Frankenstein,

or The modern
Pormetheus
Students: Rocco Andriuolo
Giovanni D’Alvano
Mattia Capozzolo
Nunzio De Paola

Class: VA
 Plot and
settings
Frankenstein, a Swiss scientist, manages
to create a human being, by joining parts
selected from corpses.
Even though he is very careful in
attacking the various parts, the result is
horrible. The story is not told
chronologically and is introduced through
some letters written by Walton to his sister
Margaret Walton Seville. The story is set
in different parts of Europe, but the most
Origins
important is the North Pole, where Walton
Many things manifested all at once in Mery
and his shipmates are stuck by the ice and
Shelley's mind, such as ghost stories, speculation
where Frankenstein is found following his
about the re-animation of corpses or the creation
creation. Victor and his creature are very
of life, her personal anxieties and the memories of
similar, because they share different
her death mother. All this things led Mary Shelley
moods. Both feel depressed, empty and
to write Frankenstein.
isolated
The influence of science
Mary Shelley dedicated it to Godwin and she used many of
the ideas held by her parents, including social justice and
education. Science also had an important role. Mary and his
husband where both interested in the latest scientific theories
and experiments in the fields of chemistry, evolutionism and
electricity. In this novel Victor tries to create a human being
through the use of electricity and chemistry without
respecting the rules of nature.

Literary influence
The Monster can be considered Rousseau's natural man, a man in a primitive state, not
influenced by civilization. The influence of the philosopher Locke can be seen in the
description of the monster’s self awareness and his education by experience. Another
important influence was the work of the Romantic poets in general; the most important
element Mary Shelley derived from Coleridge’s The Rime of Ancient Mariner is the fact that
both work are tales of a crime against nature. The myth of Prometheus is also important.
Prometheus was a giant who stole the fire from the gods and gave it to men. In Frankenstein,
the scientist challenged the divine authority and freed men from god’s power. This is a clear
example of an overreacher.
The narrative
The themes
structure
The story is told by different narrators: The main themes of the novel are:

1. at first, Walton informs her sister; 1. the quest for forbidden knowledge;
2. then Frankenstein informs Walton, who informs 2. the overreacher (doctor Frankenstein and Walton);
her sister; 3. the double: Frankenstein and the monster are 2 aspects of
3. finally the monster informs Frankenstein, who the same being;
informs Walton, who informs her sister. 4. the penetration of Nature's secrets;
5. the usurpation of the female role, since the creation of
All the novel has Margaret as the receiver, but there human beings is possible without the participation of the
are three different points of view. The form of the women;
novel is epistolary. 6. social prejudice through the figure of the monster as an
outcast.
The quest for forbidden knowledge
Summary:

In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, the

theme of dangerous knowledge is
central to the narrative. Victor
Frankenstein's obsessive pursuit of
forbidden knowledge leads to his
downfall, as he warns others to
avoid ambition and seek happiness
in tranquility. This theme is echoed
in the experiences of both Walton
and the creature, who also suffer
from their quests for
understanding. Victor's ambition to
create life results in catastrophic
 Victor The Creature

