Frankenstein Study Guide

c20: - what does frankenstein think of a second companion? what does he decide?

- Frankenstein is repulsed by the thought that the two monsters might beget children and thereby create a new race that could ultimately destroy all humanity. - Victor decides that unleashing such a scourge upon mankind would be of the utmost selfishness

c18: why has victor not began the new companion? what does he determine to do in england? what does he delay?

- He realizes that several months of study are required before he can begin composing the second creature; - he determines to study in England, as the discoveries of an English philosopher will prove essential to his research. - He endlessly delays asking his father for permission to do so, instead electing to remain in Geneva. His home is greatly beneficial to his health and spirits, and he has once again grown strong and cheerful. When his melancholy overtakes him (as it inevitably does), he takes refuge in solitude, and his good humor is soon restored.

C14: -what happened in paris?

- In Paris, the De Laceys were stripped of their ancestral fortune and condemned to live in exile for the rest of their lives. The treacherous merchant did nothing to help them, and in this way did the De Laceys come to live in the miserable German cottage in which the creature had found them.

c19: -where do clerval and frankenstein spend time at? what do they do there?

- Oxford, where they wonder over English history; for a brief moment, Victor "dares to shake off his chains" and is nearly happy. Almost immediately, however, he recalls his task, and is cast back into his former despair.

C13: -what book does salfie learn from? what does the creature learn? - what does he do when he learns of mans obsession with wealth and class? - how does the creature feel of this new knowledge?

- Ruins of Empires, provides the creature with a cursory knowledge of history. He grows to understand the manners, governments, and religions of modern Man, and weeps over the atrocities that human beings commit against one another. - turns away in disgust; he wonders what place he can have among such people, since he owns no property, and is absolutely ignorant of the circumstances of his birth. -The creature curses his newfound knowledge, which has caused him to regard himself as a monster and an outcast. He despairs of ever gaining the fellowship of his beloved cottagers, as he is certain that they will recoil from his hideous appearance. At chapter's end, he is friendless, loveless, and almost completely without hope.

c19: where do they set out to? what does victor reflect?

- Scotland at the end of March. - Victor reflects that he was "formed for peaceful happiness," having spent his youth in the enjoyment of nature and the contemplation of human accomplishment. Now, he feels himself to be a "blasted tree," an example of wrecked and forsaken humanity.

c22: what does victor find of elizabeth? where do they plan to honeymoon? how does victor take care of his family?

- She has lost the vivacity of her youth, -the couple determines to honeymoon on the shores of Lake Como, in Italy -carrying pistols and daggers about his person wherever he goes.

C14: -what did the merchant do and why?

- The merchant, afraid of being apprehended, was forced to suddenly flee Italy. In her father's absence, Safie promptly decided to travel to Germany, where she was reunited with her lover.

C14: -what did the merchant think of this? -How did salfie respond to this? who was her mom?

- The merchant, however, loathed the idea of his cherished daughter marrying a Christian, and conceived a plan to betray Felix and take his daughter with him to Turkey. - Safie, for her part, did not wish to return to her native land: her mother had been a Christian, and she longed for the greater freedom enjoyed by women in the countries of Europe.

C12: -what happens when he sees his reaction? What does he dream of?

- Upon seeing his own reflection in a pool of water, the creature becomes even more certain that he will never know such happiness; he finds his own face to be monstrous, capable of inspiring only fear or disgust. Nonetheless, he dreams of winning the love of the cottagers by mastering their language; in this way, he hopes, he can reveal to them the beauty and gentleness of his soul.

C15: -What does the creature like of the books? -How does he read all of the books? -who does he see himself as?

- Werter's meditations upon death and suicide; with Plutarch's elevated regard for the heroes of past generations; and with the grand themes presented in Paradise Lost. -as though they were true histories, and regards Milton's story of the struggle between God and his creations as completely factual. In his mind, the biblical story defines his own. - He does not see himself as Adam, however, but as Satan: unlike Adam, he is alone, without a Creator to protect him or an Eve to sustain him. He is full of envy, wretched, and utterly an outcast.

