"In her novel Frankenstein, Mary Shelley attempts to shape the values of her society more than she attempts to reflect them." To what extent do you agree?

Whilst making a critical judgement and shaping the values of society of her time, Mary Shelley uses her Gothic Romantic novel Frankenstein as a catalyst to reflect these values in more of a way than she attempts to shape them. Frankenstein is based around many features commonly found in the Gothic Romantic genre such as the pursuit of knowledge and the wonders of earth and creation. However, Shelley's work does not always directly mirror these …

…through her subtle and satirical style and techniques. These values, despite facing the constraints of the varying context between early the eighteen-hundreds to the second millennium, are very relevant to all kinds of people and that's why the novel still retains universal appeal despite its age. Frankenstein was produced at the height of the Gothic and Romantic period and as such the value of the text lies most significantly in its reflection of the period.