The creature's search for knowledge revolves

‘’You seek for knowledge and
around his desire to know who he is, who his
wisdom, as I once did;
"father" is, and what it means to be
and I ardently hope that
accepted/loved. His unveiling of a few of the
the gratification of your
questions leaves him feelings more alone and
wishes may not be a
lost. Therefore, the creatures search for
serpent to sting you, as
knowledge is harmful to himself (in the same
mine has been.’’
wayWalton
Victor's is).
Victor's quest for knowledge
is obsessive and Walton's own quest for knowledge is compared
oppressive in nature. Not to Vcitor's through the warnings Victor gives to
only does he fail to care him. In the beginning, Walton's own obsessive
for himself during the nature, regarding the quest for knowledge, is
many years it takes to noted by his unwillingness to give up his voyage
reanimate life ("I had to the pole.
worked hard for nearly
two years, for the sole ‘’ These are my enticements, and they are
purpose of infusing life sufficient to conquer all fear of danger or death,
into an inanimate body. and to induce me to commence this laborious
For this I had deprived voyage with the joy a child feels when he
The similarities between One Piece and
Frankenstein
This theme is reflected in a narrative arc of the
work of Eiichiro Oda whose name is One Piece.
The narrative arc I refer to is about 'Ohara
island and how its archaeologists died precisely
because of the study of the so-called 'dark
century'.the dark century, is a void during
official history, whose study is forbidden by the
World Government. Nothing remains that can
tell what happened during this century. The
only exception is the Griffon Poignee, which are
written in a language that only a few
individuals can read. The archaeologists of
Ohara were the only ones able to read this
language and for this very reason they studied
this century in secret by the Government.
When they were discovered, the government
ordered the destruction of the island and the
death of all the archaeologists. In particular,
 The
Overreacher
The theme of the "overreacher" in Frankenstein by
Mary Shelley highlights the dangers of human
ambition that defies natural limits. Victor
Frankenstein embodies the archetype of the
overreacher—an individual whose relentless pursuit
of knowledge and mastery over nature leads to
tragedy. By attempting to "play God" and create life,
Victor crosses ethical and natural boundaries, which
brings disastrous consequences not only upon himself
but also on those around him. His ambition blinds
him to the responsibilities inherent in his creations, a
classic downfall for those who reach beyond their
moral or physical capabilities. This portrayal serves
as a cautionary tale about the consequences of
unchecked ambition, particularly within the realms of
science and technology.
 The myth of
Prometheus
In Greek mythology, Prometheus is a Similarly, in Frankenstein, Victor
Titan who steals fire from the gods Frankenstein’s creation of life mirrors
and gives it to humanity, granting Prometheus’s rebellion, as he challenges
people the means to grow, create, and the natural order by "stealing" the secrets
protect themselves. Fire here of life itself. Victor's desire to master life
symbolizes not only physical warmth and death is as much an act of defiance as
but also enlightenment, creativity, and Prometheus’s theft of fire, and it comes
progress. However, Prometheus’s act with grave consequences. The creation
of rebellion against Zeus also Victor brings to life ultimately becomes a
represents a violation of the divine source of suffering and ruin, haunting him
order, and he is punished by being and leading to the deaths of those he
chained to a rock, where an eagle eats loves. Like Prometheus, Victor suffers the
his liver every day. His punishment is consequences of his overreach, burdened
endless, symbolizing the price of by guilt, loss, and isolation.
going against nature and the gods.
Frankenste
in and
science
This theme also resonates with modern scientific
discourse, especially in fields like genetic
engineering and artificial intelligence. Many
philosophers and ethicists today warn of the
"overreach" in technology, questioning whether
humanity has the wisdom to wield powers of
creation responsibly. Just as Victor’s creation
ultimately rebels against him, current advancements The relationship between the overreacher in Frankenstein and the
carry the risk of unintended consequences if they are dangers of modern science speaks to a timeless cautionary tale about
developed without consideration of ethical the limits of human ambition and the ethical responsibilities that come
implications. In Frankenstein, Shelley vividly with knowledge. In Frankenstein, Victor’s obsession with pushing
portrays how the overreacher’s ambition can spiral beyond human limitations in the pursuit of godlike power—creating
into self-destruction, leaving readers to reflect on the life itself—leads to suffering and destruction, not just for himself but
balance between scientific progress and moral for others around him. His story suggests that reaching beyond natural
responsibility. boundaries without considering the consequences risks catastrophe.
 The theme of the
double
The theme of the double has its roots in ancient
times and folklore, where the concept of an
"other self" often represented fear of the
unknown or of one’s own dark side. However,
it was during the European Romantic period,
between the 18th and 19th centuries, that this
theme took shape in literature as a reflection on
human duality. In this period, writers began
exploring psychology in more depth,
investigating the subconscious and moral The word “the double ” is the translated form of the German
contradictions that characterize human beings. word “doppelganger”. The double is the ghostly and psychic
counterpart of a person. It can be named as the double goer,
alter ego or another person with a similar name. The term finds
its significance when the German Romantic writer Jean Paul
(1763-1825) relates to this idea in his novel Siebenkäs. In this
novel, two friends can exchange their identities and
appearances. Since then, the double recurs as a motif in literary
works.
 The Double The three most important characters of the novel are all
linked to the theme of the double. Walton is a double of

in
Frankenstein since he manifests the same ambition, the
wish to overcome human limits in his travelling towards the
unknown, and the same wish for loneliness and pride of

Frankenstein being different.

Frankenstein and his creature are complementary: they both suffer from a
sense of alienation and isolation , both begin with a desire to be good but
become obsessed with hate and revenge. Victor and the Creature are two
sides of the same coin. Victor's ambition to create life without responsibility is
matched by the Creature's growing desire for love. Both Victor and the
Creature experience profound isolation. Victor isolates himself from his family
and friends in his obsessive pursuit of science, while the Creature is rejected by
society and even by his own creator The creature stands for the scientist's
negative self The monster, being the double of Frankenstein, represents and
reflects the darker side of its creator’s psyche and forbidden desires. ; One sure
sign of the double is the creature's haunting presence: even if Frankenstein
initially flees from his creature and even if their direct confrontations are few,
the monster is nevertheless constantly present in his life. Frankenstein's
rejection of his creature is crucial and this makes the monster an outcast, a
murderer and a rebel against society.
 The double in Italian
Litterature
Le ultime lettere di Jacopo Ortis (1802), The Divine Comedy, the descent into
Ugo Foscolo explores the psychological Hell can be seen as an exploration of
depths of his protagonist, Jacopo, who the darker side of the soul, not unlike
embodies intense inner conflict and the split between Victor and his
profound existential anguish. The novel is Creature. Dante’s journey is a
structured as an epistolary narrative, confrontation with sin and human
where Jacopo, a passionate and sensitive frailty, paralleling how Victor must
young man, writes letters that document face the consequences of his
his ideals, frustrations, and ultimately his ambition and the "hell" he has
descent into despair. The novel is often created in his life and through his
considered one of the first works of Italian Creature. This journey through self-
Romanticism and highlights themes like discovery and moral reckoning
nationalism, love, betrayal, and the clash resonates with the double’s theme of
between idealism and reality. confronting one’s inner darkness.