C6: -When does victor leave his chamber? -What does Henry do for victor? - How does victors introducing clerval to his professors go? -What happens at summer passes? - Where do clerval and henry go?

- a fortnight (two weeks) , -gives him a new apartment with no scientific stuff - torture because they unfailingly exclaim over victors scientific prowess, victor cant bear the praise and allows henry to convince him to abandon science for the study of oriental languages - victor determines to return to geneva at the end of autumn, its delayed until spring - two week ramble through the country side , they are in high spirits and victor returns to himself (loving nature and forgets his misery)

C13: -What happens in spring? How does felix react ? -What does the creature note? How do they communicate?

- a stranger an exquisitely beautiful young woman of exotic appearance appears at the family's cottage. - Felix is ecstatic to see her, kisses her hands, and refers to her as his "sweet Arabian"; later, the creature learns that her true name is Safie. - her language is different from that of the cottagers, and that the four humans have great difficulty in understanding one another. - gesticulation, which the creature is initially unable to interpret; he soon realizes, however, that the cottagers are attempting to teach Safie their language. He secretly takes part in her lessons and, in this way, finally begins to master the art of speech.

c20: what does the letter from henry say?

- begging his friend to join him in Perth, so that they might proceed southward together. Victor decides to meet him in two days time. While disposing of the remnants of his second creation, Victor is overcome with disgust; he feels as though he has desecrated living human flesh. He resolves to dispose of the remains at sea.

C16: - what keeps the creature from taking his own life? what does he long to do?

- great rage, and his consuming desire for revenge - he longs to "spread havoc and destruction around [him], and then to [sit down] and enjoy the ruin."

C9: -how is elizabeth changed ? What does she think of justine? of the man she thinks killed william? - how does victor feel when elizabeth tells him this? -how does victor try to escape misery? - what is he overwhelmed with?

- has lost faith in the essential goodness of both humanity and the world as a whole. Now, men appear to her "as monsters thirsting after each other's blood." She does, however, persist in her fervent belief in Justine's innocence; she feels great pity for the man who must carry the guilt for William's murder on his conscience. -Victor despairs when he hears her say this, as he feels that he is the man who must bear that guilt. - by traveling through the Alpine valley of Chamonix, in which he had often vacationed as a boy. -grandeur of the landscape, and views it as proof of the existence of an omnipotent god. The hard physical exercise exhausts him, and he is able to take refuge in sleep for the first time since the execution of Justine.

C16: what happens when he sees a young girl running through the forest?

- he hides himself beneath a cypress tree. As he watches, she suddenly stumbles and falls into the rapidly moving water; the creature, without thinking, leaps in and rescues her from certain death. As he is attempting to revive her, a peasant (presumably the girl's father) snatches the girl away from him, and shoots the creature when he attempts to follow. The creature bitterly contemplates this "reward for [his] benevolence," and is seized with a new, even greater hatred of humanity.

C3: -What happens on victors arrival from geneva? -Who is the first person he encounters? -What was the meeting described as? -What does the Professor tell Victor of his studies? -How does the narrator feel about returning to science? -What does Waldman believe?

- he reflects on the fact that he knows no one at ingolstadt, he has always been unstable to enjoy the company of strangers, his spirits are lifted by the thought of acquiring new knowledge - Krempe, a professor of natural philosophy - work of an evil influence, the angel of destruction - he is astounded at the absurd and outdated science that victor has read in the past and tells him to begin his studies anew -indifferent, but it changes when victor attends a lecture given by Professor Waldman -scientists can perform miracles, get unlimited powers, and mock the invisible world with its own shadows

walton continued: how does walton deal with his men wanting to return ? what does victor say?

