FRANKENSTEIN'S MONSTERS

The summer of 1816 was dreary, wet and cold in Europe. An eighteen-year old Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin was travelling in with her lover, Percy Shelley, when the two struck up a friendship with the infamous poet, Lord Byron and his physician, John Polidori. During the course of three rainy days in June, the four friends, plus Mary’s stepsister, Claire Clairmont, found themselves confined by the weather to Byron’s residence, the Villa Diodati near Geneva, entertaining themselves by discussing galvanism and reading ghost stories. When Byron suggested that they each write a ghost story of their own, Mary took up the challenge, eventually writing and publishing one of the most influential novels of all time, Frankenstein; or, the Modern Prometheus. In this course, we will go back to that crucial time period in history, analyzing Frankenstein in relation to the literary, political, scientific and environmental events and movements that influenced its creation. We will also examine the process through which Frankenstein came to occupy such an important role in cultural memory as we study a number of more contemporary works that revisit some of the themes that Frankenstein raises: the ethics of scientific inquiry, the fostering of empathy for socially marginalized individuals, the place of humanity in the natural world, the politics of personhood and reproduction and, of course, the meaning of life. Our journey will take us through a number of different genres as we also consider the legacy of Frankenstein in books, film adaptations, and more.

Philip K. Dick, DO ANDROIDS DREAM OF ELECTRIC SHEEP 

ISBN: 9780345404473

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