F #18

“Fortunately the books were written in the language…they consisted of Paradise Lost, a volume of Plutarch’s Lives, and the Sorrows of Werter” (p.91). A little earlier in Shelley's novel, the monster alludes to the book Paradise Lost. He now explains that he had come across this book, which he was pleased to see that it was in his language. He also finds a copy of Plutarch’s Lives, which is comprised of forty-six biographies of Greek and Roman people who emphasized morality. The last book he uncovers is the Sorrows of Werter, by Johann von Goethe. Von Goethe was one of the most influential writers in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Referencing these books demonstrates the author's intelligence which, for such a young age, is quite impressive.
“Plutarch.” English Upenn. 30 Aug. 2009. http://www.english.upenn.edu/Projects/knarf/Plutarch/plutarch.html