Frankenstein review

What threat did the creature make when he saw Frankenstein destroy his second creation?

He said, "I will be with you on your wedding night."

What happened to Frankenstein the day after he completed his creation?

He became ill with a fever and delirium for several months. Henry Clerval took care of him.

PASSAGE QUESTIONS The narrator says, "We were brought up together." Who was brought up together?

Elizabeth and Victor

What is "othering", and how does it affect our understanding of Frankenstein?

"Othering" is a social process of viewing things as belonging or not belonging to a category or group. Victor views the creature as a social other, who symbolizes the way society reacts to many minority groups. Victor wants to eliminate that which is different from him, and believes it to be the source of his problems. Likewise, the creature does the same to Victor. What is necessary for them both is understanding, and so Mary has Victor actually listen to the creature's story, which temporarily softens Victor to the other. By the end of the story, both Victor and the Creature have descended into monstrosity, showing that, despite viewing each other as fundamentally different and bad, they are both actually very similar. This is further shown in the Creature's grief over Victor's death.

Whom did Frankenstein meet after he had ascended to the summit of Montanvert? How did he react?

He met his creature. He was full of rage and horror. He threatened to kill the creature.

What is a eulogy? What might the speaker say about a person?

A eulogy is a speech given in honor of a person who has died. The speaker might talk about the person's life history, shared memories, or legacy. There are multiple speeches in Frankenstein that could be considered eulogies.

PASSAGE QUESTIONS How does he characterize their personalities?

Elizabeth is calm and peaceful, given to enjoying the beautiful scenery and some poetry. She likes to observe things. Victor is serious and studious, he wants to unlock secrets and discover why things occur.

What does the creature learn to do, and how does he learn this?

He learns to speak, and then to read, by observing and listening to the cottagers teach a foreign woman, Safie. He found a portmanteau that had several books in it, and he read them. He then read the letters that were in the pocket of the coat he had taken from Victor Frankenstein.

Describe the intended effect on the reader of the novel's subtitle: The Modern Prometheus.

Frankenstein's subtitle, The Modern Prometheus, is an allusion that intents to call up for the reader all of the mythological thoughts, feelings, and ideas associated with the Greek myth of Prometheus. Prometheus went against the natural order and the will of the gods when he created man, and provided them with the gift of fire. Because of this, he was eternally punished. Readers who understood this reference would anticipate the idea of creation, going against the natural order, and ensuing judgment.

Months later, what news did the letter from Frankenstein's father bring?

Frankenstein's youngest brother, William, had been murdered.

What did Frankenstein do about his dilemma?

He appealed to the courts to let Justine go free, and told his family that she was innocent, but he did not tell anyone about the creature.

What did the creature ask Frankenstein to do, and why?

He asked Frankenstein to create a female for him. He said that he was malicious because he was unhappy, and that if he were content he would not bother any more humans. At first Victor refused, but as the creature continued his argument, Frankenstein felt compassion for him, and finally agreed to create a female.

At the end of the novel, what happens to the creature?

He came into the cabin and saw the dead Frankenstein. He told Walton that he was going to travel to the far north and kill himself on a funeral pyre. We last see the creature as he floats away into the darkness on an ice raft.

What does Frankenstein decide to do with the rest of his life?

He decides to pursue the monster and kill him. Ultimately, however, his strength fails and he asks Robert Walton to destroy the creature if he ever has the opportunity, and then dies.

What observations did the creature make about the people in the cottage?

He saw that they cared for each other, that the two younger people treated the older man with great respect, and that they were often sad and hungry. In response, he helps gather firewood for them, and stops stealing their food.

What did Frankenstein see just outside the gates of Geneva as he was returning home?

He saw the monster he had created.

What did the creature do to the cottage when he returned and found that the De Laceys had moved out?

He set fire to it in a rage.

What was the reaction of the man whose daughter was saved from drowning by the creature?

He took the girl from the creature's arms, and shot the creature when he pursued the pair.

What did the creature want of Frankenstein?

He wanted Frankenstein to listen to the account of his life so far. At the end of the tale, he begged Victor to make him a companion.

What happened to Frankenstein when he landed his boat after deposited the body of the aborted female creation?

He was accused of murder.

How did Frankenstein feel when his experiment succeeded, and the creature came to life?

He was horrified and disgusted.

Frankenstein's upbringing was peaceful and happy. What two major events happened to Frankenstein when he was seventeen?

His mother died and he went to the university at Ingolstadt to study.

To whom were the letters in Frankenstein written?

They were written to Walton's sister, Mrs. Margaret Saville, in England.