- hesitates, unwilling to grant their request. - Even though he is in a half conscious state, Victor rouses himself enough to chastise the men for wishing to abandon their "glorious expedition." He tells them that they will be hailed as "benefactors of the species...brave men who encountered death for honor and for the benefit of mankind" if they continue with their expedition; to turn back would be pure cowardice, unbefitting a man. The men are unable to reply, and Victor lapses back into sleep.

C14: -what does the creature learn of their history? - what was the cause of their exile? -what did felix do because of this?

- surname is De Lacey, and they are the last of a noble French family. Only a few months previously, they had lived in Paris; there, they were surrounded by luxury and a glittering coterie of friends and intimates. They had, however, suffered a great misfortune, which forced them to go into exile. - Safie's father, a wealthy Turkish merchant who had been unjustly imprisoned by the Parisian government. All of Paris knew that racism, and a hatred of the merchant's Islamic faith, were the true cause of his incarceration. -Felix went to the merchant's cell and vowed to do everything in his power to liberate him. To encourage the young man, the merchant promised Felix the hand of his beautiful daughter in marriage. The two young people fell in love immediately upon seeing one another, and eagerly looked forward to their union.

C15: -what happens at the arrival of winter?

- the creature finally determines to speak to the cottagers: he reasons that he is not unworthy of love and kindness, and that the De Laceys are compassionate enough to offer it to him. - He decides to speak to the senior De Lacey at a time when the other cottagers are away. The old man, who is blind, will be better able to appreciate the mellifluousness of his speech and the genuine goodwill in his heart; the young people, by contrast, would be horrified at the very sight of him. He hopes to gain their trust by first gaining the trust of their respected elder.

C7: -What do victor and henry receive at the university? What did it say? -What did Catherine allow him to wear on the day of the murder? -Why does victor linger at Lausanne before going home to Geneva? - How does victor react when he sees his city? -When does he arrive?

- they receive a letter from victors father, it says that William (victors youngest brother) has been murdered when on an evening walk he disappeared and he was found dead the following morning - an antique locket with catherines picture , the locket is gone when he is murdered, she thinks thats the reason why he was murdered, -he's certain that disaster awaits him -he cries because he had not been back in a long time -at night, in the midst of a severe thunderstorm

C16: what does the creature decide to do? how is the journey?

- to travel to Geneva in order to revenge himself upon his creator. -long and arduous, and the weather has grown bitterly cold. Though he primarily travels by night, in order to avoid discovery, he permits himself to travel during daylight on one of the first days of spring. The new warmth soothes him, and the sunlight revives some of his former gentleness. For a few precious moments, the creature "dares to be happy."

c17: why does victor refuse to make him a companion? what does the creature reply?

-Bewildered by the creature's story and enraged by his account of William's death,their "joint wickedness" would be enough to destroy the world. - saying that he is only malicious as a result of his misery: why should he meet man's contempt with submission? If he is met with hatred, he can only respond in kind. He appeals to Victor for sympathy, and asks Frankenstein to provide him with a lover to share in his suffering. If he complies, the creature promises to quit the company of mankind forever.

c19: - what is clerval to victor? what letter do they recieve? why does victor agree to go?

-Clerval is the image of his younger self: he is full of excitement and curiosity, and is at present making plans to travel to India. - from a mutual friend inviting them to visit him in Scotland; - Victor detests all human society, he agrees to go, so as not to disappoint Clerval. He also looks forward to seeing the mountains once more.

C5: -What does victor see when walking in town? -What does henry tell victor? what does henry notice of victor? Does victor tell him of his project? -What happens to Henry the next morning? What does victor do for months? -What does Henry request? -What awaits victor ?

-Clerval, and he is excited to see him and finds out he is able to study at the same university now -his family is worried of victor because they do not hear from him , that he has a unhealthy appearance, no - he has a fever, take care of Henry, -that he writes a letter to his family in geneva -a letter from elizabeth

C14: -what did felix do with the merchant?

