Frankenstein

Frankenstein (its full title, Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus) is a novel written by Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin in 1818.

History

In 1995, David Xanatos and Demona joined forces to bring Coldstone to life, with a combination of science and sorcery. When the various shattered stone remnants from the Wyvern Massacre reassembled with cybernetics, Xanatos cried out, "It's ALIVE! ALIVE!!", claiming he always wanted to say that. ("Reawakening")

Later in 1996, Elisa Maza compared Dr. Anton Sevarius to Dr. Victor Frankenstein, and unfavorably at that. ("Monsters")

References to Frankenstein in Gargoyles

As Greg Weisman puts it, Coldstone "is our Frankenstein's monster." [1] But in contrast to the novel, neither Xanatos nor Demona completely abandon their creation. Xanatos hamming it up during Coldstone's resurrection is a reference to the 1931 film adaptation (neither the line he quotes nor the lightning involved are in the original novel). The episode "Legion" is partly inspired by the 1973 TV adaptation that Greg Weisman saw as a boy. [2]

Real World Background

The origin of Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin's novel is well documented. In May 1816, Godwin traveled to Geneva with her stepsister, Claire, and Godwin's then paramour (later husband), Percy Shelley. With Lord Byron as their host, they were joined by Byron's friend, the physician John Polidori, and a competition was held between them all to come up with and share their own horror story. Inspiration struck Godwin on June 16, 1816, in the early morning between 2:00 AM to 3:00 AM. [3] The short story was expanded into a novel and published in 1818. In addition to being considered a classic in the genres of gothic and horror literature, it is considered the first science-fiction story.

The subtitle "Modern Prometheus" is a reference to the Greek titan who (before he stole fire from the gods) helped to fashion humanity from clay. [4]

The book has several differences from the pop culture view of it (mostly stemming from the movie version). In it, Victor Frankenstein brings the monster to life by himself in a garret, rather than in a sinister family castle. The monster is portrayed as highly intelligent and capable of extremely eloquent speech; he is also well-read (having read, among other works, Plutarch's Lives and Milton's Paradise Lost). The book is also set within a framing device of an English explorer, Captain Robert Walton, encountering Victor Frankenstein while searching for the Northwest Passage and hearing his tale; after Victor dies, the monster visits him to mourn his passing, then tells Captain Walton he intends to commit suicide and departs.

Coincidentally, there is a Frankenstein Castle overlooking Darmstadt, Germany. The name 'Frankenstein' itself breaks down to the Germanic tribe known as the Franks and 'stein', which is German for 'stone' and a reference to the site – the castle sits atop a hill in the Odenwald mountain range. Despite Mary Godwin's two visits to the area (before and after the novel's publication), there is no evidence to suggest she was aware of the landmark. [5]

See Also

• Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus on Project Gutenberg
• Frankenstein at Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia