Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus is a groundbreaking novel written by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, first published anonymously in 1818. A revised edition followed in 1831, which included a new preface by Shelley herself and some structural edits.
Born into literary royalty—daughter of feminist pioneer Mary Wollstonecraft and philosopher William Godwin—Mary Shelley wrote the book when she was just 18 years old, during a storytelling challenge with Percy Bysshe Shelley and Lord Byron in Geneva.
Frankenstein is often considered the first true science fiction novel, though it intertwines strong elements of Gothic horror, romanticism, and philosophical fiction.
Written during a time of scientific revolution and industrial anxiety, Shelley’s work reflects anxieties around human ambition, technological overreach, and moral responsibility. The subtitle The Modern Prometheus underscores the novel’s mythological undercurrent: Prometheus, who stole fire from the gods, mirrors Victor Frankenstein’s theft of divine power through science.
Frankenstein is more than a horror story; it’s a tragic, complex meditation on the dangers of unchecked ambition, the human craving for connection, and society’s monstrous treatment of the misunderstood.
With emotionally raw passages and provocative philosophical reflections, it remains eerily relevant in our modern debates about AI, genetic engineering, and loneliness in an age of hyperconnectivity.
Table of Contents
Frankenstein: Plot Summary
– The Framing Narrative & Victor’s Childhood –
The novel opens with a frame narrative: a series of letters written by Captain Robert Walton to his sister, Margaret Saville. Walton is on an expedition to the North Pole, seeking glory and discovery. During the journey, Walton and his crew spot a strange figure traveling across the ice on a sledge. Soon after, they rescue a nearly frozen and emaciated man—Victor Frankenstein—who begins to tell his tragic story.
Victor’s Early Life and Ambition
Victor Frankenstein is born in Geneva to a wealthy, noble family. He enjoys a loving upbringing with his adopted sister, Elizabeth Lavenza, and his best friend, Henry Clerval. From an early age, Victor is obsessed with science, especially the old, mystical ideas of alchemy.
However, after his mother dies of scarlet fever, he becomes consumed with the idea of defeating death.
Victor leaves for university in Ingolstadt, where his passion for science grows into a dangerous obsession. He studies chemistry and anatomy obsessively and becomes convinced he can unlock the secrets of life. Eventually, he begins constructing a human being out of body parts collected from graveyards and dissecting rooms.
The Birth of the Creature
After years of secretive work, Victor finally succeeds in bringing his creation to life. But the moment the creature opens its eyes, Victor is horrified by its grotesque appearance. He abandons it in fear and guilt, running away and falling ill from the shock.
While Victor recovers, the creature disappears. Victor tries to forget what he did, but soon receives tragic news—his younger brother, William, has been murdered.
First Tragedy and Guilt
Victor returns home to Geneva, where a family servant, Justine Moritz, is accused of the murder based on circumstantial evidence. Victor knows the real killer is his creation, but he remains silent out of fear and shame. Justine is executed, and Victor is haunted by guilt.
Desperate for peace, he retreats to the Alps. There, he is confronted by the creature, who begins to speak—articulately and emotionally.
The creature begs Victor to listen and understand the pain of his existence. What follows is the creature’s own heartbreaking story of rejection, loneliness, and his desperate longing for love and connection.
The Creature’s Story: Born to Suffer
After Victor abandons him, the creature flees into the wilderness. He experiences pain, hunger, cold, and total isolation. Eventually, he finds shelter in a lean-to attached to a cottage inhabited by a poor family—the De Laceys. From them, he secretly learns to speak and read, observing their kindness, love, and sorrow.
The De Laceys become a symbol of everything the creature longs for.
He secretly helps them—collecting wood, clearing paths—but is terrified to show himself. When he finally builds the courage to approach the blind father, things go horribly wrong. The others return, see his terrifying appearance, and violently reject him. The family soon flees the cottage, deepening the creature’s despair.
Rejection and Rage
The creature then travels to Geneva to find his creator. Along the way, he saves a girl from drowning, only to be shot by her companion.
Rejection turns to rage. When he arrives in Geneva, he encounters William Frankenstein, Victor’s young brother, and kills him—believing that hurting Victor’s family will avenge his own pain. He plants evidence on Justine, leading to her execution.
Now, standing before Victor in the Alps, the creature pleads not just for understanding—but for a mate, someone like himself. He promises to vanish from human society forever if Victor creates a female companion.
Victor’s Moral Dilemma
Victor reluctantly agrees. He travels to the Orkney Islands in Scotland, where he isolates himself to begin building the new creature. But the more he works, the more fear grips him:
- What if they reproduce?
