Frankenstein quiz letters 1-4, chapters 1-10

what drives walton to explore the arctic and what's in it for him?

passage through the arctic to the north pole, to gain knowledge, and wants to see what other people haven't making him possibly become well-known for his discovery.

why is elizabeth important

victors love and represents innocence in the story

what/who represents Zeus and Prometheus

Zeus=life victor=Prometheus -victor acts like god and creates stuff that he shouldn't have the power to create in the first place.

What is Romanticism?

a movement in the arts and literature that originated in the late 18th century, emphasizing inspiration, subjectivity, and the primacy of the individual. power of one's imagination, majesty of the unspoiled nature. it rejects materialism and the industrial revolution.

why is victor at the north pole (what is the quote)How does this establish a suspenseful tone?

"to seek who fled from me" it establishes a suspenseful tone because others don't know who victor is talking about when he's chasing someone.

Life of Mary Shelley

- her mother was a feminist leader and her father was a political philosopher -mother died when mary was 11 days old -mary fell in love with a married guy named percy and they ran off together -mary loses a child and deals with depression -percy's wife kills herself then mary becomes pregnant again -mary finished book in 1817 -both fled to italy in 1818 so they wouldn't lose their kids but their kids ended up dying -1818 they had their 4th child and it survived till adulthood -open marriage deal -percy drowned at 29 -mary lived to 48 and died of a brain tumor and she had a bad reputation

describe the characterization of elizabeth, especially in chapter 2. how does victor see her?

-angel sent from heaven -not really human like/ not capable of human imperfection

who was the scientist whose work victor's father told him to disregard? how did this make him act?

-Cornelius Agrippa, Albertus Magnus, and Paracelsus -made victor want to study them more and he enjoyed them

".... until from the midst of this darkness a sudden light broke upon me-- a light so brilliant and wondrous yet so simple." "I was like the Arabian who had been buried with the dead and found a passage to life, aided only by one glimmering and seemingly ineffectual light."

-back to the theme of light vs. darkness and ignorance vs. knowledge

"Unhappy man! Do you share my madness? Have you drunk also of the intoxicating draught?"

-draught of ambition -victor sees similarities in Walton to himself

"Before I come on board your vessel, will you have the kindness to inform me whither you are bound?"

-dumb question -hes in ice, he'll freeze to death -hopeless situation -wont go on ship unless going north

what is the weather like as walton begins his expedition? what significance can you find in this?

-fog= confusion/ uncertainty -light= knowledge -when fog clears up there's certainty

"Learn from me, if not by my precepts, at least by my example, how dangerous is the acquirement of knowledge and how much happier that man is who believes his native town to be the world, than he who aspires to become greater than his nature will allow."

-gaining knowledge is dangerous because you loose happiness with unhealthy ambition -victor says ambition destroys people and walton doesn't listen to that warning -ignorance is better than knowledge to victor in the end

"Such were the professor's words--rather let me say such the words of fate, enounced to destroy me."

-gothic novel -set him up for his journey and started his passion -self-knowledge, but victor feels like his knowledge is invalidated -desired knowledge=ultimate doom

what is victors responsibility as the being's creator? is he fulfilling those responsibilities

-he's supposed to take care of the creature, but ends up running away from the creature instead -supposed to be like the creatures dad almost

themes

-light vs. darkness -knowledge vs. ignorance -monstrosity -dangerous power of knowledge -responsibility of creator -role of natural elements and nature as the backdrop

"What may not be expected in a country of eternal light?"

-light vs. darkness, knowledge vs. ignorance -learning from anything and everything -exploration -north pole is unending potential of knowledge and exploration

why would shelley include the personal history of walton's lieutenant in letter 2? what purpose could this information serve?

-loss of ambition, ability to give something up, foil in the story -walton/victor= different than lieutenant

characteristics of a gothic novel

-medieval setting -supernatural events -mysterious characters- Byronic hero -atmosphere of impending danger

how is victor affected by his mothers death

-sad and he grieves but still continues his studies

"The different accidents of life are not so changeable as the feelings of human nature."

