Category Is : Mother Of Horror
- MegTheGhoul
- Jun 14, 2023
- 9 min read
"A new species would bless me as its creator and source; many happy and excellent natures would owe their being to me. No father could claim the gratitude of his child so completely as I should deserve theirs" - Victor Frankenstein
Rain drops beat against the window relentlessly to create an orchestra of dread and nightmares. Mary Shelley lays disturbed in her slumber, tossing and turning as sweat lines her forehead. Within a dream, a goliath was hunched over, and Shelley knew his intentions were that of benevolence. At least that is what we are led to believe through various depictions of this iconic moment. However, the idea of Frankenstein is thought to have come to Shelley in a 'waking dream' during the day. Regardless, in the year 1816, the very foundations of horror were built.
Mary Shelley was about to become the 'Mother of Monsters' and an icon.
The Early Life of Mary Shelley
Mary Shelley was born on the 30th of August, 1797 in London, England to parents William Godwin and Mary Wollstonecraft. Her childhood took place during the reign of King George III, also known as the 'regency era' known for the grand festivities of the wealthy coupled with strict societal rules and regulations. Tragically for Shelley, her early life would not be filled with said festivities, as just two weeks after her birth Mary Wollstonecraft passed away. Historians have argued that Shelley was permanently marked by this loss for the rest of her life, and I am inclined to believe this.
To fully understand Shelley, we need to look at her parents. Yes, just like all of us, Shelley's life was deeply impacted by her parents’ actions and decisions, even those that occurred before her birth. Firstly, William Godwin was a renowned philosopher for his time, mostly associated with the idea of 'anarchy', ensuring that Shelley was born into an environment full of well-connected academic circles with challenging ideas. But some would argue the most important relationship in Shelley's life was with someone she never truly met, her mother. Mary Wollstonecraft could be described in modern terms as a 'feminist’ and contributed greatly to women's rights during her lifetime. One of these contributions comes in the form of literature, " The Vindication of the rights of Women", 1792 in which Wollstonecraft address a still prevalent stereotype of women, stating...
“My own sex, I hope, will excuse me, if I treat them like rational creatures, instead of flattering their fascinating graces, and viewing them as if they were in a state of perpetual childhood, unable to stand alone.” -Mary Wollstonecraft (1792)
Being a Ghoul means I have been in this earthly realm for far too long, but even my little black heart sighs when I think about how relevant this quote still is. Wollstonecraft rallied for women's education and equal rights, even opening her own school for women before it was unfortunately shut down. I am sure it came as no surprise to the people who knew Wollstonecraft that her daughter would possess the same views.
To say Shelley was inspired by her mother's work would be the understatement of the century. Shelley had a strong desire to connect to her mother through the work she left behind. This created a window that Shelley could see the person her mother was, learning about her beliefs and world view that would later inspire Shelley’s own work. By the age of ten, Shelley had all her mother's works memorised and began a ritual of reading to her mother, at her grave. This is the image most of the world has of Mary Shelley, a melancholy soul sat in the cemetery surrounded by gloom. I would like to say that this is fiction but even though it may be a heightened depiction of Mary Shelley, there is a lot of truth in this image.
After the death of her mother, William Godwin was left devastated and in a predicament. He would not be able to raise his children alone, and eventually re-married to woman by the name Mary Jane Clairmont. The wicked stepmother is a tale as old as time and Mary Shelley was about to intimately understand this trope to the fullest degree. Whilst Shelley's father encouraged her academic curiosity and allowed her to mingle in the circles of scholars and poets, her stepmother was pre-occupied with tearing down her self-esteem. Beatings would often take place and it became clear to Shelley that a mother figure was not in the cards for her. This manifested in Shelley being a 'sickly' child, the most popular opinion being that this was caused due to anxiety and stress generated from being in a volatile environment. Eventually, Shelley was deemed so ill that she is shipped off to an acquaintance of her fathers to breathe in healing air. Being away from her stepmother predictably helped her condition to improve, but it also changed her beyond the physical. Mary Shelley was staying with a family that operated differently to her own, seeming to surround each other with love and acceptance. This would inspire the inner workings of her literary monster before the idea was even conceived.