- What if she hates the original creature?
- What if he creates a race of monsters?
Just as he is about to finish, Victor destroys the female creature before bringing her to life. The original creature, watching through a window, is enraged.
Revenge Begins
The creature swears vengeance, delivering one chilling warning: “I shall be with you on your wedding night.” Victor takes this as a threat to his own life. After dumping the remains of the second creature in the sea, Victor is arrested for murder upon landing in Ireland.
To his horror, the body discovered is Henry Clerval—his best friend. Victor is consumed by guilt and illness but is eventually acquitted and returns home.
Despite everything, Victor marries Elizabeth. On their wedding night, he fears the creature will kill him—but instead, the monster murders Elizabeth. Realizing too late that the threat was never to his life but to his happiness, Victor is utterly broken.
Aftermath of Elizabeth’s Death
Elizabeth’s murder shatters Victor. When he returns home, he finds that his father dies from grief shortly after hearing the news. Now completely alone and consumed by vengeance, Victor swears to destroy the creature he created.
Victor begins a relentless pursuit across Europe. The creature constantly leaves behind taunting messages and clues, leading Victor northward through Russia and eventually into the icy Arctic regions.
This is where the frame narrative picks up again: Victor is found by Captain Robert Walton and his crew, drifting on the ice, exhausted and near death.
Walton’s Journal: Victor’s Last Words
While recovering aboard the ship, Victor recounts his entire story to Walton, warning him of the dangers of ambition and unchecked scientific curiosity. Despite everything, Victor remains convinced that his goal—to eliminate the creature—is righteous.
Soon after finishing his tale, Victor dies from exhaustion and illness.
The Creature’s Final Goodbye
Shortly after Victor’s death, the creature boards the ship, discovering his creator has died. He speaks to Walton, expressing grief, regret, and remorse. He says he never wanted to be a monster—only to be loved. His crimes were driven by misery and rejection, not malice for its own sake.
The creature then announces his intention to go far north and kill himself. He vanishes into the frozen darkness, leaving Walton—and the reader—with a haunting silence.
Frankenstein ends not with triumph or revenge but with loss, isolation, and broken dreams. Both creator and creation are ruined by pride, pain, and misunderstanding. The novel closes with Walton aborting his own dangerous mission, having learned from Victor’s tragedy that some pursuits simply aren’t worth the cost.
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 even the Arctic. The tale begins and ends in the Arctic with the explorer Robert Walton seeking a north-west passage.
On his journey he first meets Victor Frankenstein and later the monster himself. The barren Arctic landscape is a fitting symbol for the ill-fated scientific enterprise on which Frankenstein has embarked.
As Dr Frankenstein lies dying, he recounts his story to Walton. When he speaks of his home in Geneva by a blue lake and snowy mountains, his words are filled with fondness, warmth, and light. At the age of 17 Frankenstein became a student at the University of Ingolstadt, in upper Bavaria, where he would later create the monster.
Frankenstein recoils from his creation and the monster flees. The rest of the novel follows the theme of pursuit. Frankenstein has a nervous breakdown and returns to the peacefulness of home.
To cure his despair, he wanders on one occasion to the valley of Chamounix. Here, he encounters the monster once more. Shelley’s descriptive powers heighten whenever she presents the monster against a background of sublime and terrifying nature. Frankenstein is mountain-climbing across a “troubled sea” of ice (prophetic of the setting at the end of the novel) when the monster bounds towards him over the ice crevices.
As the monster tells of his adventures since his creation, the scene shifts to Germany and the humble cottage of the De Laceys, whom the creature has watched to learn how people act and talk.
After promising to make a mate for the monster, Frankenstein plans a trip to England with his friend Clerval. On their way they travel leisurely on the Rhine. From London they travel north to Edinburgh, where they go their separate ways. All the time the monster has been following them. Frankenstein goes to a remote island in the Orkneys to create the female companion for the monster. In desolate surroundings the monster reappears and, when Frankenstein destroys the female creature, vows revenge.
Frankenstein goes sailing to dispose of the female body parts and his boat is blown off course to Ireland. There he is accused of his friend Clerval’s murder and is thrown into prison, where he again suffers a mental collapse.
Released into his father’s custody, he returns to Geneva, but this time the restorative powers of home cannot save him. The monster takes his revenge and Frankenstein vows to follow him until he can rid the world of the fiend he has created. The pursued becomes the pursuer.
