Mary Shelley was profoundly influenced by the cultural expectations placed on women during the Victorian era. As the daughter of feminist writer Mary Wollstonecraft, she faced pressure to conform to traditional roles of wife and mother. This context provided an impetus for her groundbreaking novel, Frankenstein, where she challenged gender norms and the patriarchal narrative of her time. Despite societal constraints, Shelley embraced her literary aspirations, blending science and philosophy to explore themes of creation and responsibility, reflecting her struggles against the dominant gender roles.