Frankenstein - Episode #2 - The narrative framework and the birth of the monster! - a podcast by Christy and Garry Shriver

Frankenstein - Episode #2 - The narrative framework and the birth of the monster!

 

Hi, I’m Christy Shriver.

 

And I’m Garry Shriver- and this is the How to Love Lit Podcast.  This is our second episode in our discussion of Mary Shelley and her great work, Frankenstein.  Last week we spent almost the  entire time talking sbout Mary Shelley’s fascinating life, and we didn’t even get past the age of 18. 

 

That’s true, although I will say, we covered the the Title, subtitle and quote on the title page- that’s something.  And if you didn’t listen to last week’s, you should go back and listen to it- because Shelley’s life is absolutely fascinating and really deserves thoughtful consideration especially if you want to take her work seriously, and I believe you really should.  But today, without further ado, we do want to jump right into the book and talk about the letters as well as chapters 1-5 taking us all the way to the creation of the monster.

 

Well, as we jump in- I have to make a confession.  When I read the book, which I did for the first time since the quarantine started, I completed skipped over the letters by Robert Walton in the beginning.  I didn’t even understand they were there until I got the very end of the book and there was this new character.

 

Yes- that’s completely common- and in some sense- totally fine.  You definitely can start any book with chapter one and be just fine.  The letters at the beginning are part of what we call a framing device for the story- one way to think of it is like a frame around a story.  One great example from movie world is Princess Bride, a movie everyone should see- the story is a grandfather telling a nighttime story to his grandson and then he opens the book, we change scenes are introduced to the the action sequence.  Shelley does a similar thing except she complicates it one layer further.  Her’s is a multi-strand narrative that metaphorically has been called a Russian doll structure.  If you look on our Instagram feed or the web page you’ll see what I’m talking about.  Like a Russian doll, we have a story within a story within a story.  So, the first frame narrative is about this guy named Robert Walton who is writing his sister, Margaret Seville letters and narrating his experiences as he tries to find this Northwest passage across the north pole.  In his letters, we see a little bit about who this guy is as a person, then as we get into the Frankenstein narrative at large what we’ll understand (for me the second time I read the book, honestly) -  is that he, in some ways, is a lot like Victor Frankenstein, our protagonist.: he has this scientific and seemingly noble objective- a conquest that will be his contribution to the world.  He’s ambitious; he says this “you cannot contest the inestimable benefit which I shall confer on all mankind to the last generation, by discovering a passage near the pole to those countries.”  We also see that he’s willing to go all in – paying ANY price- because in doing the world this awesome service- he will be the recipient of great glory.  He says this, “I preferred glory to every enticement.”  So look for this connection when we read about Frankensten in a bit. In that way, both are on their scientific ventures track. Another connection that we’re going to see is that he’s a lonely guy. And loneliness is a thing to notice- isolation is a huge idea we want to keep an eye out.  And this is one of those things that is a direct reflection of Mary Shelley’s own life.  I heard one scholar say that the book Frankenstein is very much a “meditation on isolation’ which is different from just being alone.   And I’ll get back to that- but Walton feels this isolation because he’s out here at the end of the world with a mission his men are losing interest in.  He says this, “I bitterly feel the want of a friend”…and it won’t be long after he confesses this before in walks our darling Dr. Victor Frankenstein, a like-minded driven, scientifically minded man of about the same age- theyre both in their 20s.

 

And this is where Victor Frankenstein is going to tell him this story that is the second narrative.  But before we jump in to that, I did want to ask a question?  Is there any reason for writing to Margaret, a woman, or a sister?  Is this where the feminism starts?

 

I’m glad you asked- and that brings me to my final point about the letters- there is a lot in this book in regard to gender roles, gender politics- that sort of thing- and Shelley really cleverly weaves a lot and even here- I do think it’s interesting that like Dr.  Frankenstein (we will find out very shortly) Robert has a female friend that is something of an anchor for him so to speak- (albeit a sister and not a romantic partner), but there’s something even more interesting and subtle- and I think this is the last thing I want to bring up about the letters.  So, the sister’s name is Margaret Walton Saville = those initials are MWS- Mary Wollenscroft Shelley- the first letter is dated December 11th 17--- the last letter is dated September 12 17—Almost exactly nine months later.  Some have pointed out, and I think it’s absolutely true- that Mary wrote herself into the book- see how fun- a gestation period.  This book is her baby, so to speak.  You could also say it is her monster.  Margaret holds the entire story of Frankenstein in her hands- she holds the letters.  Mary is holding the whole thing together with her hands as she pens it.  Clever, huh..a big of autobiographical commentary.  What do you think about that?

