1) Summary “Mary Shelley”

"Mary Shelley," a biographical drama released in 2017, tells the story of the early life of Mary
Shelley, the renowned author of "Frankenstein." The film focuses on the formative experiences
that shaped Shelley's groundbreaking work and her tumultuous romance with the poet Percy
Bysshe Shelley, which played a significant role in her development as a writer and as an
individual.Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin, portrayed by Elle Fanning, is a young, aspiring writer living
in early 19th-century London. She grows up in a household steeped in intellectualism and radical
thought; her father, William Godwin, is a philosopher, and her mother, the feminist writer Mary
Wollstonecraft, passed away when Mary was a child. Despite her father’s intellectual influence,
Mary feels constrained by societal norms and the limitations placed on women of her time.The film
delves into Mary’s relationship with the married poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, played by Douglas
Booth. Their passionate and scandalous affair, marked by elopement and societal ostracism, is
central to the narrative. The couple faces numerous hardships, including debt, the tragic death of
their children, and social exile. These experiences deeply affect Mary, contributing to her growth
and her views on life, love, and death.One of the film’s pivotal scenes occurs during the couple's
stay at Lord Byron's villa in Lake Geneva. The famous challenge by Byron to each guest to write a
ghost story leads Mary to conceive "Frankenstein." The film explores how Mary’s life experiences,
encompassing loss, love, and rejection, are channeled into her writing, influencing the creation of
her iconic novel."Mary Shelley" is not just about the origins of "Frankenstein," but also a study of
Mary’s struggle against societal constraints and her fight for recognition in a male-dominated
literary world. The narrative portrays her determination to publish her work under her own name,
defying the norms of her time and asserting her identity as a female writer.The film is noted for its
atmospheric cinematography and strong performances, particularly by Fanning. It presents a
dramatized but insightful look into Mary Shelley’s life, highlighting her extraordinary talent,
resilience, and the profound impact of her personal experiences on one of the most influential
novels in English literature. "Mary Shelley" is a tribute to a woman who defied conventions and
used her extraordinary imagination and experiences to create a lasting literary masterpiece.
2) Glossary

 Anguish - great mental suffering, distress, or pain; to be deeply tormented by pain or

sorrow.
 Betrayal - The act of being false or disloyal. An act of disloyalty or treachery
 Frustration – feeling of being afraid of smth
 Ghost story- a story involving ghosts or ghostly circumstances, intended to be suspenseful
and scary.
 Set your soul on fire – fire up smbd’s passion for something
 Soul - The invisible spiritual reality that makes each of us human and that will never die.
 To chill someone to the bone – to frustrate
 To come away with - To leave a place or situation with the stated feeling, idea, condition,
etc
 To feel alive - To experience 'something' physically and mentally - when emotionally
attached to it or to someone .
 To find one's voice - To be able to express oneself as a writer. To become able to speak in
public or to write professionally
 To form ideas of your own - To form an opinion, or to have an idea.
 To prove someone wrong- to show that somebody is wrong