The Death of William Shelley was at around the same time as the creation of "Frankenstein". This harsh moment in Mary Shelley's life is seen in the way that she writes Frankenstein; she write as if she was in deep pain. The way she makes Victor loose most of his family to the creature, can be compared to the way in which Shelley loses the lives of her family. During this time resurrectionist were on the prowl for fresh bodies so they could rake in tons of cash. This worry must have been weighing on her mind following the death of her own child. This makes her connection to Frankenstein a bit more emotional and thought provoking than thought before.

Percy and Mary were distraught at the death of William, who was the third child they had lost. Mary approached a nervous breakdown. She even modeled the name of Victors youngest brother as William. In the novel the creature strangled Willaim Frankenstein, but in real life William Shelley's son died from an illness