This article looks to be produced by an academic institution but written by Lee Sterrenburg. The purpose of the article is to help give a more thorough analysis of Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein" by talking about the political and psychological themes within the novel. I feel like the intended audience of the article is academics, students, and literary scholars.
I think this article is really interesting because of the way that Sterrenburg looks at the politics from during the time that the novel was written as well as how the politics affected the book. Sterrenburg talks about the French Revolution and the Enlightenment period, as well as how they both influenced Shelley. He also mentions how the monster could have been a metaphor for people who are left out or treated unfairly. I really liked this because it brought out a new viewpoint for me with the book; instead of it being a dark and gloomy book, it was a political move about being fair and what can happen if you become too ambitious and greedy. Based on what was going on during the time that Mary Shelly wrote the novel, it seems almost as if she was trying to warn people about what can happen if they try to overuse their power.
Overall, I really liked this article. It brought up a lot of insights on the political and psychological issues during the time the novel was written and connects them to the novel itself. It makes the novel more understandable and puts a positive spin on things. Overall, I would rate this article a solid 8/10. I just wish that the article would go into more detail about what was going on during this timeframe.
Sterrenburg, Lee. “Mary Shelley’s Politics and Psyche in Frankenstein.” Knarf.english.upenn.edu, The Pennsylvania Electronic Edition, knarf.english.upenn.edu/Articles/sterren.html.
Portrait of Mary Shelley (1797-1851) by Richard Rothwell is licensed under Public Domain, CCO.