Frankensteinisenormouslyimportantasaprototypeforsciencefictionandasanearlyfeministwork. 　　BackgroundofFrankenstein 　　MaryShelleywasbornin18th-centuryLondontotwoinfluentialwriters.Hermother,MaryWollstonecraft,wasaradicalfeministwhodiedaftergivingbirthtoMary,andherfather,WilliamGodwin,raisedheralone. 　　Marylefthomeat16,marriedPercyShelleyafterhisfirstwife'ssuicide,andwroteFrankensteininawriter'schallengefromLordByronin1816-1817.Thestory,basedonahorrendousvision,wascomposedduringsweepinglifechanges.Frankensteinwaspublishedanonymouslyin1818.However,thestoryisenduringinitspsychologicaldrama,questionsasked,andmemorablecharacterizations.Thestoryhasadaptedtomanyforms,witheachadaptationtellingaverydifferentversionofShelley'soriginaltale. 　　Frankensteinisanadvisorynoticedoneupingothiccostume,warningpost-industrialsocietyabouttheexplosionofscientificknowledgeanditspotentialmisapplicationandthesubsequentdehumanizationofmankind.Muchasthesilentsci-fifilmMetropoliswarnedoftheneedforlaborunions,Frankensteinwarnedoftheneedforconsideredactionintheuseofknowledge,andthealienationinstorefordrivenknowledgeseekers.InFrankenstein,Shelleyaskswhoexactlytherealmonsteris. 　　AbouttheNovel:Frankenstein 　　Inthebeginning,Dr.FrankensteinisrescuedfromaniceflowintheseaneartheNorthPole.ChasedthroughtheArcticbyhisCreature,VictorFrankensteinissavedbyCaptainWalton,wholistenstothetaleofthequestforknowledge--allgonewrong.Victordescribeshischildhoodasaparadise,wherehismotherandfatherindulgedhim.But,hisparentsalsofailedtoteachhimreality,cause-and-effect,ortheprinciplesofrespect.Withthesedeficiencies,heconsideredhisadoptedsisterElizabethapossessionthathemarriedtoown. 　　ElizabethcouldnothelpVictorovercomehisaddictiontocreatingasuperhumanspecies.Victorachievedthegoalofhisaddictionandwassubsequentlyrepulsedbyit.ElizabethwasquiteliterallykilledbyhisaddictionasVictor'sCreaturedestroyedeverythingthatwasdeartohim.Hisparentshadabandonedhissoulintheirenabling,andheabandonedhisowncreationwithoutanameandwithoutathought. 　　Frankensteinrevealsthreegenerationsofmonsters--personifiedinVictor'smother,Victor,andtheCreature.Inaddition,Elizabethwasreducedtomonsterstatusinhertreatmentasanobject,andMaryShelleyherselfwasamonster(aneducatedfeminist)whocouldnotputhernametoherownwork. 　　Victor,theCreature,andMaryShelleywerealldifferentfromthemainstreamsocietythatrejectedthemasmonstrous:aradicalscientist,aninhumancreation,andafeministwithoutamother.Victorlosteveryoneofvalue,Shelleylosthermotheratbirth,andtheCreaturecouldnotfitinanywhere.TheCreature'sabandonmentbyparentandsocietyissimilartothatofthefeministforovertwocenturies.Feministswerescornedandabandonedastheyobtainedknowledgeandsubsequentpowertoparticipatemorefullyinsocieties.AsportrayedinKatjavonGarnier's2004filmIronJawedAngels,feministswereattacked,beaten,andshunned,justaswastheCreatureinFrankenstein.Shelleymusthavefeltsuchabandonmentandrejection,consideringthatherfathereducatedherextensively