-Felix freed the merchant the night before his scheduled execution. As Felix was conducting the two fugitives across the French countryside, the French government threw Agatha and the elder De Lacey into prison. Felix, hearing of this, immediately decided to return to France, and asked the merchant to lodge Safie in Italy until such time as he could meet her there.

C15: -what does the creature find after the satchel?

-Frankenstein's laboratory journal; from it, he learns the circumstances of his creation. He curses his creator and the day he received life; he grieves over his own hideousness and despairs of ever finding human companionship. -The creature bitterly reflects that even Satan is more fortunate than he: at least Satan has fellow devils to console him. He, by contrast, has no one; his increasing knowledge only serves to make him more aware of his wretchedness. He is, however, still able to retain his hope that the cottagers will recognize his virtues and overlook his deformity -- if only he can bring himself to speak to them.

C18: - who goes on the journey with him? does victor like this?

-Henry Clerval -Victor is initially displeased at this, as he had wanted to undertake his task in perfect solitude. He is thrilled upon seeing Clerval, however, and reflects that Henry's presence will keep the creature from observing the progress of his work.

C5: -What happens on a chill night in November? -What happens when the creature opens its dull yellow eye? -Where does victor go? -What dream does he have? -What does victor awaken to ? -What happens when the creature tries to speak to him?

-Victor begins his creation to life - victor feels ill, the man is hideous, thin black lips, inhuman eyes, sallow skin where you can see his muscles, arteries, and veins. -to his bed chamber and he cannot sleep - he has a dream where he goes to kill Elizabeth and and she turns into his mothers corpse -the creature standing by his bedside smiling -victor leaps out of bed and rushes off into the night into the courtyard and determines to take a walk when morning comes

C7: -What does victor see? -why doesn't he tell his family of the creature? -What does ernest tell victor? - who believes in her innocence? -when is justine's trial schedule?

-a flash of lightning illuminates a figure lurking among the skeletal trees he than realizes that the monster killed the boy - he thinks they will see him as a madman -that Justine the family servant is accused of William's murder because the locket was found on her the night of the murder -the family, especially Elizabeth, - 11 o clock that day

C2: -When does the family cease to travel? Where do they return to? -How does young Victor prefer to surround himself? -Who is one of his friends? -What does victor confess of his childhood although having a happy one? Who was it directed towards? -How was Clerval in contrast? - What does Elizabeth's saintly soul serve to do at Geneva?

-after they have a second son, Switzerland to their estate at the foot of the Alps - not with casual friends, rather with intimate select few -Henry Clerval, imaginative, and Elizabeth -he had a temper, it manifested itself to learn the secrets of heaven and earth - fascinated by questions of morality, heroism, and virtue - soothe the temper of victor's burning passion for study, without her, his interest in his work might have developed as an obsession

c23: who perish after hearing of elizabeths death -what happened when victors father died

-alphonose and ernest -Victor has no memory of the time that immediately followed the death of his father; he later learned that he was kept in a miserable asylum, having been declared mad.

c18: -what does the elder frakenstein take victor aside to do? -what does victor tell him? - what is decided?

-ask him about his recent desire for solitude. He wonders if Victor has perhaps decided that he does not wish to marry Elizabeth, but has not told his father out of fear of disappointing him. - Victor reassures him that nothing could be further from the truth: he longs to marry Elizabeth, but must first satisfy a desire to visit England. -It is decided that he and Elizabeth are to be married immediately upon his return to Geneva.

C6: -What does Elizabeth's letter express? -What is the family's most recent events? -What does Elizabeth tell Victor to do? -How does Victor feel towards this?

-concern for Victor's well-being, and gratitude to Henry for his care. She relates local gossip and recent family events. - The family's most trusted servant, Justine Moritz, has returned to the family after being forced to care for her estranged mother until the latter's death, Victor's younger brother, Ernest, is now sixteen years old and aspires to join the Foreign Service, his other brother, William, has turned five and is doing marvelously well, - to write, and to visit, as both she and his father miss him terribly. -conscience and resolves to write to them immediately.