What is the structure, or form, of the novel?

It is an epistolary novel. This means it is written as a series of letters.

How do modern ethical issues such as animal cloning (Dolly the Sheep) relate to the story of Frankenstein?

It relates to the story because in both situations they go against the natural order of things. They are playing the role of "God". "do it in the name of science"

Who had been the creature's most recent victim?

It was Henry Clerval.

What did the creature do to the next person he came across, and who was it?

It was William Frankenstein. He strangled him. Immediately after, the Creature was delighted that he was able to cause despair for his creator. He found the locket on William's body and took it. Later when he saw Justine sleeping, he put it in her pocket, intending that she should take the blame for the murder.

Who was accused of committing the murder, and why?

Justine, who lived with the family, was accused. She had not been with the family on the night William was murdered. Several people had seen her the next morning looking confused and frightened. A servant found the locket that Elizabeth had given to William in Justine's pocket

PASSAGE QUESTIONS Based on the passage, what is the meaning of ardour?

Liveliness, vitality, enthusiasm, passion.

Explain the role of women in Frankenstein. How could the novel be interpreted as a feminist argument?

Mary Shelley's mother, Mary Wollstonecraft, was an early and noted feminist. As such, Frankenstein can be read as a cautionary tale concerning the role of women in society. Victor, the Creature, Elizabeth, and others, all lack the influence of a mother, and suffer because of it. Victor finds a way to create life without women, and is not capable of raising it responsibly; disaster ensues. Elizabeth, like many women of that time, lacks a say in her own marriage, is not a 3-dimensional character, and exists mainly to serve others. Victor abandons her, hides secrets from her, and is generally ignorant of her emotional state. Mary may have meant this as a critique of the dominant patriarchal society.

What are some similarities between Mary Shelley and the characters in Frankenstein?

Mary and Victor - both lost mothers, both ambitious, both dealt with much loss and death in their lives, Romantics - loved nature, both experienced heavy guilt (Victor for his secret creation, Mary over her mother's death or Percy's wife's suicide) Mary and Creature - both essentially motherless, felt abandoned by parent, hungry for approval and acceptance (and perhaps defiant/vindictive after the prolonged absence of it), Romantics - loved nature Mary and Elizabeth - both grew up in patriarchal society, both overshadowed by men in their lives, both may have felt voiceless/abandoned

Describe the effect reading Paradise Lost had on the Creature.

Reading Paradise Lost had a profound effect on the Creature. When he read it, he did not understand the concepts of poetry, fiction, or religious text, and so assumed it was pure history. He identified with both the character of Adam - who felt isolated as the only one of his kind, had not asked to be created, and begged God for a companion - and Lucifer - who had been rejected by his Creator and so swore vengeance and destruction. Ultimately, when the Creature's request for a companion is denied, he more fully identifies with the character of Lucifer/Satan. Additionally, there are later hints in the novel that the Creature has adopted some of Milton's more formal language (thee, thou, etc).

What happened to the accused person?

She confessed under pressure from her priest. She was convicted and hanged.

PASSAGE QUESTIONS What was his companion's attitude towards learning?

She enjoyed observing the appearance of things, seasons, etc. But she did not feel the desire to dig deeper and unlock the causes of these scenes.

Why did Mary Shelley write Frankenstein?

She wrote it as a response to a challenge to a contest by Lord Byron and her husband, Percy Shelley, to think of a horror story. Whoever wrote the best story would be declared the winner.

What happened on Frankenstein and Elizabeth's wedding night?

The creature broke into the room and killed Elizabeth. Victor's father died soon after of grief

Explain how the creature's reading of Paradise Lost influenced his understanding of his relationship with Victor.

The creature seemed to most identify with the character of Satan - who vows vengeance on his creator, who he feels has abandoned him.

Describe the original personality of Dr. Victor Frankenstein's creature, and the changes that occurred to the creature's personality over the course of the novel.

The creature was curious about mankind because he didn't know any better. He was constantly chased away by people, so overtime he started to resent mankind.

Caroline Beaufort Frankenstein

The daughter of Beaufort. After her father's death, She is taken in by, and later marries, Alphonse Frankenstein. She dies of scarlet fever, which she contracts from Elizabeth, just before Victor leaves for Ingolstadt at age seventeen.

Victor Frankenstein

The doomed protagonist and narrator of the main portion of the story. Studying in Ingolstadt, Victor discovers the secret of life and creates an intelligent but grotesque monster, from whom he recoils in horror. Victor keeps his creation of the monster a secret, feeling increasingly guilty and ashamed as he realizes how helpless he is to prevent the monster from ruining his life and the lives of others.

