Mary Shelley is my Roman empire
“How often do you think about the roman empire?” Men think about the Roman empire “once a week” as they say. But it’s often to the point where they'll think about it during their showers. Where one should have alone time, possibly relax, or think of what you did for the day. Men think about the Roman empire.
The Roman empire, as a whole, was simply a period of “turmoil and civil wars” to no longer exist as a republic. This was essentially a time in history where man conquered and became in control of a form of government. Men let the era of, men conquering others, meditate in their minds. Men yearn about a time where they had control and liberty—although they still (for the most part) still have that today.
I haven't thought about the Roman empire since I first learned about it during my world history class. I never needed to think about it. I have nothing to learn from it or Julius Caesar—but I know Shakespeare wrote a play about him.
One woman did give me something to spend my days thinking about. I think about her during my sad laboring hours. I think about her every time I write. I think about her while I'm trying to sleep. I even try to read more about her instead of sleeping. Mary Shelley never leaves my mind, and I don't want her to.
After getting Frankenstein assigned to read for a class, I wasted no time in consuming all of the Frankenstein-Mary Shelley-lore I could find after. Mary Shelley’s friends had a ghost story writing competition. Where each of them challenged themselves to write the most amusing one in the group. Mary later had the brilliant idea of writing a story about a reanimated dead body. Just like that, she created an entirely new genre, and wrote the biggest piece literature known to man.
Mary Shelley was only eighteen years old when she wrote Frankenstein. There are no words to describe how devastating it was for me, ( at seventeen years old then) to come to terms with this. To spread more of Mary Shelley's holy contribution to the English literature. Mary Shelley was the first science-fiction writer. She created an entire new genre, one no other man or woman had ever done before, all with just a shuffled idea. Mary was able to accomplish all of greatness in her lifetime.
She consumes every. waking. thought.
My roman empire is Mary Shelley’s entire existence and work. The things she accomplished being so young and, of course, being a woman. She did a lot for generations of women writers, who will all have their time to be known as unique as she was. I think about this brilliant woman so much because I long to create. It has always been in me to create. I will consider my life a success if I get to accomplish half of the things she was able to create during her time.