C10: -what does victor note of the valley of chamonix? - what does victor determine to do? - What does the sight give him ? - what is he filled with as he asends the mountain? -what happens when he reaches the summit?

-great consolation in the magnificence of the natural landscape, disorder and destruction: constant avalanches plague the valley, and it often seems that the mountains themselves will crash down on Victor's head. - climb to the top of Montanvert, one of the region's forbiddingly massive glaciers - sublime ecstasy"; he believes that human contemplation of natural wonders "gives wings to the soul and allows it to soar from the obscure world to light and joy." -He is filled with melancholy as he ascends the mountain, however, and, amid rain and rockslides, meditates on the impermanence of all human dreams and attachments. -When he has reached the summit, Victor invokes all the "wandering spirits" of the dead, and asks them to either permit him to be happy or carry him to his grave.

C9: -How does victor feel about what happened to justine? - What happens after victor's father observes his misery? -Where does victor's family go? - How is victor in belrive? What does he think of the landscape? What does victor contemplate? -What makes him not do it? -what victors new obsession?

-guilt, depression -he becomes ill -their summer home in Belrive -he does not like to keep this secret of what actually happened to william and the company of his family agonizes him, -it impresses him, suicide, -thoughts of how sad elizabeth would be and he fears the monster would wreck his family -revenge on the creature

C2: -What happens to victor at the age of 13? -What does his father say of the book? -What is victor unaware of? so what does he do? -What does Victor share with these people? -What becomes his obsession? -What is Victor longing for?

-he becomes fascinated with the work of Cornelius Agrippa (a Roman alchemist who attempted to turn tin into gold and men into lions) -it's trash but doesn't explain why -that this science has been proved false -he reads all of Agrippa's works and of Paracelsus, and Albertus Magnus. -their desire to penetrate the secrets of nature, to search for the philosopher's stone and the elixir of life -the quest for the latter -glory

C4: -Why does victor hesitate before using his newfound skill? -What does he determine to do? -How do his midnight labors occur? -Who does victor worry of?

-he must first fashion a body -make one of gigantic proportions to make it easier -victor is in a trance like state and he pillages graveyards and tortures living creatures in the name of his unholy labors -his father who is waiting for a letter from him for over a year,

C11: -What is the creatures memory of his early life? -What did the monster begin to do? -What was he tormented by? - How do people react when they see the creature? -What cottage does the monster find?

-he recalls being assailed with sensory impressions, and was for a long time unable to distinguish among light, sound, and smell. - He began to wander, but found the heat and sunlight of the countryside oppressive; he eventually took refuge in the forest near Ingolstadt, which offered him shade. -The creature found himself tormented by hunger, thirst, and bodily pain. Only the light of the moon consoled him, and he grew to love the sound of birdsong. When he attempted to imitate it, however, he found the sound of his own voice terrifying, and fell silent again. With the same ecstatic astonishment that primitive man must have felt, the creature discovers fire. -with horror, throw stones and beat him with sticks -he observes three people in it, contrives a great affection for the beauty and nobility of their faces. They an old man, a young man, and a young woman enthrall him with the sound of their music and the cadence of their language, which he adores but cannot understand.

C1: -Why did Victor's childhood stop being ideal? -What did Caroline make a habit of? -What did Catherine discover one day? -What did she decide to do with that discovery? -How did Victor see her?

-he turned five and his parents felt the absence of a second child (he was an only child) - visiting the poor, she was saved from poverty and felt it her duty to improve the lot of those who did not share her good fortune -an angelic girl child with fair skin and golden hair living with a penniless Italian family, she was an orphan and her adoptive family lacked the means to care for her. -she decided to raise the child as their own, Elizabeth Lavenza was her name and she became Victor's sister. -as the most beautiful and valuable possession

C8: -What does victor think of the justine's trial? -How does justine stand in court? - What is the evidence against her? What was the worst evidence against her? -What does Justine say actually happened?

