HORROR ESCAPE ROOM

Frankenstein

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sofia lelli

Title: Frankenstein or The Modern PrometheusAuthor: Mary Shelley Date: first edition - 1818 (anonymous version); second edition - 1823 (with Mary’s name on the cover); third edition - 1831. Setting: North Pole, Switzerland, Germany and England.

Presentation:

Mary Shelley...

Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin was born on 30th August 1797 in London. Her father, William Godwin, was a political novelist, philosopher and publisher and her mother, Mary Wollstonecraft was a famous feminist and writer. Mary never knew her mother, as she died soon after her birth. Mary did not have a formal education but she grew up in an intellectually exciting environment as her home welcomed many poets, such as Samuel Taylor Coleridge and Percy Bysshe Shelley. Mary met Percy at 14 years old and they began a love affair and in 1814 they ran away to France (Percy was already married to Harriet Westbrook).

Mary Shelley...

During her life, Mary had five children but only one survived and this caused her great suffering and frequent depression. Because of their financial debts, the Shelleys moved to Italy in 1818: it was a period of great unhappiness. In 1822, Percy drowned near the Gulf of La Spezia. Mary then returned to London to publish Percy’s poems and she died in 1851 after many years of illness. Mary was a proficient writer; she wrote about her 1814 travels in Europe with Percy and then published several books, in particular, the first edition of Frankenstein in 1818.

Summary...

"Frankenstein," written by Mary Shelley, is a Gothic novel that tells the story of Victor Frankenstein. The tragic story is narrated through the letters of Captain Walton who meets Frankenstein in the Arctic. Victor Frankenstein is a scientist who becomes obsessed with creating life. Using various body parts, Victor constructs a creature and brings it to life through a secret experiment. However, horrified by the creature's monstrous appearance, he abandons it. The creature, rejected by his creator and society, decides to vindicate himself and he begins to destroy Victor’s life by killing his loved ones. First, the monster kills Victor’s brother, William, then Victor’s best friend Henry Clerval and in the end, Victor’s wife Elizabeth. Victor’s father dies as soon as he finds out that Elizabeth has been killed.

Summary...

The monster confesses to Victor that his miserable life could improve if he creates a female companion with whom he could share his life. At first Victor wanted to fulfill the creature’s request but in the end he refused to create another terrible monster. Wracked with guilt and grief, Victor follows the creature to the Arctic; during his chase he meets Captain Robert Walton who is the one who will tell Victor’s story. Victor falls ill during the trip and dies shortly after telling Walton his story; Walton promises Victor to find and kill the terrible monster who has caused so much suffering. The creature, filled with remorse, vows to end his own life and disappears into the Arctic wilderness. The novel explores themes of ambition and the effects of isolation and rejection.

Victor Frankenstein:Victor is the protagonist and the main narrator of the story. He studies at Ingolstadt where he discovers the secret of life and creates an intelligent but grotesque monster.

The Monster:the monster is created by the scientist Victor Frankenstein, he is very tall, intelligent and eloquent but he feels abandoned by his master and so he seeks revenge against his creator.

Captain Robert Walton: he narrates the story of Frankenstein through his letters addressed to his sister in England. He is exploring the Arctic seas and during his journey he rescues Victor Frankenstein.

The main caracters...

William Victor’s brother

Elizabeth Lavenza: Victor’s future wife

Justine Moritz: a girl unfairly accused of William’s murder

Second caracters...

In my opinion, Frankenstein is a very interesting novel because it discusses important themes such as revenge and isolation. Moreover, the story is extremely tragic because it shows the lack of empathy in humankind and the cruelty of abandonment. Unfortunately there is no happy ending and all the characters die in a dramatic way. If you love horror stories, Frankenstein is the perfect book to read.

personal opinion:

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