Breathing Life Into The Monster
If I told you this image depicts the iconic monster that has been burned into our frontal lobe since we set our eyes upon Boris Karloff in Frankenstein (1931), would you be surprised? I wouldn't blame you. But this is how Mary Shelley envisioned her monster and it could not be further from the iconic image we have come to know and adore.
Originally titled ' Frankenstein: The Modern Prometheus', the story follows Victor Frankenstein as he embarks on a quest to create life and escape death. Through rough terrain and cruel seas, Frankenstein's creation follows him in pursuit of a companion and discovers how monstrous our world can be. Shelley creates the perfect landscape for humanities cruelty and desire to be explored, through the monsters eyes.
Why the ' modern Prometheus'? First let’s tackle, who is Prometheus? A titan that was known for crafting humankind and giving them the gift of fire, with a love for humans that ran so deep even Zeus thought it was strange. So why would Shelley choose this figure as inspiration for her novel? The theme of creation is evident, and since Prometheus was celebrated as a craftsman it is a no-brainer that Victor Frankenstein and the great titan have that much in common. The main difference being that Prometheus was thought of as an excellent planner with the ability of 'forethought' to aid him on his endeavours. I do believe Victor Frankenstein thought himself to be of similar Calabar, but it seems the gift of 'forethought' was amiss. Surely this would have told Frankenstein his pursuits would end in tragedy and despair, much like his fellow creator Prometheus. But in true masculine fashion, Frankenstein ignores rational thought in favour of obsession.
Although Mary Shelley's vision of her monster is not as horrific and grotesque as later adaptations came to be, for the time of release this would have been a frightening image. The monster is depicted as laying down in the image above, but it is clear to see how his proportions were incredibly large (considering how small the population of the world was in the 1800's, literally).
"A flash of lightning illuminated the object, and discovered its shape plainly to me; its gigantic stature, and the deformity of its aspect, more hideous than belongs to humanity, instantly informed that it was the wretch, the filthy demon to whom I had given life." - Victor Frankenstein
Unlike Prometheus, Frankenstein did not share an affection for his creation. Despite the long hours obtaining corpses to be broken and reassembled, despite the late nights labouring over his magnum opus, nothing could prepare Victor for the new life he created. In fact, Frankenstein barely gave the gravity of his actions any thought, other than how cool and boss babe he would look to the scientific community. But Ghouls, it is safe to say that Victor boss babed a bit too close to the sun and could not gate keep and gaslight his way out of this one.
The 1800's was a time of scientific exploration like never before, with new inventions sprouting from each corner of the world. Shelley observed these events and couldn't help but wonder, how far will this go? A question many of us find ourselves asking as AI art is steamrolling ahead, and new crypto currency scams litter the internet. This anxiety pulsates through 'Frankenstein'(1818), with Victor practically foaming at the mouth at the thought of pushing contemporary science to its limits. The arrogance that Victor carries himself with during his experimentation made 13-year-old me cringe, and this feeling still holds true for me 10 years later. Shelley seemed to believe science has its limits, and that men of this era were blind to the consequences of their scientific achievements, much like Victor. Although, there are no reports of these scientists being chased down by their inventions until their spirit and zest for life were broken. Victor would not be so lucky.