-he was thinking of confessing but realizes the people would see him as a madman because he was at university at the time -calmly -she was out for the whole night on which the murder was committed, she was seen near to the spot where the body was found, when questioned, she gave a confused and unintelligible answer, and she became hysterical at the sight of William's body. - William's miniature, which he had been wearing at the time of the murder, was found in the pocket of Justine's dress. - was at her aunt's house in Chêne,Upon hearing of William's disappearance, she spent several hours searching for him, unable to return home, as it had grown too late, she determined to spend the night in a nearby barn. Justine says that if she was near the body, she did not know it; her confusion was only a manifestation of her tiredness. She remains unable to explain how the picture came to be on her person; she can only assume that the murderer himself placed it there.

C4: -What does Waldman make Victor? -What becomes Victors occupations? -What particularly fascinates him? -Why does victor not visit his family in geneva? -What does Victor develop an interest in? -How does Victor begin to study life? -What does he do as he studies anatomy? -How does he find the secret to generate life? Why does he not share it with Walton?

-his cherished protege -natural philosophy and chemistry -laboratory work -the lure of his scientific pursuit is so great -the structure of the human frame , he wants to know what animates it, what constitutes the principle of life -by studying death - pillaging graveyards for specimens to use in his dissections - a sudden epiphany , it resulted in misery and destruction

C1: - How does frankenstein begin his tale? - How did caroline attend him? - How was there first years of marriage? - Who was their first child?

-his childhood, he is from a wealthy and well-respected swiss family, his parents met when his father went in search of a dear old friend. this man Beaufort had fallen into poverty when the elder Frankenstein finally found him, he was wretched and very near death -his daughter was caroline and attended him with religious devotion, when beaufort died caroline turned to master frankenstein for comfort, the pair returned to geneva together and were married - the Frankensteins traveled constantly for the sake of Caroline's fragile health , they went to Germany, Italy, and France -Victor, born in Naples, Italy, Victor's parents adored him and he adored them.

C3: -What happens when victor is 17? - What happens to Elizabeth after his departure? -How does Catherine react? -How does Elizabeth's health become? Carolines? -What does caroline do on her death bed? - How does victor respond to her death? caroline? - Who visits Victor on his last evening at home? What does the visitor want to do?

-his family decides to send him to university of ingolstadt so that he might become worldlier -she falls ill with scarlet fever - worried, tends to her, -she recovers, caroline contracts the fever - she joins Elizabeth and Victor's hands and says that her happiness id dependent upon their marriage -delays his departure to university, she devotes herself to caring for the surviving family - Clerval, go with Victor to university but he can't because his merchant father will not allow him

C8: -Who speaks on justines behalf? what do they say? -What is justine condemned to? -What does justine decide to do? -what does justine tell them?

-justine, praises Justine's character, and says that she was beloved by the entire Frankenstein family; -death. -confess to the murder and wishes to see elizabeth -she confessed to a lie in order to obtain absolution and avoid excommunication in her last moments. She does not fear death, and nobly spends her last moments in comforting Elizabeth and Victor.

c19: what does clerval do in london? why does victor not join him?

-occupies himself with visits to learned and illustrious men; -Victor cannot join him, however, as he is too absorbed in the completion of his odious task. He reflects that the trip would have given him indescribable pleasure while he was still a student; now, however, he wants only to be alone, as "an insurmountable barrier has been placed between [him] and [his] fellow men."

Letters: - who are we introduced to? -who does he write letters to? -what has he talked about ? -why does he want to go there?

-robert walton, a 28 year old sea captain who is going to the north pole to ind a passage from pacific to atlantic -his sister, mrs. saville in london england -making this expedition for six years, his other dreams of being a poet or playwright have not worked out -set foot on a part of the world never visited by man

Letters: -what happens on the voyage? - what do they see the next day? -what does walton ask? what does the man respond? - how is the stranegrs feelings ? - when does the stranger begin to tell the tale?