 

You say whatever you think…Well,

 

So, we have the frame story of Robert Walton, then they see the monster(although they don’t know it at the time)- although he runs off and then they see and rescue this man who is on the verge of death out – he apparently is on a dog sled with only one dog out on the ice.  The book calls it a sledge but here se say sled- like what Santa Clause uses.  They pick him up although he fusses until he finds out their heading north and basically over the course of time he gets better and tells them the story we’re about to read.

 

That’s the jist of it= the second narrative is the big one- it’s what we call the action sequence.  And it’s the chonological story we’re getting ready to read- where you started on chapter one. In this narrative, we’re in the position of Walton hearing Frankenstein craft his first person narrative.  This is different from the previous position where we were Margaret listening to a brother far far away- We are supposed to feel ourselves get closer and closer to the story- and when we hear the monster’s narration- we’ll be closer still. 

 

But, me point out one more quirky thing- not so important to understanding the story- but a slight slam on Percy and I truly enjoy speaking ill of this man.  Percy Shelley edited this book for Mary, and admittedly he did a good job.  Almost all of his edits were stylistic- meaning he just made it sound better with just a few exceptions of which I’m going to point out, in Mary’s original version, Victor Frankensteins is somewhat meaner, he’s less likeable.  I don’t think he’s very likeable in the final version, but he’s been softened up considerably.  It is my belief that Percy knew this was Mary’s interpretation of him, in some part, and he’s softening him up for that reason. Percy Shelley’s pen name was Victor for his first publication- not a coincidence. But look here at the initial introduction of Victor Frankenstein to us as readers, it just cracks me up..after you get past the part where he’s emaciated and dying he’s described like this, First,”For my own part, I begin to love him as a brother…he must have been a noble creature in his better days, being now in wreck so attractive and amiable.”…then a couple of paragraphs letter…“He is so gentle, yet so wise, his mind is so cultivated and when he speaks, though his words are culled with the choicest art, and yet they flow with rapidity and unparalleled eloquence.   I will say, although I find him an unlikeable person, in the book, whoever meets Victor Frankenstein loves, adores and devotes themselves entirely to him- his friends, his family and then finally his wife.  You could say- to know him is to love him…except ironically, we as the readers, don’t.

 

 

Hahahaha- he’s the most eloquent man in the world, just like he described himself in the introduction.  He says more than that- later Walton goes on to say that Frankenstein, has a quality that elevates him immeasurably above any other person he knew.  I don’t know if you can get more high praise than that. 

 

No, and it is in this spirit of infinite wisdom and omniscience that the noble Victor Frankenstein is going to begin his story. Because even though he’s clearly the most beautiful, the most intelligent, the most eloquent, the most elevated man on planet earth at this point he admits to have lost everything.  He admits to being ruined and hopeless.  And he also admits that he sees a lot of himself in his new friend- and so it is with this word of warning that he seeks to tell the story of how a man so amazing finds himself in the north pole having lost everything in the entire world with the most frightening story ever.  Shall we open up chapter 1 and see this horrible fall from grace- And I read sentence one-

 

“I am by birth, a Genevese, and my family is one of the most distinguished of that republic.”  Okay I want to stop for a moment

 

Christy, I don’t know how to say this, but at this rate, we may never finish this book. 

 

I know, but there’s a lot to set up- and I want everyone to know hast to look for because I think a lot of people pick this book up, start it and then wear out.  I promise I’ll pick up the pace but I want to stop here- but we need to discuss setting in a couple of ways.  First of all, where’s Geneva?

 

Switzerland.

 

Exactly, and what do you know about Switzerland-

 

well, there’s the chocolate, there’s the watches, there’s the banks, there’s the alps. The Swiss guard are the ones who guard the Vatican.  There’s quite a bit to go on. It’s part of one of the world’s most spectacular mountain ranges, the Alps. They are known for being a country of neutrality- especially in times of conflicts, there’s a lot that’s unique about Switzerland, what direction are you thinking?

 

Yeah- I guess that wasn’t a very specific question, but you got close- and I want to focus just for a second, I promise I won’t go too deep- but the setting of Geneva is interesting for many ways.

 

Well, isn’t that basically where she ws on the night she told the story?  That seems a natural choice.

