On Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein:
contemporary perspective
on the myth

The story of doctor Frankenstein is one of the modern myths. The tale of a scientist obsessed with knowing the mystery of life and death who succeeds in bringing to life a creature showing human traits but destructive towards the people around it seems to be an allegory of our civilisation, which builds the instruments of its own destruction through the scientific and technological development. Therefore, his name is commonly thought to refer to the man-made monster which is the treat to the humankind’s existence. It is also usually associated with Boris Karloff’s films from the 1930s. Rarely is it mentioned that Frankenstein was actually the name of the monster’s creator.

The novel and its contemporary interpretations will be discussed by Lisa Vargo, who has written numerous articles on Mary Shelley and has been an editor of her writings; Eileen Hunt Botting, a political philosopher who writes about Mary Shelley and the children’s rights; and Grzegorz J. Nalepa, a philosopher and an AI expert.