'Frankenstein'

[kdjellybean]

Can anyone suggest reasons why Mary Shelley set her novel 'Frankenstein' in the eighteenth century when it was written in the nineteenth?

[andy hughes]

Because her novel was based on a dream, which may have been set in an earlier time. There is never any compulsion for writers to write 'to their time', so Ms. Shelley was simply setting her tale where she thought appropriate.

[sft42]

She had the forethought to see that doing so would provide a good english homework question in the late 20th/early 21st centuries.

[kdjellybean]

Actually, I'm teaching this novel (as opposed to studying it); I am not using this forum as a way of getting around homework assignments, in case that's what you're implying. Wouldn't it be nice if responses on AB of the 'all mirth and no matter' variety were kept to themselves! I think it's done to connect the work closely with a particular person, e.g. Locke, Rousseau, Davy, since its purpose doesn't appear to be to allow time for the characters to grow up as is common in nineteenth century novels. I was wondering whether anybody had something more conclusive.

[sft42]

If all the fun answers were kept out it would be boring and dry.....get a sense of humour and if your teaching any subject inject as much of it as possible into your lessons....that way something might stick with the pupils.

[tartanwiz]

The late 18th Century was the beginning of the Enlightenment and the Age of Reason, a turning point in history when science was breaking new ground into the mysteries of nature. It makes sense to set the story during this period, when we were just beginning to find out about such things as our control over nature, rather than at a later date when scientific truths were better established. The Enlightenment was also a period of secular philosophy (such as the works of Locke, Hume, Voltaire, Rousseau, etc), but this poses such questions as: do we have the right to play God? Are we really masters of our own destiny? What happens if we tamper too much with nature? (By the way, don't be put off by humorous answers. Some of us regulars like to lighten the conversation sometimes.). Hope I've helped.