Monday, December 6, 2010

Mary Shelley's Letter and Journal Entry

6 March 1815
My dearest Hogg my baby is dead – will you come to see me as soon as you can – I wish to see you – It was perfectly well when I went to bed – I awoke in the night to give it suck it appeared to be sleeping so quietly that I would not wake it – it was dead then but we did out find out till morning – from its appearance it evidently died from convulsions – Will you come – you are so calm a creature and Shelley is afraid of a fever from the milk – for I am no longer a mother now.
Mary

A baby girl was born prematurely to the couple in February, 1815, and died twelve days later. In her journal of March 19, 1815, Mary recorded the following dream, a possible inspiration for Frankenstein: "Dream that my little baby came to life again - that it had only been cold & that we rubbed it before the fire & it lived."  A son, William, was born to the couple in January, 1816.

PLEASE VISIT THIS WEBSITE:
http://shelleysghost.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/ 
Your essay on the dichotomies in Frankenstein is due tomorrow.  You should read half the novel by Friday and you should complete the novel by next week.


9 comments:

  1. I visited the website and Mary Shelley's exhibition definitly looks interesting. The artifacts that they have kept and her belongings are incredible. To be able to keep them all; her personal belongings in great condition is truly remarkable. If I had the opportunity to visit the exhibition I would but sadly it is being held in Oxford. I also had no idea that Mary Shelley had a daughter who drowned. It is very devistating for a mother to lose a child.

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  2. Wow I really like that picture on the cover of the exibit guide. It looks creepy and strange, sort like how Shelly wrote Frankenstein.

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  3. I visited the website and checked out some things there. Very interested things about Shelly that I didn't know before.

    Are we going to visit the Bodleian Libraries exhibition for a field trip!? =D

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  4. I think that it could be interesting to read Shelley's Ghost because perhaps it gives us a better insight as to how exactly Mary Shelley coped with the death's around her, which obviously had a great influence in Frankenstein.

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  5. Just by looking at the cover I am interested in reading this book. This book probably explains to us why she wrote Frankenstein.. Mr. Balgley i sent you the essay to your email.

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  6. This is really sad. Well the passage above the picture is really sad. But I think that the death helped her with the book because she made her own creation but then died. I kind of confused. I thought you said that Frankenstein was part of a dream that Mary had, but I think this kind of helped. Was the death of her child also a way to interpret her story? Or was it way before the dream?

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  7. I visited the website just now and I have to honestly say that it was really interesting. I actually didn't know really know about Shelley until now. I hope we can read this in class! I really want to read this! I'm so excited!!!!! :D

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  8. I think this made me less confused about some parts of the book? Haha. And i'm sure if we're able to go there for a field trip then it would sure help and let us see it for ourselves. It sure did teach me a lot about Shelly and it was interesting, the things I read on the website.

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  9. WOW! This website was amazing! Her belongings are incredible! They kept all her personal belongings in great condition. I would love to visit the exhibition I also agree with Stefaine it is very interesting that Mary Shelley had a daughter who drowned. It is very devastating. She had lost her mom in a very young age and for her to lose her own daughter is heart breaking.

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