Mary Shelley and the feminist legacy of Frankenstein

Mary Shelley, the daughter of philosopher Mary Wollstonecraft and William Godwin, was a foundational figure in science fiction and Gothic literature. Raised in a freethinking household in England, she wrote 'Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus' at age 18. The novel, published anonymously in 1818, explores themes of human responsibility and the moral formation of a creature abandoned by its creator.

Literary analysis suggests Shelley’s work, alongside Nathaniel Hawthorne’s 'The Scarlet Letter', serves as a critique of patriarchal structures. Shelley’s writing is noted for its engagement with feminist arguments, specifically regarding the unacknowledged status of women as caretakers. Her biographical background as the daughter of a pioneering feminist provided her with a direct understanding of the structural misogyny present in 19th-century England.

Beyond 'Frankenstein', Shelley authored 'The Last Man', a story depicting a world emptied by plague, and produced significant biographical work, including the editing of her late husband Percy Bysshe Shelley’s poetry.