Explain the idea of the Doppelganger as it relates to Frankenstein.

The doppelganger is more than just a lookalike, it is another being who complements and completes your personality. It's an important idea in Frankenstein. Victor and the creature are doppelgangers of each other, this is shown by their similarities in use of language and even action. The creature seems to live out parts of Victor's life. They reflect and are linked to one another. Also, Henry is a doppelganger of Victor's lighter, younger, more hopeful self (both are "killed" by the creature). Walton is also a doppelganger of Victor, shown as a version of Victor just before he goes down a dangerous path.

What was the elder De Lacey's reaction when the creature entered the cottage and began speaking with him? How did the rest of the family respond?

The elder man was blind, and therefore could not see how hideous the creature looked. He invited the creature in and agreed to listen to his story. Agatha fainted, Safie fled, and Felix hit him with a stick until he left the cottage.

Explain Shelley's argument about (the importance of motherhood, the nature of monstrosity, nature vs nurture, science vs nature) in a paragraph. How is that theme traced throughout the novel?

The importance of motherhood - many characters in Frankenstein grow up without the influence of a mother (Victor, the Creature, Elizabeth, Mary Shelley herself). This lack of nurture has a negative impact on them The nature of monstrosity - Victor is a monster in the fact that he goes against nature and "plays God." Despite creating life, he shows little regard for life itself - abandoning the Creature, letting Justine die, then vowing to kill the life he created. The Creature could be categorized as monstrous due to his vengeful desires, murder of innocents, the unnaturalness of his existence. People see him as a monster due to his appearance but this is not, Mary Shelley seems to argue, what makes a true monster. Nature vs. nurture - our experiences determine our perspective and reality. The Creature was not born evil, the way he was treated (nurture) made him that way. Science vs. nature - typical Romantic idea. Science destroys the truth it claims to seek. Science is the real source of horror in this gothic tale

What was the reaction of the villagers the creature encountered?

They shrieked, and threw rocks and other things at him, and drove him away from the village.

Explain the significance of the allusion in the novella's subtitle: The Modern Prometheus.

Victor Frankenstein created the creature, like how Prometheus created mankind. When Zeus found out about what Prometheus did, he punished him by tying him to a rock. Everyday, an eagle came and ate his liver. Victor's creature went out and killed all the people close to him. Both characters went through pain and suffering because of what they did.

How is Frankenstein an example of a Gothic/Romantic novel?

Victor is the typical Gothic protagonist. He is isolated, and much of the narrative is concerned with his inner turmoil. In typical Romantic fashion, the novels stresses the beauty and peaceful effects of nature, and shows an aversion to modern science. The typical Gothic setting - castles, abandoned mansions, etc - is subverted by placing the story primarily in a modern setting, with a few Gothic locations interspersed (graveyards, etc). Additionally, the source of traditional gothic horror - the supernatural - is changed to science.

Henry Clerval (Frankenstein)

Victor's best friend since childhood. Fascinated with the history of mankind, he is Victor's intellectual opposite. He, too, will be murdered by the monster; he is perhaps a symbol of the destruction of Victor's own goodness and potential.

Alphonse Frankenstein

Victor's father, very sympathetic toward his son. He consoles Victor in moments of pain and encourages him to remember the importance of family.

Elizabeth Lavenza

Victor's sister by adoption, and later his wife. A stunningly beautiful and remarkably pure girl whom Victor's mother adopts. All the Frankensteins adore her, and Victor, about four years her elder, quickly begins to "protect, love, and cherish" her. Eventually she and Victor marry. Through all of it, she remains gorgeous, pure, and passive.

William Frankenstein

Victor's youngest brother and the darling of the Frankenstein family. The monster strangles William in the woods outside Geneva in order to hurt Victor for abandoning him. William's death deeply saddens Victor and burdens him with tremendous guilt about having created the monster.

Justine Moritz

adopted into the Frankenstein family, blamed for William's death and executed

Robert Walton

explorer who met Frankenstein on the Arctic ice

Percy Shelley

famous real-life British poet and Frankenstein author's husband

Mary Shelley, Frankenstein

real-life author of the novel Frankenstein; she wrote the story while on vacation with Percy Shelley (her husband) and Lord Byron (her friend) while on vacation in Switzerland; both Percy Shelley and Lord Byron became world-famous British poets

Margaret Saville

recipient of a series of letters from her brother, Robert Walton

Felix De Lacey

unknowingly taught the creature to read and write