An Autobiographical Analysis of Mary Shelley's The Last Man

Abstract

The Last Man was published in 1826 and nowadays it is considered the second most famous novel, written by Mary Goldwin Shelley, after Frankenstein or the Modern Prometheus published in 1818. Because of its dark features and its often exaggerated language, during the author's time it mainly received a lot of negative feedback, but lately it has started to be reconsidered by the critics especially because of the psychological and biographical traits that emerge from the story. In addition, it is considered the precursor of the science-fiction since, like Frankenstein, it's animated by the interest in the impact of scientific knowledge on human life and human institutions. The main aim of this thesis is to show that when Mary Shelley started to write her novel The Last Man, she actually tried to build a monument to the past periods of her life that she spent with her circle of friends. That is why the novel is hereby analysed not only as a fictional novel but also as a grief work and a roman à clef in which the reader can easily explore Mary's beliefs, feelings and thoughts. In brief it's possible to say that The Last Man actually reflects Mary Shelley's mental state, and the apocalyptic theme that pervades the novel represents the perception of life of the author herself. The thesis is divided in three main parts which analyse Mary Shelley's life and beliefs, the novel itself and the characters in the novel. In the first chapter the thesis goes through the author's life pointing at the influence that her family and the environment undoubtely had on Mary Shelley, not only as a person but also as an artist. In the second part the thesis focuses on the novel itself dexploring the plot, the genre and the contemporary critic. Then, main characters and secondary characters are analysed and linked to Mary Shelley's own life in the third and fourth chapters. To conclude, the author's beliefs and concerns are analysed in the last chapter.