Analysis
a. Characters
Victor Frankenstein
Victor is a gifted but tragically flawed scientist. His hubris and unchecked ambition drive the novel’s core conflict. He’s the quintessential Romantic figure—brilliant, tortured, isolated by intellect and guilt. Initially passionate about “penetrating the secrets of nature” (Chapter 2), Victor quickly becomes consumed by the horror of his own success:
“Learn from me… how dangerous is the acquirement of knowledge and how much happier that man is who believes his native town to be the world.” — Chapter 4
Victor’s emotional arc is one of deterioration. He begins as an idealistic dreamer and ends as a broken man haunted by the death and destruction caused by his own irresponsibility.
The Creature
Though often mistaken as the monster, the Creature is arguably the most human character in the book. Created with innocence and a desire for love, he is shaped by society’s rejection and violence. His eloquent speech reveals his depth:
“I ought to be thy Adam, but I am rather the fallen angel…” — Chapter 10
What makes him tragic is not his appearance but the way he is denied even the chance to be kind. He evolves from gentle observer to bitter avenger. His development questions the real monstrosity—his actions or the society that created him?
Robert Walton
Walton mirrors Victor—a seeker of glory and knowledge. His letters frame the narrative. Unlike Victor, however, Walton ultimately chooses human connection over ambition. His character is a warning that we can still step back from the abyss.
Elizabeth, Henry Clerval, and Others
- Elizabeth represents idealized femininity—kind, passive, and tragically doomed.
- Henry Clerval, Victor’s best friend, is a foil: compassionate, creative, and grounded.
- Justine Moritz, the servant executed for a crime she didn’t commit, symbolizes the innocent victims of Victor’s failure.
b. Writing Style and Structure
Mary Shelley’s prose is lyrical, dense, and philosophical. She combines the emotional richness of Romanticism with the psychological probing of Gothic literature. The novel’s frame narrative (letters within stories within memories) adds a multi-layered psychological depth.
Her use of imagery and symbolism is striking. Consider the famous description of the creature’s birth:
“It was already one in the morning; the rain pattered dismally against the panes…”
This paints not just a scene but a mood of unnatural dread. Shelley also employs allusions—such as Milton’s Paradise Lost, Dante’s Inferno, and Greek mythology—deepening the philosophical weight.
Moreover, her pacing is deliberate. The emotional build-up often lingers before catastrophe strikes. This slow burn makes the story feel more real and tragic.
Themes and Symbolism
1. The Dangers of Ambition and Overreaching
Victor’s scientific quest reflects Enlightenment-era confidence in progress. But Shelley warns: knowledge without responsibility is destructive. Victor says:
“When I reflected on the work I had completed, the energy of my purpose alone sustained me: my labors now drew near a close…” — Chapter 5
His creation, meant to glorify man, becomes a curse. This theme remains startlingly relevant today in debates on AI, cloning, and biotechnology.
2. Isolation and Loneliness
Both Victor and the creature suffer from extreme isolation, a recurring motif. The creature’s plea—“I am alone and miserable: man will not associate with me” (Chapter 15)—resonates as a universal cry for belonging.
3. Nature as a Healing and Reflective Force
Nature provides brief refuge. The Alps, lakes, and forests are described in almost spiritual terms. But nature also turns bleak, mirroring inner despair:
“The cup of life was poisoned forever…” — Chapter 9
4. Creation and Responsibility
What does it mean to be a parent or a god? Victor’s failure to care for his creation raises profound ethical questions. The Creature is not evil by design—he becomes monstrous through neglect and abuse.
5. Justice and Injustice
From Justine’s wrongful execution to the monster’s rejection, injustice pervades the story. Shelley critiques a society that judges by appearance, not truth.
Genre-Specific Elements
Gothic and Romantic Fusion
- Gothic: haunted settings, emotional excess, the grotesque (the creature), obsession, death.
- Romantic: nature worship, emotional introspection, the individual vs. society.
Shelley mixes these to deliver both terror and intellectual depth.
Science Fiction Pioneering
Shelley’s Frankenstein is considered the first true science fiction novel. She imagines a world shaped by human-made life, decades before the field even existed.
Psychological Horror
Unlike many Gothic tales, the fear here is not from ghosts but from human failings: abandonment, guilt, isolation.
Evaluation
Strengths
1. Timeless Relevance
One of Frankenstein’s greatest strengths lies in how perpetually relevant it remains. Whether viewed through the lens of biotechnology, AI, or parenting, Shelley’s insights into ethical responsibility still resonate. Victor’s confession—“Learn from me, if not by my precepts, at least by my example…” (Chapter 4)—sounds eerily familiar in an age of rapid technological experimentation.
