Creation,Rebellion,and Prophecy:A Promethean Interpretation Of Frankenstein

Frankenstein(1817)is globally acclaimed to be the world’s first science fiction.Its subtitle is “The Modern Prometheus,” and Prometheus is a crucial mythological figure in Western history.Few scholars have integrated Frankenstein,Walton,and Mary Shelley into the myths and spirit associated with Prometheus.This thesis intends to analyze the intrinsic relationship between Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and Prometheus based on a close reading of the text.The thesis firstly introduces the myths related to Prometheus and some rewritings of these myths in West literature,and summarizes the most representative mythological images of Prometheus,and then points out Promethean spirit: Promethean creation,Promethean rebellion,and Promethean prophecy.The thesis then discusses separately the relationship between Frankenstein,Walton,and Mary Shelley and the Promethean spirit of creation,rebellion,and prophecy,and concludes that Frankenstein,Walton,and Mary Shelley are all modern Prometheus.By interpreting the relationship between Mary’s Frankenstein and Prometheus,this thesis will enrich the scholarship of Frankenstein and Mary Shelley to a certain extent.