About the Author

Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin was the daughter of two illustrious parents, William Godwin, a pioneer of philosophical radicalism, and Mary Wollstonecraft, whose A Vindication of the […]

Overview

Few works of fiction have captured the public’s imagination as Frankenstein has. Several plays, numerous movies, television shows, and even comic strips have been based […]

Setting

The setting of the novel ranges all over Europe, emphasizing places with which Shelley herself was familiar: Italy, Switzerland, Germany, France, England, Scotland, Ireland, and […]

Themes and Characters

Victor Frankenstein is a brilliant, rational, and self-centered man who comes to understand the importance of friendship, family, and love. His monster is brutal and […]

Literary Qualities

Shelley uses an important literary technique-the story-within-a-story-within-a-story. Walton tells the whole story of Frankenstein and his monster as related to him by Frankenstein, with the […]