It could be that Mary Shelley chose this format to add a sense of authenticity and immediacy to the narrative. Through letters, it feels like the events are unfolding in real-time for the characters and for the readers.
Maybe she wanted to give the story a more intimate and personal touch. The epistolary format allows readers to feel like they're getting direct access to the characters' thoughts and feelings.
Perhaps Mary Shelley was inspired by the popular epistolary novels of her time and thought it would be a unique way to tell the story of Frankenstein. It also might have helped her explore different perspectives and build suspense as the letters reveal the story piece by piece.
The narrator of Mary Shelley's epistolary novel Frankenstein is Captain Robert Walton.
Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein in 1818.
Mary Shelley was influenced by various factors. Her interest in science and the Romantic movement, along with the discussions she had with her intellectual circle, led her to write Frankenstein. The idea emerged from a combination of her creativity and the intellectual climate of the time.
Mary Shelley's inspiration for Frankenstein came from a combination of things. The scientific experiments and ideas she was exposed to, along with her vivid imagination and a desire to explore themes of morality and humanity, led her to pen this novel.
Maybe she saw parallels between the creation stories in both. Frankenstein's creator and Prometheus shared a sense of going against the norm and bringing something new into the world.
Mary Shelley was inspired by a dream she had during a vacation in Switzerland. The discussions among her friends and the intellectual atmosphere also played a role in sparking her creativity.
Mary Shelley based her novel Frankenstein on a combination of her vivid imagination and influences from various literary and scientific works of the time.
Well, one reason could be that she was interested in the unknown and the macabre. Another could be that she wanted to challenge traditional literary norms and create something different and thrilling. Her personal experiences and observations of society might also have played a role in her decision to write Gothic fiction.
Definitely not. Percy Shelley's contributions were in the realm of poetry. Epistolary novels weren't his forte. His poems are what made him famous.
Frankenstein is depicted as a complex and tormented character. He's driven by his scientific ambition but haunted by the consequences of his creation.