In her novel Frankenstein, Mary Shelley simultaneously spins both a gripping horror story and an intense line of philosophical questioning - specifically, what it means to be human. After the titular character imbues his gargantuan experiment with life, he is overcome with the repulsiveness of his creature and flees, rejecting it as a demon. ... Though his time with the DeLacys first incited his desire to share in the feelings of others' joy, he left feeling bitter, cursing his creator for granting him a life of solitude. ... (Shelley 74), unable to comprehend the violent reaction he eli...

• Word Count: 1509
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

Unfortunately, for both Mary Shelley and her monstrous creation, few noble deeds were encountered, and instead, both received ostracism and even hatred from society. ... The Sorrows of Young Werther were important to Mary Shelley in the understanding of her dead mother as they were important to the monster in understanding human emotion. Mary Shelley's mother tried to kill herself due to her unrequited love for Gilbert Imlay, the father of Mary's half-sister, Fanny. ... Mary Shelley would have been aware of this having already read the Memoirs. Thus, Mary Shelley utilized the work,...

• Word Count: 2479
• Approx Pages: 10
• Grade Level: High School