Contexts of Writing: ENGL10032

′And now, once again, I bid my hideous progeny go forth and prosper′ (Mary

Shelley′s introduction to the 1831 edition). Analyse the ideas of authorship

and/or parenthood in relation to Frankenstein.

The issue of parenthood pervades Mary Shelley′s

Frankenstein

, corresponding to the

life of the author herself. This essay will discuss and analyse various aspects of

parenthood apparent within

Frankenstein,

associating this with the author. In this

discussion it will become apparent that there are strong parallels of parenthood,

between the life of art of Mary Shelley. The most striking examples of these parallels

can be seen in the contexts of the comparisons between the creators, the absence of a

mother figure, the oedipal myth and marginal characters within the novel.

Shelley′s novel is constructed through different first person narratives, which are

supported by the peripheral narratives of the preface and introduction. In the

periphery Shelley dedicates the novel to her father, showing her respect and adoration

of William Godwin, whilst addressing him as an equal; "respectfully inscribed by the

author.1" This directly precedes the quote from Paradise Lost; "Did I request thee,

Maker, from my clay/ To mould Me man?2" Before the story begins, creation

addresses creator, a theme which continues to run strong throughout the novel,

causing many to claim that Frankenstein is a novel about parents3.

"My imagination, unbidden, possessed and guided me.4"

In the introduction to the 1831 version, Shelley′s tale of how she "thought of a story5"

is filled with language which implies that the story is not her own doing, but that of

her possessed mind. Shelley is essentially denying her own authorship, which can be

similarly compared to Victor, who denies his parental responsibilities to the creature

and the implications of creation. The creature also develops his language and identity

through the DeLaceys as he plays his own part in their socially symbolic structure.

1 Shelley, Mary.

Frankenstein or The Modern Prometheus,

(Hertfordshire: Wordsworth Editions

Limited, 1993) p. 7.

2 Shelley, Mary.

Frankenstein or The Modern Prometheus

p. 11. Passage from Milton′s Paradise Lost,

Book 10 pp. 743 -745

3 Moers, Ellen.

Female Gothic

from

Literary Women,

(London: The Women′s Press, 1977)

4 Shelley, Mary.

Frankenstein or The Modern Prometheus,

p. 4.

5 Shelley, Mary.

Frankenstein or The Modern Prometheus

, p. 5.

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Contexts of Writing: ENGL10032

Victor as the subject is highly self-obsessed. He initially pushes his own creation to

the margins of society purely on the basis of his deformed appearance. Even from the

outset, Victor economises when collecting parts for his creature. "The minuteness of

parts formed a great hindrance to my speed.6" In order to save himself time, Victor

has produced an abnormally large creation which is consequently an "aesthetic

disappointment.7" This further supports the theory that Victor′s unnatural parenthood

is entirely self-interested and motivated by his desire for transcendence. He imagines

the power relationship and that "a new species would ... owe their being to me.8"

Conversely, the Creature is the archetypal Other, excluded from society in order for

`normal′ humans to measure themselves against. However, the Creature′s position of

being the subaltern gives him the advantage that he can see the world in a pellucid

way. The abject being can see what he is not when observing from the margins,

whilst the powerful side of the binary is only interested in the self.

Frankenstein′s dream in chapter five is said to be immersed in oedipal references and

these tie in with the parental theme in the novel. The dream seems to be "the

connection between [Frankenstein′s] desire to create life and the desire to resurrect

his mother.9" In an oedipal context, the substitution of Frankenstein′s semi-

incestuous fiancé for the corpse of his mother shows desire combined with horror, and

sex mixed with death. His unnatural desire for the mother also corresponds to his

unnatural desire to create without a female figure. However, it could be argued that

Frankenstein′s desires are not sexual, but that he innocently wishes his mother to be

resurrected from the dead; "I might ... renew life where death had apparently devoted

the body to corruption.10" In his text "Making Monstrous," Fred Botting claims that

Frankenstein wishes to have the godlike power of the unknown, rather than an oedipal

desire for his mother. As Botting quite rightly states "The implications of

Frankenstein′s desire for and discovery of the secret of life are more disturbing than

incest.11"

6 Shelley, Mary.

Frankenstein or The Modern Prometheus

, p.43.

7 Botting, Fred. p. 134.

8 Shelley, Mary.

Frankenstein or The Modern Prometheus

, p.43.

9 Hill-Miller, Katherine C.

′My Hideous Progeny′: Mary Shelley, William Godwin, and the Father-
Daughter Relationship,

(Newark: University of Delaware Press, 1995) pp. 249.

10 Shelley, Mary.

Frankenstein or The Modern Prometheus,

p. 43.

11 Botting, Fred.

Making Monstrous

, (Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1991) pp.130 ­ 133.

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