no longer that happy creature
Elizabeth's sudden plunge into a maturity born of despondency was
indicated in the last chapter of Volume 1 (1.7.8). Not events per se, but
their impact on characters' perceptions give Mary Shelley's novel its dynamic
momentum. In this focus on the integrity of mental phenomena for good or
ill -- concerns likewise at this time governing the productions of both Lord Byron (Manfred) and Percy Bysshe Shelley ("Mont Blanc" and Prometheus Unbound) -- one
senses Mary Shelley's equal participation in the intellectual vibrancy of
that 1816 summer.
- Characters:
- Contexts:
- Themes:
