Referat The Modern Prometheus (Frankenstein) - Mary Wollstonecrafts-Shelly, MAIN CHARACTERS, SUMMARY

1. Autor

Mary Wollstonecrafts-Shelly lived in the years 1797 to 1851. She was the daughter of William Godwins, who had written "Caleb Williams". Mary Wollstonecrafts-Shelly wrote a feminist modification of this book. It is called "A Vindication of the Rights of Women". Her mother died at the birth of Mary. Her father got married again and so Mary had another four brothers and sisters.

At an age of 16 she met Percy Shelly, who was married. But as his pregnant wife commited suicide they got married. As she was 20 years old her first science fiction  novel "The Modern Prometheus" (also known under the title " Frankenstein") got released. This novel reflects her heavy emotional chaos which fixed her youth.

Mary Wollstonecrafts-Shelly died at the age of 53.

2. Main characters

2.1. Viktor Frankenstein

After the death of his mother he became possessed. He wanted to become a master of life and death.

2.2. Elisabeth

She was Frankenstein's cousine. Elisabeth grew up with Viktor. Soon they fell in love and got engaged.

2.3. Henry Clerval

He was Viktor Frankenstein's best friend at the university of Ingolstadt. Henry helped his friend at his experiments although he was against them.

2.4. Robert Walton

He was the captian of a ship with which he and his crew started towards the antarctic. He was the last human that met Viktor Frankenstein.

3. Summary

Robert Walton starts with his ship towards the antarctic. In th pack-ice he and his crew find a completely exhausted man who they take on board. The man tells Robert Walton that his name is Viktor Frankenstein and he also tells him his life-story.

Viktor`s mother dies at the birth of her last child and so Viktor wants to become a doctor and a scientist. To begin his course of study he goes to the university of Ingolstadt. His teachers are not always happy about Viktor`s thirst for knowledge in the subjects physics, chemistry and natural science. He can buy every technical apparatus for his experiments because he has no financial worries. As cholera breaks out in Ingolstadt the morgues are full of corpses. And so Viktor Frankenstein can purloin bodyparts without any scruple. He patchs up the bodyparts for his experiment to create a living human being. He wants to bring his creation into being with the help of a lightning. His first try succeeds. But his monster reacts aggressiv, hostile and virulent and it has to learn again how to stand and how to walk. That`s why Viktor Frankenstein wants to kill it but he can`t and so the monster escapes. Viktor thinks that his monster isn`t viable and so he doesn`t search for it and goes back home.

One day they find Viktor`s little brother murdered in the forest. At a walk Viktor Frankenstein meets his monster. It beginns to speak with Viktor and tells him that he wants revenge for it`s creation and it wants to kill more members of Viktor`s family. Now the monster also kills  Viktor`s ill father and his beloved Elisabeth. That`s why Viktor Frankenstein swears that he will hunt for the monster until he can kill it.

The hunt ends in the antarctic where Robert Walton is the last person who has spoken with Viktor Frankenstein and so he is also the only person who knows all about Viktor`s tragic life. With his last words Viktor Frankenstein asks Robert Walton to bury him and his monster in the ice. Now Viktor`s dead body lies onto a wooden altar as the monster comes nearer. As the ice is melting Robert Walton can only just in time set the altar on fire and can get on his ship again. So Viktor Frankenstein and his monster are unfortunately united in death.

4. The setting

The story takes place in the antarctic, in Ingolstadt and in Switzerland. In the 19^th century.

5. The message the author wants to convey

Nobody should intervene into nature. Nobody should intervene in his or in the destiny of somebody else. So let nature take its course.

6. Personal comment

I liked to read this book very much because I love to read science fiction novels. It isn`t written very hard. And so it was very easy to read.