Why is Mary Shelley's structure important to her intent in "Frankenstein"?

Question

Mary Shelly, in her novel, Frankenstein, uses a structure where Walten narrates Frakenstein's story, who himself narrates the monster's story. Why is this important and what significance does it have towards author's intent?

Thanks in advance!

Answer 1

I personally think that she wrote it in this way to make the reader look at the book from a feminist perspective. She creates pressure from her language to assume a particular role requiring certain attitudes to the events and characters being described.

The story is written as a series of letters which are addressed to a married woman in England. The epistolary form, placing the reader in the position of the recipient, requires the reader to subordinate his or her usual identity and assume the role of "Mrs Saville".

We learn that she is a beloved sister named Margaret and Shelley provides some rather obvious clues to her precise nature, and therefore the nature of the reader's role.

In both form and content, the first letter implies a contract between the reader and the text. The reader, whether they are a man or a woman, is invited to assume as eighteenth century, sisterly attitude towards the words on the page. This feminine affirmation seems to encourage the text to go on. Readers assume a sisterly role, their compliance is comparable to taking a feminist point of view in a novel whose narrator is a girl or protagonist a woman.

Not only is Margaret's relationship to Walton and to the text clarified, Walton's ambitions, insecurities and virtues, especially as they affect his relationships with other characters are revealed. So the redaer is primed to respond to 'Frankenstein' according to the values Walton holds.

Answer 2

Mary's intent in the novel was simply to write a "ghost' story.
She was in Europe with Percy Bysshe Shelly and Lord Byron, when Byron suggested they should each write a ghost story Frankenstein was Mary's contribution. Whether she had other 'intents' in the structure is open to speculation and theory. Look on the web There are a lot of sites devoted to Mary and her writings

Answer 3

Journalism degree and raised by a father with a English degree. I like the choices, and would have to say A & B; perhaps C if you are ambitious, and play the game of semantics to the fullest like our US politicians