By Kathryn Neves
Mary Shelley: The Novel
Mary Shelley is often called the grandmother of science fiction—and for good reason. Her enduring novel Frankenstein is considered the very first of the genre; it paved the way for all the works like Star Trek and Terminator. Born in 1797, this icon was destined for a career in literature. Her father was a political philosopher, and her mother was a feminist writer. They often had famous literary and political guests visiting their home; Mary’s childhood was deeply centered around words and their power.
When she was only sixteen years old, Mary met a friend of her father’s—celebrated poet Percy Bysshe Shelley. They often met up in the churchyard, holding clandestine meetings at Mary’s mother’s grave. They quickly fell in love; but unfortunately for them, Percy was already married. This didn’t stop them, however; Percy Shelley followed a philosophy of free love. So, in 1814—when Mary was just 16 years old—they eloped and lived together as partners.
Their relationship was unconventional and radical. In addition to Percy’s free love philosophy, they also shared deep convictions about progressive politics and reforms. Both of them were skilled thinkers and writers, and often spent their time discussing and creating literature. Percy in particular encouraged Mary to practice and grow her skill as a wordsmith. Two years into their relationship, Percy’s wife died—leaving Mary free to marry him.
In 1816, the Shelleys took a vacation in Geneva, Switzerland (where most of Frankenstein takes place). They stayed with Lord Byron and his friend, John William Polidori. However, their vacation plans quickly soured; it was raining so much that they were practically housebound. To pass the time inside, the group entertained themselves with German ghost stories. Intrigued by all the horror, Byron issued a challenge: each of them would write a ghost story. For several days, Mary lay awake, caught by a “waking dream” which would form the foundation for her ghost story:
“I saw the pale student of unhallowed arts kneeling beside the thing he had put together. I saw the hideous phantasm of a man stretched out, and then, on the working of some powerful engine, show signs of life, and stir with an uneasy, half vital motion. Frightful it must be; for supremely frightful would be the effect of any human endeavor to mock the stupendous mechanism of the creator of the world.”
Thus, Frankenstein was born. The tale went from a short story to a novel; and, two years later, the book was published to moderate success. Almost immediately after publication, fans of her work began adapting it for the stage—a tradition that’s alive and well to this day.
Despite her literary success, Mary’s life was fraught with unhappiness. Her mother died only eleven days after giving birth to her. Her half-sister committed suicide at a young age. During her marriage to Percy, Mary had five pregnancies—and only one child lived past childhood. To top it off, Percy Shelley died young, drowning in a shipwreck only eight years after the start of their relationship.
Mary herself died fairly young, succumbing to a brain tumor when she was 53. After her death, her one surviving son opened the drawers of her writing desk and found several odd items, all of which clearly held a deep sentimental value. He found locks of her dead children’s hair, a notebook that she shared with Percy, and strangest of all, a copy of Percy’s poem Adonis—wrapped around some of Percy’s ashes and the preserved remains of his heart.
Throughout her body of work, Mary Shelley combines Romantic lyricism with the Gothic aesthetic, and she employs a deep philosophical style that has engaged readers for centuries. Like others of the Romantic era, she was deeply interested in nature, emotion, and the sublime; unlike many of them, she often questioned the deep individualism of Romanticism and explored the consequences of this kind of intellectual isolation. Her work asks moral and philosophical questions, and doesn’t provide any easy answers. She invites her readers to work out the answers for themselves.
Her influence on literature is extremely underrated and undervalued, largely due to the fact that she was one of the only women writing in the era. It’s only been since the second half of the 20th century that her work has been taken seriously; in fact, she didn’t even get a full-length scholarly biography until 1989! Still, despite all this, her work continues to resonate with readers even two centuries later. Her work shows a deep interest in loss, creation, and ethics; it resonates because it asks questions that are still extremely relevant. She asks us not just what humanity can create; she asks us what humanity owes to itself and others.
David Catlin: The Play
David Catlin, a founding Ensemble Member of the Lookingglass Theatre Company, is an artist whose work consistently combines classic literature with physical performance and deeply human storytelling. His adaptation of Frankenstein dives not only into the classic novel, but the fraught and beautiful story of Mary Shelley’s life.
He has worn a number of hats at Lookingglass: actor, director, former artistic director, and playwright. He’s a prolific adapter of works for the stage; in addition to Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, he wrote and directed Lookingglass Alice and Moby Dick. His other writing credits include such works as Icarus, Her Name was Danger, and the idiot, which won the Jeff Award for Adaptation.
His other directing credits include The Little Prince, Black Diamond, Metamorphosis, the Master and Margarita, and West. As an actor he’s done such varied shows as Hard Times, The Arabian Nights, Our Town, Argonautika, Manuscript at Sarragossa, La Luna Muda, The Odyssey, and The Jungle.
Catlin is a professor at Northwestern University, where he serves as the Head of Acting. His award-winning theatricality continues to inspire students, artists, and patrons of theatre wherever his work is produced.
