The Paradox of Frankenstein

For more than two centuries, Frankenstein has been labeled a horror classic, a terrifying tale of science gone wrong and a creature that haunts the night. But beneath the stitched-together horror elements lies something far more profound: a deeply moving story about suffering, rejection, and the desperate need for understanding.

Mary Shelley doesn’t just tell a horror story — she uses horror as a Trojan horse to smuggle in a radical message of compassion. What starts as a monster tale gradually forces readers into an uncomfortable but necessary confrontation with their own biases. Once we see the novel through the lens of Shelley’s life, it becomes clear: Frankenstein isn’t about fearing the creature. It’s about feeling for him.

Mary Shelley’s Haunted Life: How Trauma Shaped Frankenstein

Mary Shelley’s life was marked by grief, abandonment, and betrayal, all of which echo throughout Frankenstein. From an early age, she faced immense personal losses that would later shape her understanding of creation, rejection, and suffering — themes that pulse through the novel’s pages.

According to Fiona Sampson’s In Search of Mary Shelley, Mary’s most famous relationship — with Percy Bysshe Shelley — was far from the romantic ideal often portrayed. While the two were deeply connected, Percy’s actions brought as much heartbreak as passion.

• Betrayal and Infidelity — Percy didn’t just abandon his first wife, Harriet Shelley, to be with Mary — he was also rumored to have been unfaithful to Mary herself. It’s heavily speculated that he had an affair with Mary’s stepsister, Claire Clairmont, and may have secretly fathered a child with her.

• Pressuring Mary into “Free Love” — Percy was a staunch believer in free love, but his ideals often came at Mary’s emotional expense. According to Sampson, he encouraged her to engage in romantic and sexual entanglements with others, including his friends and acquaintances. This wasn’t just a casual suggestion — there were times he actively pressured her into embracing his version of an open relationship.

• A Lonely, Isolated Existence — While Percy pursued his interests — whether philosophical, literary, or romantic — Mary was often left to navigate the consequences alone. She suffered through the deaths of three of her four children, a grief that she had to endure with little emotional support from her husband.

• The Weight of Social Ostracization — Running away with Percy didn’t just bring love and adventure — it exiled Mary from polite society. As young as she was, she faced harsh judgment, financial struggles, and social alienation, especially after Harriet Shelley’s tragic suicide.

Sadly, Shelley’s transgressions weren’t even the half of it. It’s impossible to talk about Frankenstein without considering the profound losses Mary Shelley endured. Her life was marked by grief and abandonment, and those experiences echo through every page of her novel.

• Shelley’s mother, Mary Wollstonecraft, died shortly after giving birth to her. Shelley grew up under the weight of that loss, idolizing a mother she never knew.

• She suffered the deaths of three of her four children — a devastating pain that would shape her views on creation, life, and death.

• Her relationship with Percy Bysshe Shelley led to social ostracization, forcing her into exile and hardship.

• She later witnessed her husband’s drowning, adding yet another layer to her lifelong experience with grief.