-sheets of ice in middle of voyage, they see a sleigh pulled by dogs with a large figure driving, he disappears -another sleigh at the side of the ship this time a regular sized human there asking where the ship is bound - what the stranger is doing there, he says he was tracking someone who fled him -unhappy, - when walton talks about he might be sacrificing his life on the expedition for the sake of knowledge, the stranger decides to tell him the tale he has kept secret in order to reverse that opinion

C12: - what does the creature have a desire to do? Why does he hesitate to do it? - What does he see when observing the family? What does he do for them? -What does the creature spend the entire winter doing? What attempt to learn from them?

-speak to the cottagers who impress him with their gentleness and simplicity. He hesitates, however, as he is fearful of incurring the same kind of disgust and cruelty that he experienced at the hands of the villagers. -In observing the family, he discovers that they suffer from great poverty. The two young people are very generous with the old man, and often go hungry so that he might eat. The creature, greatly touched by this, ceases to take from their store of food, even though he is terribly hungry himself. He begins to cut their firewood for them, so that the young man, whose name is Felix, will no longer have to. -watching the cottagers, and grows to love each of them passionately, their language, which he regards as "a godlike science." At first, he makes little progress. Every act of the cottagers, however banal, strikes him as miraculous: to watch them read aloud, or play music, or simply speak to one another, delights him immeasurably. Though he realizes that they are terribly unhappy, he cannot understand why: to him, the family seems to possess everything one could want: a roof, a fire, and the glories of human companionship.

Letters: -how does he prepare for the voyage? - what is he worried of? -how does he feel of the other men? -who is he fond of?

-taking practice trips in the north sea of russia -that he will have no friend on trip who will sustain his disappointment if his dream doesn't work -he does not connect with them -his lieutenant and the ship's master

C10: -what than appears? - how does victor react? - what does the monster ask of victor? - what does the monster argue he is?

-the monster -curses upon him and threatens to kill him, but the creature remains unmoved. He says that he is the most wretched and despised of all living things, and accuses his creator of a gross disregard for the sanctity of life: how else could Victor propose to murder a creature which owes its existence to him? The monster asks Frankenstein to alleviate his misery, and threatens to "glut the maw of death... with the blood of [Victor's] remaining friends" if he does not comply with his wishes. - good, full of love and humanity; only the greatness of his suffering has driven him to commit acts of evil. Though he is surrounded by examples of human happiness, he finds himself excluded, through no fault of his own, irrevocably excluded from such bliss. He implores Frankenstein to listen to his story; only then should he decide whether or not to relieve the creature of his agony.

C2: -What is victor preoccupied with? -He becomes disillusioned when he trys to find the answer in the works of his Roman idols and than? -Why and what does he than devote himself to?

-the question of how one might communication or raise the dead - he witnesses a lightning storm -since the Romans have no explanation for it he devotes himself to math

C15: -what does the creature learn from the history of the cottagers? - how is the creatures education furthered?

-to admire virtue and despise vice - discovery of an abandoned leather satchel, in which he finds three books: Milton's Paradise Lost, Plutarch's Lives, and Goethe's Sorrows of Werter, regards these books as his treasures, and they are of infinite importance to him: they alternately transport him to the highest ecstasy and cause him the most crushing despair.

c23: -what happens when elizabeth and frakenstein land in como?

-victor is dreadful, tells catherine to go to bedchamber , victor looks for monster than hears scream, he finds catherine dead and collapses

C6-7: 1. Who is Ernest Frankenstein? 2. Why did William hide from Ernest in Plainpalais? 3. Why did Elizabeth feel responsible for William's murder? 4. How long has Victor been away from home, studying at Ingolstadt? 5. When Victor sees the creature in the Alps, why doesn't he pursue it? 6. How has Elizabeth changed in the six years since Victor has seen her? 7. How does Justine look and behave during her trial? 8. How did Justine react when she was shown William's body? 9. Whom does Victor consider to be the "true murderer" of William? 10. How does Elizabeth feel after she visits Justine in prison?