 

Absolutely, but there’s a little bit more of a connection here that really informs this entire book.  So, Geneva is the home of the great philosopher Jean Jaaques Rousseau.  He died just a couple of years before Mary was born and was extremely influential especially among athiests and religious dissidents, aka. Her dad, husband and everyone she knew- there is no doubt thst his ideas would have been a major source of the converstion both st her dads house but also on that lake. His work “Emile” in particular was a favorite of Mary Shelley’s,  so, tell us about what he’s famous for and I think the connection will be obvious. 

 

Well, Rousseau, although he isn’t the only one with these ideas, but he’s credited for developing among other things this idea that kind of grew fo Locke’s idea of the tabula rasa or the blank slate theory.  The Christian idea before that is that there is evil in the heart of man.  Man must be tempered by God and grace and work on being good, a simplified version.  Locke is going to say that man’s a blank slate- he’s just a nothing- and society will make him good or bad.  Rousseau comes around and says that man is pretty much good and he uses the phrase the “noble savage”.  He’s going to say that man in his natural state is peaceful, good and selfless and that civilizstion is whst makes them greedy, anxious, selfish, etc.  So, here’s the argument, are we evil, good or nothing by nature- or as some people call it the nature vs. nuture.

 

Thank you for that succinct explanation- and now we can read the first couple of chapters knowing what we’re looking for.  As you can see, Victor Frankenstein has the most wonderful life ever growing up.  There is no one more adored than Victor Frankenstein by his own admission.  His father is fairly affluent and respected- not crazy. He and his mother had a few challenges but everything ended happily ever after.  They even picked up a foundling, Elizabeth, and raised Victor and Elizabeth together.  And Elizabeth, btw- is pretty much a perfect person as well.  She’s beautiful too, oh and by the way- pay attention to how much women and physical beauty are connected in this book.  I’ll talk about that in another episode.  Plus she’s called ‘a pretty present for my victor”.  I have thoughts about that too, but later.  Anyway- the point to look for in chapters 1-2 is how wonderful is the life of Victor Frankenstein (btw- this is also modeled after Percy who had a similar childhood which was also pretty much perfect). 

 

 

 

 

 

Don’t we also see a little autobiographical interjection on Mary’s part too at the beginning of chapter three with Elizabeth.

 

I think so, Elizabeth catches scarlet fever, her mother who tends to her, dies, ultimately making it Elizabeth’s fault he wonderful mother is dead.  What is also interesting in the instructions her mother gives both Elizabeth and victor,  She says, “My children, my firmest hopes of future happiness were place on the prospect of your union. 

 

So there you have it, a deathbed request- no pressure there.  And on thst note, it’s not long until Victor leaves for university.  Leaving his family and his best friend, Clerval.

 

Oh yes, sweet Clerval.  WE’ll talk about him next week because we need to rush to Ingolstadt. Garry, in general, why is this an interesting choice for Victor Frankenstein to attend school.

 

Well, for starters, Ingoldstadt is in Bavaria, Germany.  If you have a super-highway (like we do) it’s about a 380 mile drive- obviously it probably took a couple of days back then.  Andtoday, by the way, it’s most famous for being the headquarters for Audi, the car manufactuer- probably. Not related to Frankenstein.  But historically, and this does connect, Ingolstadt University at the time of the writing of this book had one of the most modern and technologically developed medical schools in the world.  They would have had all the equipment necessary for the latest and most innovative projects, like building a human.  Another reason, if I’m speculating, which I am, that Shelley might have selected this setting is because Ingoldstat is home to one other very famous organization- the Illuminati.  In fact, they say this secret society was actually started on the university campus- so there you go- science meets mystery in one spooky place. 

 

 

So, Victor attends class, and like most coeds, finds  couple of professors that really influential in his life.  I had some like this- my favorite was Dr Johnny Wink, a writing professor at Ouachita Baptist University where I got my undergrad degree.  Back then I wasn’t even a writing student- my degree was polyschi- crazy enough enough, anyway, Dr. Wink did have an enormous influence on my view of the world- and this is sort of the point here. Prof. Kempe and M. Waldman basically guide him on this path to be able to do this great thing- but crazy enough he never shares with them what he’s doing.

 

And I find this interesting, and also a mistake on his part.  Although I don’t see that he ever really talks about why all this had to be such a secret- but it was and ultimately part of Frankenstein’s ultimate problem is that he isolates himself from the entie world becawue of this secret he’s working on at university.  He basically digs in and for two years totally isolates himself into this project- ultimately forsaking every single other person in his life. 

 

This definitely stood out to me because his mother’s dying wish was for him and Elizabeth to be together- and he has basically thrown he ove,

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