, the audacity of an 18-year-old embarking on such a narrative venture unveils not only a prodigious literary talent but also a ruminative intellect grappling with the pressing issues of her era — positioning Mary Shelley as not merely a literary prodigy but a profound commentator on the human condition.
Mary Shelley's Early Life. (2024, Apr 29). Retrieved from https://papersowl.com/examples/mary-shelleys-early-life/
