Literature · 2
What was the original social occasion that prompted Mary Shelley to begin writing 'Frankenstein' in 1816?
Answer
A ghost-story competition among friends
In the summer of 1816, Mary Shelley was staying near Lake Geneva with Percy Shelley, Lord Byron, and John Polidori. Byron proposed that each person write a ghost story, and the resulting competition led Mary to develop the idea that became 'Frankenstein.'
💡 Did you know?
Mary Shelley conceived Frankenstein at age 18 during a ghost-story competition with Lord Byron, then wrote it to win a bet.
Other options people guess
- A publisher's commission for a horror anthology
- A university creative writing assignment
- A personal dare from her husband Percy Shelley
Topics
- mary-shelley
- frankenstein
- gothic
- lord-byron
- 19th-century
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