Who is Mary Shelley

1. Mary was an educated woman during a time when this wasn't fashionable - likely due to the fact that her mother was a famous feminist and education - and Mary's father was a renowned philosopher, novelist and journalist.

2. Mary was a revolutionary and a poet - as well as an intellectual often keeping up with the great minds of her era.

3. Mary wrote her most famous novel, Frankenstein at the age of 19.

Mary's father, William Godwin is one of the most notable political philosophers of the later 16th and early 17th Centuries

He was considered a 'radical,' publishing works which criticized both political institutions and the priviledges held by the aristocracy.

Despite the immediate and persistent reactive attacks on him after having written such material, Godwin continued to pursue his writing, never veering from his position. Not only did his words hold sway in politics, but he is still considered one of the foremost designers of British literature and literary culture.

Important Works and Statements of William Godwin:

* "Enquiry Concerning Political Justice, and its Influence on General Virtue and Happiness."

* Novel: "Things as They Are or The Adventures of Caleb Williams." (social commentary novel)

* "Cursory Strictures on The Charge Delivered by Lord Chief Justice Eyre to the Grand Jury" October 2, 1794 TRIAL statement, whereby Godwin argued that a judge can misconstrue ANY behaviours and statements as 'treasonous,' according to the current rules. Godwin called this "constructive treason."

* A work published in 1783 by 'Anonymous' Godwin - "Life of Lord Chatham." (His first published work. Admittedly, this is one that I have not yet viewed - but I WILL track it down so I can comment on it and update this on the lens).

The above should be easily trackable. You should be able to pull these up and read them at Sparknotes or just Google them.

There were several other works penned by Godwin, including children's educational material (primers) which displayed the topics of classic literatures and biblical literatures. The ones listed above, however, are still under current study in Western society, and are deemed to still have value and application today.

We are still concerned, today, with JUSTICE, VIRTUE, and Happiness in our day and we still fight the abuse of powers from the Elite/Aristocracy...those who have power because they have money and priviledge.

It is easy to interpret that Godwin, concerned with fairness, justice, virtue and happiness, and he also being an utilitarian - would ensure an education for his offspring.

In this, Mary Shelley not only had the priviledge of EDUCATION that many other women did NOT receive in her era, but she was also influenced very heavily by a certain kind of morals and critical thinking, handed down from her father.

If you read Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, you will find yourself wondering about 'Just-ness' and fairness. You'll wonder if Dr. Frankenstein is 'just' in creating a being just because he has the knowledge, power, and equipment to do so. You'll empathize with the 'creature,' and wonder whether his 'being' and 'existing' is 'fair,' when the creature has more than enough capacity to admire beauty, words of poetry and wisdom, with all his 'being' - yet has been constructed with such ugly exterior form by Dr. Frankenstein.

If you have read Frankenstein before and these things didn't stand out for you, go back and read again - pick up on the social commentary. You'll be amazed at the insights of a 19 year old Shelley - particularly when you realize that women of her era were not expected, by most, to THINK or notice things in society at all.

"Appearance versus Truth" "Ability versus Right To Perform" "Exterior Beauty versus Interior Beauty" "Can versus Should" and many more things from Shelley's novel are still very much issues of today!

No doubt, this presentation of Frankentein, by Mary - even though it is a fiction novel - is an ingrained remnant of justice teachings from her father, William Godwin. It is interesting that Godwin's first (and anonymous) published work is a novel - yet is heavy laden with social commentary.

I have read Frankenstein a number of times, for several different purposes. I read the novel when I was quite young and still in school, and I remember the very FIRST thing that struck me about the novel was plain and simple:

The creature (MONSTER) is a GOOD GUY!

That was my perception way back when (almost 30 year ago - *ouch!*)

I read Frankenstein again for a high school project...and was stuck by:

The Creature/Monster is an abused figure.

And I wondered if I had the power to make a 'being,' would I?

Around that time, some of the first whispers of 'Cloning' was occurring in the news...

THAT was something that I deemed "A FRANKENSTEIN ISSUE" way back when I was in Grade 12.

Today, it's still my foremost Frankenstein Issue.

Not only has science managed to actually succeed in accomplishing the cloning 'miracle,' but people are now cloning several species of living organisms.

Wow - when I was in high school, the words were "If we manage to clone successfully."

Now the words are:

"We must determine the validity of cloning that species and organism, based on the other less complex organisms we have cloned already. Is it reasonable to attempt to clone a more complex organism?"

*shivering*

People...SCIENCE FICTION IS REAL!

Science Fiction is no longer FICTION!