-the creature was a mistake and gaining all this knowledge was too -predicted a better outcome and glory, but didn't get that -metaphor for relationships

describe the creatures appearance. why might victor find him beautiful one minute and horrifying the next

-the creatures appearance is ugly and scary -in love with the thought of the creation but not with the outcome of it

"we called each other familiarily by the name of cousin. no word, no expression could body forth the kind of relation in which she stood to me- my more than sister, since till death she was to be mine only"

-victor cares a lot about elizabeth and they have a weird type of relationship since he loves her and she's his adopted sister -he's very possessive towards her

what are the main events in chapter 6 and why might they be important for later in the story

-victor goes back home to germany, elizabeth writes him a letter about justine, he stops isolating himself and gets back into his passion for philosophy and the natural world, henry uplifts his spirits

how does victor differ from elizabeth, henry clerval, and his parents

-victor is science oriented and elizabeth loves poetry -victor has less of a personality than henry -victor is very educated, but his parents arent that much

what do walton and his men see when they are trapped in ice? what conjectures or predictions can you based using this information?

-victors creature and victor chasing him -big man moving fast -we can predict that victor and the creature are important

what does walton say that makes victor call him a madman? what does this tell you about victor frankenstein?

-walton says one man's life is worth losing over success , hes willing to give up himself and others on the ship with him -victor has gone through that too

how does victor describe his childhood, before his parents adopted elizabeth and had other children? what does this tell you about him

-weren't many rules, had a lot of freedom, not much pushing towards education -traveled a lot -shows you how spoiled he is

what evidence can you find to support or refute the claim that Frankenstein portrays especially weak female characters

-women aren't in a position of power -Elizabeth being a poor girl that needed help -elizabeth has no sense of individuality -refute: fighting through disease

frame narrative

1.walton telling story 2.walton meets victor 3.victor telling story 4.victor meets creature 5.creature telling story 6.victor tells his story 7.walton finishes the book

compare and contrast victor and henry

contrast: victor lacks personality and isn't happy when gaining knowledge. Henry is happy while gaining knowledge and tries to uplift victors moods compare: both enjoy philosophy and the natural world

"shall i meet you again, after having traversed immense seas, and returned by the most southern cape of africa or america? I dare not expect such success, yet I cannot bear to look on the reverse of the picture"

he might not see his sister because he wants to come back home successful. he misses his sister, but he loves gaining knowledge more.

why is henry important

he's a foil and he's known victor since childhood and hes like that best friend that comforts

how does victors observation of the tree being struck by lightning influence him

it made him interested in electricity and the natural world. Also life and death too.

"but success shall crown my endeavours. wherefore not? thus far i have gone, tracing a secure way over the pathless seas, the very stars themselves being witnesses and testimonies of my triumph. why not still proceed over the untamed yet obedient element? what can stop the determined heart and resolved will of man?"

lots of ambition and wants people to see his confidence even if he might not even feel it

the poem "I wandered as lonely as a cloud" shows a connection to frankenstein

romanticism in both and it represents the north pole being untouched nature and how the poet, Wordsworth, loves nature, but Victor/Walton seek knowledge from nature.

why is justine important

socially below them, strange, important in general

attitude of professors at Inglostadt toward the newest philosophers

they want them to start fresh with philosophy, victor likes Waldman, but not Krempe.

one of the characteristics of a gothic novel is impending doom. what shows that in the novel

victors change in tone when he loses passion, foreshadowing, creature being created.

"And now, dear Margaret, do I not deserve to accomplish some great purpose? My life might have passed in ease and luxury, but I preferred glory to every enticement that wealth placed in my path. oh, that some encouraging voice would answer in the affirmative."(Robert Walton).

walton wants validation/ approval and wants to be successful/discover something

"None but those who have experienced them can conceive of the enticements of science. In other studies you go as far as others have gone before you, and there is nothing more to know; but in a scientific pursuit there is continual food for discovery and wonder." Do you agree?

yes because there's always more to find out