I could detail every major plot point and deconstruct each iconic line until my eyes bled over my keyboard, but a Ghoul has neighbours to haunt and seances to attend. So, let us focus on Shelley's craftmanship when breathing life into 'Frankenstein'(1818). Shelley suffered greatly throughout her life, and it is no surprise that this crept into her novel. After her mother's death, Shelley had no sign of maternal guidance or support other than the graveyard visits and various writings her mother left behind. The lack of connection haunted Shelley all the way into adulthood and festered, until William Shelley was born. Bringing life into the world carries weighty responsibility, and Shelley did not feel as though her experience in childhood was helping the matter. An anxiety so strong we can see its effects within the lines of 'Frankenstein'(1818), in which Victor’s nephew William becomes a victim of the monster’s grasp. It is believed, due to the name and similarity in appearance to Shelley's own son, that Victors' nephew (William) was a device for Shelley to explore her maternal anxieties. With the death of the child reflecting the harm Shelley feared they would unknowingly inflict upon their child with having no framework to base motherhood on. Sadly, William Shelley did in fact die due to illness at the young age of 3 years old, although this was no fault of Mary Shelley, I am sure this tragic event helped worsen their anxiety towards motherhood.
Queer horror fans often identify with the monsters of these iconic horror tales and in the case of 'Frankenstein'(1818) this is especially so. Historians speculate about Shelley's sexuality to this day partly due to letters describing the affection felt for one of Shelley's female 'friends', and all I have to say is so what if Shelley liked to get "tousy mousy" with women?
Tousy mousy definition: Often reffers to a vulva or vagina, and/or relates to sexual acts with women.
Regardless of Shelley's sexual orientation, queer people throughout time have identified with the monsters' struggle for acceptance and tolerance within 'Frankenstein'(1818), but also with the monster's anger and contempt for the cruel world around him. With passages such as...
"There was none among the myriads of men who existed who would pity or assist me; and should I feel kindness towards my enemies? No: from that moment I declared everlasting war against the species, and, more than all, against him who had formed me, and sent me forth to this insupportable misery." - Victor Frankensteins Creation.
Shelley invoked feelings of empathy towards this supposed "demon" and "abomination", as many of us know the feeling of isolation. However, the queer horror community took the tale of 'Frankenstein'(1818) and its monster and held them up to be beloved queer icons of their own. If we believe the historians that argue Shelley was 100% straight and definitely did not, under any circumstances, even look at a woman's ankle! Then at the very least, Shelley was an ally to all those who feel abandoned by the systems at play or even their family and friends. Frankenstein's monster did not ask to be created the way he was, and although he was prone to violence and destruction, I can't say I really blame him. Humanity was never going to accept him, and his own creator rejected him and looked upon him with disgust, facing rejection at every turn. What impression would you have of humanity if this is all you knew? Unfortunately, too many queer people do share this experience and that is why Shelley and her monster remain legendary in our community. Well, that and the queer sexual escapades of Shelley and their husband... Lord Byron I'm looking at you.
The Legacy
So much mystery surrounds Mary Shelley and the inner workings of the process behind 'Frankenstein'(1818). How did a waking dream become the start of something so hauntingly iconic? So iconic that it birthed the beginnings of a whole genre! Inspiring greats such as Edgar Allan Poe to go on and create twisted tales of the macabre and in turn himself inspire legends such as Hitchcock. It is all a thread that leads back to the one and only Mary Shelley.
A horror Queen fit for any ivory throne of bones. A gothic romantic who wept at the grave of their mother and kept their lover’s heart in a jar until the day she died. Even if you have not yet read 'Frankenstein'(1818) I'm sure you have heard tales of Shelley, whether that be tales of her personal life or her creative endeavours. You cannot deny the impact Shelley has had on horror and continues to do so with Yorgos Lanthimos' 'Poor Things' set to release 8th September 2023, taking inspiration from Shelley's iconic novel, all the way back to countless film adaptations and re-imaginings. How lucky we are to live in a time of ghouls and monsters that run amongst pages and expose humanities deepest fears and wonders. Shelley created an outlet for every Ghoul to express their true dark colours, and who knows where we would be without it?
This is my love letter to Mary Shelley.
Mary Shelley's Frankenstein
Best one yet!!!!