2. Emotional Complexity
Both Victor and the Creature are portrayed with such psychological depth that it’s impossible to label one simply as a “villain.” Shelley invites readers to empathize with the monster, challenging our assumptions about good and evil. The line:
“I am alone and miserable: man will not associate with me,” — Chapter 15
is one of the most hauntingly human declarations in literature.
3. Symbolism and Language
The evocative prose, the stormy landscapes, the philosophical monologues—all make this novel not just a story but an experience. Shelley’s command over literary symbolism (fire, light, ice, nature) elevates Frankenstein into an allegorical masterpiece.
Weaknesses
1. Uneven Pacing
Some readers may find the pacing in certain sections sluggish, particularly Victor’s introspective rants or Walton’s Arctic letters. While they enrich the philosophical undertone, they may feel meandering to modern audiences accustomed to faster storytelling.
2. Underdeveloped Female Characters
Elizabeth and Justine, though pivotal to the emotional stakes, are written as passive figures, reflective of 19th-century gender norms. Shelley’s focus remains squarely on Victor and the creature, leaving women in the margins of narrative power.
Elizabeth is described as “the living spirit of love to soften and attract” — Chapter 2
— a beautiful line, but it reduces her role to an ideal rather than a person.
Impact
Reading Frankenstein for the first time felt like holding up a mirror to the darker side of human potential. It challenges readers not just to fear monsters but to examine what creates them. The emotional devastation I felt when the creature mourned Victor—his abuser and creator—was indescribable.
“He [Victor] suffered not more… than the anguish that was mine.” — Chapter 24
In that moment, Shelley flips the narrative entirely: the so-called monster becomes the most empathetic soul in the book. That switch wrecked me.
Comparison with Similar Works
- Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (Robert Louis Stevenson): While both explore duality and monstrosity, Shelley leans more heavily on creation and responsibility.
- Brave New World (Aldous Huxley): Both share ethical concerns about science, but Shelley’s is more emotionally personal.
- The Picture of Dorian Gray (Oscar Wilde): Dorian and Victor share self-destruction through unchecked vanity, but Frankenstein is more tragic in tone.
Frankenstein remains unique in combining philosophy, horror, and humanity with such clarity.
Reception and Criticism
Originally published anonymously, Frankenstein received mixed reviews. Some admired its originality; others found it morally disturbing or too philosophical. Over the centuries, it has grown into a cornerstone of Western literature.
According to Google Scholar, Frankenstein appears in over 34,000 academic citations, with over 15 film adaptations and countless literary responses.
Harold Bloom called it “the most extraordinary novel ever written by a teenager,” highlighting its rare combination of genius and emotional insight.
Adaptations (Notable Ones)
- 1931 Universal Pictures’ Frankenstein: The most iconic adaptation. This version cemented the image of the “monster” in pop culture.
- Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (1994): Directed by Kenneth Branagh, starring Robert De Niro. It remains one of the most faithful renditions.
- Frankenstein in pop culture: From Frankenstein, MD (YouTube series) to references in Blade Runner, Shelley’s work has evolved into a modern myth.
“Beware; for I am fearless, and therefore powerful.” — Chapter 20
This line alone has been quoted in political speeches, self-help books, and films.
Valuable and Notable Information
- Historical Significance: Written during the “Year Without a Summer” (1816) after the Mount Tambora eruption, the gloomy weather added to the novel’s tone.
- Feminist Perspective: Shelley critiques patriarchal creation myths—Victor births life without a woman and fails catastrophically.
- Academic Relevance: Common in syllabi for literature, ethics, philosophy, and even computer science (AI ethics modules).
- Search Trends: According to Ahrefs and Google Trends (2024 data), keywords like “Frankenstein AI ethics,” “Frankenstein vs. creator,” and “Frankenstein quotes on loneliness” receive over 100,000 searches per month combined.
Personal Insight with Contemporary Educational Relevance
Reading Frankenstein in the 21st century felt like receiving a deeply personal letter from the past—one that speaks, uncannily, to the present.
Personal Insight: A Mirror to Our Inner Monsters
What shook me most wasn’t the horror, but how intimately human this book is. Victor Frankenstein’s downfall isn’t rooted in malice but in a very relatable arrogance—the belief that because we can do something, we should. That lesson echoed deeply during moments in my own life where ambition blinded me to consequences. Victor’s regret became mine.
