All literary definitions are taken from Merriam Webster's Encyclopedia of Literature.
Gothic: Of or relating to a late 18th and early 19th century style of fiction characterized by the use of medieval settings, a murky atmosphere of horror and gloom, and macabre, mysterious, and violent incidents.
"Gothic." Merriam Webster's Encyclopedia of Literature, 1995.
Romanticism: A literary, artistic, and philosophical movement originating in Europe in the 18th century that emphasized the individual, the subjective, the irrational, the imaginative, the personal, the spontaneous, the emotional, the visionary, and the transcendental.
"Romanticism." Merriam Webster's Encyclopedia of Literature, 1995.
Scientific Revolution: "Scientific Revolution" refers to historical changes in thought & belief, to changes in social & institutional organization, that unfolded in Europe between roughly 1550-1700; beginning with Nicholas Copernicus (1473-1543), who asserted a heliocentric (sun-centered) cosmos, it ended with Isaac Newton (1642-1727), who proposed universal laws and a Mechanical Universe.
Hatch, Robert A. "The Scientific Revolution." http://users.clas.ufl.edu/ufhatch/pages/03-Sci-Rev/SCI-REV-Teaching/03sr-definition-concept.htm. Accessed 5 June 2018.
The novel takes place during the 18th century in Europe. Shelley wrote the novel in the 19th century. The following books can give you an idea about this time period and what was going on worldwide.
These books are shelved in the first floor reference collection. They may be used in-house or you may photocopy pages of interest.
The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Daily Life by 
The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Daily Life by 
The 18th Century, 1701-1800 by 
The 19th Century by 
The Timetables of History by 
The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Clothing Through World History by 
Encyclopedia of Clothing and Fashion by 
