1. The 1816 "Year Without a Summer": The year 1816 was marked by a volcanic eruption that caused a global cooling event, creating an unusually dark and gloomy summer. This eerie atmosphere, along with the intellectual conversations of the time, likely contributed to the Gothic tone of the novel.
2. The "Ghost Story Contest": While holidaying in Switzerland with her husband Percy Shelley and Lord Byron, Mary and her companions had a contest to write ghost stories. This creative challenge sparked her imagination and helped her solidify the core idea of Frankenstein.
3. The Scientific Advancements of the Time: The late 18th and early 19th centuries were marked by significant scientific breakthroughs, particularly in the field of electricity. This fascination with the power of science and its potential to unlock the secrets of life provided a fertile ground for Shelley's story.
4. The Works of John Milton and Erasmus Darwin: Mary Shelley was deeply influenced by John Milton's "Paradise Lost," which explores themes of creation, rebellion, and the consequences of hubris. She also drew inspiration from Erasmus Darwin's "Zoonomia," a book that discussed the possibility of creating life through artificial means.
5. Her Personal Experiences and Fears: Mary Shelley's own life, filled with loss, anxieties, and the societal pressures of the time, likely infused the novel with a deeply personal and emotional dimension. Her fear of childbirth, the death of her mother, and the anxieties surrounding motherhood all contributed to the complex themes of creation and responsibility explored in Frankenstein.
6. The "Sublime" in Nature: Romanticism, a dominant artistic movement at the time, celebrated the power and majesty of nature, often portraying it as both beautiful and terrifying. The "sublime," a key aspect of Romanticism, emphasizes the awe-inspiring and even overwhelming aspects of nature, which can be seen reflected in Shelley's descriptions of the monster's creation and its subsequent journey through the wilderness.
Overall, Mary Shelley's inspiration for Frankenstein stemmed from a combination of external factors, including the zeitgeist of the time, her personal experiences, and the literary influences around her. The result is a novel that transcends its Gothic origins and resonates with timeless themes of creation, responsibility, and the nature of humanity.