The creature’s ache for love, his spiral into vengeance, and his eloquent self-awareness made me pause. I felt a lump in my throat when he said:
“I was benevolent and good; misery made me a fiend.” — Chapter 15
It reminded me of people in real life—bullied, rejected, misunderstood—who were never given a chance. I’ve been both the judge and the judged. This book exposed that duality in a way no modern novel has managed.
Contemporary Educational Relevance
1. Ethics in Science and Technology
In a world of gene editing, AI, robotics, and bioengineering, Frankenstein is no longer a cautionary myth—it’s a case study. Schools and universities now assign this novel in bioethics, STEM, and philosophy courses not just for literary merit, but for real-world reflection.
Victor’s ethical failure—creating life without considering responsibility—parallels modern debates around:
- CRISPR gene editing
- Artificial intelligence autonomy
- Designer babies
- Weaponized robotics
Just like Victor, we’re asking: What happens after the invention? Who is responsible? What makes us human?
“You seek for knowledge and wisdom, as I once did… yet I cannot counsel you.” — Victor to Walton, Chapter 24
This warning belongs in every scientific textbook.
2. Psychology and Social Science
From a psychological standpoint, Frankenstein explores:
- Attachment theory (the creature lacks a caregiver)
- Social rejection and identity
- Guilt, trauma, and dissociation
It’s relevant in counseling, neuroscience, and behavioral psychology curricula. The novel asks: What shapes the mind more—nature or nurture?
“Everywhere I see bliss, from which I alone am irrevocably excluded.” — Chapter 16
That quote is a study in emotional deprivation—a feeling too many students, patients, and even professionals face in silence today.
3. Literature, Gender, and History
Mary Shelley—writing under the shadow of her parents’ radical ideas—crafted a novel that subtly critiques:
- Male-dominated science
- The absence of maternal presence
- Patriarchal creative power (Victor attempts to give birth without a woman)
In gender studies and feminist theory, the novel becomes an early critique of masculine hubris and gendered control over creation.
In fact, modern scholars often argue that Victor’s downfall stems from a rejection of the feminine principle of nurture.
Classroom Use and Student Impact
In my experience tutoring literature, no book has sparked richer classroom discussion than Frankenstein.
Students debate who the real monster is. Some empathize with the creature, others criticize Victor’s cowardice. Some focus on science, others on emotion. That’s what makes it so brilliant—it lives differently in every reader.
In a time of increasing mental health awareness, technological acceleration, and existential dread, Frankenstein isn’t an old book.
It’s the book of now.
Conclusion
Overall Impressions
Reading Frankenstein was like peeling back the skin of civilization and staring into the raw, unfiltered core of what it means to be human—messy, brilliant, lonely, and cruel. Mary Shelley didn’t just write a horror novel.
She painted a psychological landscape where creator and creation mirror each other’s flaws. Her use of language, structure, and symbolism makes the novel a masterclass in emotional depth and philosophical inquiry.
The most devastating realization? The monster was never the creature—it was our failure to see him.
Victor Frankenstein, the man, becomes a metaphor for every time we create something out of pride, then run from it when it becomes inconvenient. The creature represents the abandoned, the misunderstood, and the unheard voices in all societies—then and now.
As he fades into the Arctic, promising to die in the icy desolation, the creature doesn’t leave you. He stays. In your conscience. In your chest.
Who Should Read Frankenstein?
This book is for:
- Students of literature, ethics, psychology, and philosophy.
- Scientists and engineers reflecting on the consequences of innovation.
- Readers who appreciate gothic, tragic, or psychologically rich stories.
- Educators looking for interdisciplinary texts.
- Anyone who has ever felt rejected, alone, or burdened by what they’ve created.
Whether you’re a teenager discovering Shelley’s world for the first time or a researcher unpacking its endless themes, Frankenstein promises not a comfortable read—but a necessary one.
Why This Book Matters
In 1818, Mary Shelley saw a future we’re only just stepping into. She anticipated that human innovation without emotional intelligence is dangerous. Her book asks questions the modern world still struggles to answer:
- What is life?
- Who gets to create it?
- And when we do—what do we owe it?
“I desired love and fellowship, and I was still spurned. Was there no injustice in this?” — Chapter 20
That line alone could sit in a psychology journal, a court testimony, or a child’s diary. It’s timeless.
Final Reflection
If you’ve ever feared your ambitions, been punished for being different, or lost control of something you thought you could handle—this book is for you.
It will wreck you, then heal you, not with answers, but with better questions.
And that, perhaps, is the greatest gift Mary Shelley left us.
