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Frankenstein: Getting to Know Mary Shelley 2598 Views
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Description:
We’ll preface this video about Frankenstein’s preface by saying that Mary Shelley is an awesome woman, and she wants everybody to be aware. Check out the video to find out more about what Mary Shelley wrote in Frankenstein's preface.
Transcript
- 00:01
We speak student!
- 00:03
If you have a weak heart, better leave now because
- 00:07
Frankenstein returns!
- 00:11
Frankenstein a la Shmoop
- 00:13
Getting to know Mary Shelley
Full Transcript
- 00:15
Why is there a preface in Frankenstein?
- 00:18
Whenever there's a preface, there's a reason for it.
- 00:21
The preface to Frankenstein
- 00:23
basically just outlines the motivations
- 00:27
behind writing Frankenstein,
- 00:29
talks a little about the whole,
- 00:31
"Oh, we were having a ghost story contest" and all that.
- 00:34
It is important to note that
- 00:36
it is possible that, again, Percy Shelley wrote it
- 00:38
and not Mary Shelley.
- 00:40
Whether he wrote it or she wrote it,
- 00:41
it kind of gave the opportunity to say,
- 00:44
"Hey, look at me! It's a woman writing!
- 00:46
I'm saying valuable things. Listen to me."
- 00:49
As opposed to just jumping right into the story.
- 00:51
Also, at this time, novels weren't
- 00:53
considered serious literature.
- 00:54
And so she's basically trying to say,
- 00:56
"Hey, listen. This is a serious book.
- 00:58
I'm talking about some serious issues here."
- 01:00
And as we'll see as we make our way through the course,
- 01:02
there are tons of serious issues.
- 01:04
So she kind of wanted to call out to that
- 01:06
and say, "Listen up. This isn't just some
- 01:09
silly 18-year-old girl writing a story.
- 01:13
This is a hard-hitting novel
- 01:16
and you need to listen to what I'm saying."
- 01:20
What is a preface?
- 01:22
What additional information does it provide in Frankenstein?
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