What Are The Tragic Events In Mary Shelley's Life

Mary Shelley, the author of Frankenstein, had many things in common with Victor Frankenstein. When writing, many authors put elements of their lives into their works, things like happy or tragic events. Many of these events are easy to find but some are hidden deeper in the author's’ life. Mary Shelley wrote about the death of a mother and the death of a sibling. Victor Frankenstein, the main character of Frankenstein, endured many tragic events that shaped his character throughout his life, most based on the creature he created; his mother died of Scarlet Fever, his brother was murdered, Justine was executed, and his best friend and wife were killed. His mother, Caroline, caught Scarlet fever after Elizabeth came down with it; Elizabeth was cured but his mother didn’t make it (Shelley 29). Mary Shelley’s mother died shortly after giving birth to Mary (Mary Shelley Biography). Both mothers died in different manners, but they both had to live most of their lives without a mother. …show more content…
She “drowned herself and her unborn child” after her husband, Percy Shelley, ran away with Mary (Mary Shelley). Mary Shelley’s half sister Fanny also committed suicide (Mary Shelley Biography). She overdosed on drugs (Mary Shelley Biography). In Frankenstein, the monster accidently kills Frankenstein’s brother William. The monster “seized on the boy” (Shelley 131). The boy admitted that his father was Victor Frankenstein, the monster became filled with rage, and the monster “grasped his throat to silence him, and in a moment he lay dead” (Shelley 131). When he first saw the boy, he never intended to hurt him but his rage consumed his mind, and he ended up killing him. Both Mary Shelley and Victor Frankenstein both lost a sibling for reasons they both created; Mary Shelley ran away with Harriet’s husband and Victor created the monster that killed his