Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein poses questions about humanity and what is natural or inherent to it, the dangers of science and scientific inquiry without considering ethical implications, and what constitutes as monstrous in a world so wrought with violence. It is no wonder that it has been read by millions worldwide since its initial release and rerelease in 1818 and 1831, respectively. An aspect of Frankenstein that is not often analyzed is Shelley’s mention of objects – such as the scientific apparatuses Victor Frankenstein uses or the books that Frankenstein’s creature finds. One object that caught my attention is the “valuable miniature… of [his] mother” that William Frankenstein has in his possession when he is murdered (Shelley 96). What exactly is a miniature, why was it so valuable, and were miniatures an important part of life during the 1800s when the book was written?

When William Frankenstein is murdered, his cousin Elizabeth Lavenza is beside herself with grief and guilt: grief because she has just lost someone so dear to her and guilt because she was the one who gave William what “was doubtless the temptation which urged the murderer to the deed” (Shelley 96). During the 18^th and 19^th centuries, miniature portraits were an important aspect of European culture, particularly in England. These objects were “intricately embellished with gems and enameling” and the portraits themselves were a “valuable artwork” whose containers required “particular skills, precious materials, and technological know-how” to create (Skolnik; Pointon 49). Seen as luxurious, miniature portraits could be found in royal households, often showcased publicly, transforming “what is essentially a private object (a small scale-portrait)” into a “museum piece” (48-49). There was a time where miniature portraits were showcased in “the queen’s audience chamber, behind glass, between the wood paneling and a line of full-scale portraits” (48). Miniature portraits “of the royal giver” also served as gifts from monarchs “to reward loyal subject[s]” (Skolnik). However, “spending on luxury goods” was not limited to the wealthy and the “middling sort” eventually began to collect these objects (49). Collecting miniature portraits for the express purpose of displaying them “proved one way of establishing a visual family tree” (49), and with the movement of miniatures from royal life to ‘commoners,’ “sweethearts and spouses replaced sovereigns” (Skolnik). It was not uncommon for women to wear miniatures of their husbands “not hidden but placed facing outwards as part of their apparel” (51) and women in 18^th and 19^th century paintings were depicted wearing such miniatures. With these facts in mind, an English or European reader during this time would have immediately recognized the importance of the miniature in William’s possession as well as its value.

While reading Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, it is easy to gloss over the objects mentioned within the novel; the miniature portrait worn by William Frankenstein is one such object. Yet, I believe Mary Shelley sought to call attention to the miniature portrait, however briefly. When Frankenstein’s creature recalls the murder of William, he states that “…I saw something glittering on his breast. I took it; it was a portrait of a most lovely woman” (Shelley 155). In both passages where the miniature portrait is mentioned, Shelley alludes to the monetary and sentimental value of the object. During the 1800s, a reader would have been able to relate to having one – or possibly more – miniature portrait of their loved ones, so Shelley would have been able to elicit a strong response from readers as they put themselves in Elizabeth’s, or even William’s, shoes. While miniature portraits are not the elaborate and expensive objects that they once were, today’s locket often holds just as much sentimental – if not monetary – value as the miniature portraits of the 18^th and 19^th centuries.

Works Cited
Pointon, Marcia. “‘Surrounded with Brilliants’: Miniature Portraits in Eighteenth-Century England.” The Art Bulletin, vol. 83, no. 1, 2001, pp. 48–71. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/3177190. Accessed 16 Nov. 2021.

Shelley, Mary Wollstonecraft, et al. Frankenstein, or, the Modern Prometheus: Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, the Original 1818 Text. Broadview Press, 2012.

Skolnik, Lisa. “A Heartbeat Away Lockets Hold the Treasures of Several Lifetimes: [Chicagoland Final Edition].” Chicago Tribune, 11 May 1997, pp. 23–10, 23:1. ProQuest Central Essentials, https://libdatabase.newpaltz.edu/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/newspapers/heartbeat-away-lockets-hold-treasures-several/docview/418268253/se-2?accountid=12761. Accessed 16 Nov. 2021.