1. Ernest is Victor's and William's brother. He returned alone after he and William went off to play. 2. William and Ernest were playing hide-and-go-seek. 3. Elizabeth had given William the locket. She assumed the murderer killed William to get the locket, however, she believes Justine is innocent. 4. Victor has been away for six years. 5. The creature would be impossible to catch. Victor has seen it bound up Mount Saleve with tremendous speed and agility. 6. Elizabeth has grown up and become an "uncommonly lovely" woman. 7. Victor describes Justine as being calm and tranquil during the trial, and "confident in innocence." 8. She became hysterical and was ill for several days. 9. Victor thinks of himself as the "true murderer." 10. Although Justine has been condemned to death, Elizabeth is relieved to learn that Justine is really innocent. If Justine had been guilty, Elizabeth would have felt terrible anguish at being deceived by someone she loved and trusted.

C1-2: 1. How did Victor's father spend his "younger days"? 2. While Victor was intrigued by science as a child, what were Elizabeth's chief interests? 3. What did Henry Clerval write when he was nine years old? 4. Where does Victor first come across the works of Agrippa? 5. What does Victor witness during the thunderstorm? 6. Why doesn't Henry Clerval attend the university with Victor? 7. What subject does Professor M. Krempe teach? 8. How does M. Waldman react when he hears the names of Agrippa and Paracelsus? 9. Before he leaves for the university, what does Victor hope to accomplish with his scientific studies? 10. According to Professor Waldman, what have the "modern masters" learned about blood and air?

1. He was "perpetually occupied by the affairs of his country." 2. Elizabeth was concerned with the "aerial creations of the poets." Victor explains that while he sought to discover the secrets of the world, Elizabeth thought of the world as a "vacancy, which she sought to people with imaginations of her own." 3. Henry wrote a fairy tale that delighted all his friends. 4. Victor comes across the works of Agrippa at an inn near the baths of Thonon. 5. Victor witnesses a bolt of lightning that strikes and destroys a tree. 6. Henry's father wants him to join the family business. 7. Krempe teaches natural philosophy. 8. He smiles in a friendly way, without showing any contempt. 9. Victor wants to learn how to "banish disease from the human frame, and render man invulnerable to any but a violent death." 10. Waldman says they have "discovered how the blood circulates, and the nature of the air we breathe."

C3,4,5: 1. After he begins his study of natural philosophy, how does Victor feel about M. Waldman? 2. How tall does Victor plan to make his creature? 3. How does Victor describe himself after his months of study? 4. In what month does Victor finally complete his experiment? 5. What color is the creature's hair and lips? 6. After he brings the creature to life, who does Victor dream about meeting in Ingolstadt? 7. What does the creature do when he visits Victor in his bedroom? 8. As he wanders the streets of Ingolstadt, what poem does Victor quote? 9. After he recovers from his illness, how does Victor react when he finally sees his laboratory instruments again? 10. When Henry invents tales to amuse Victor, what kind of writers does he imitate?

1. Victor says he regards Waldman as "a true friend." 2. He plans to construct a figure that is eight feet tall. 3. Victor says he is pale and emaciated after months of study. 4. He brings the creature to life "on a dreary night of November." 5. Black. Victor describes the creature as having flowing hair of "lustrous black" and "straight black lips." 6. Victor dreams about meeting Elizabeth in Ingolstadt. 7. The creature grins and holds out his hand to Victor. 8. He quotes lines from Coleridge's "Rime of the Ancient Mariner," the same poem that was referred to earlier in Robert Walton's second letter to his sister. 9. He becomes nervous and suffers from renewed anxiety at the thought of his experiment. 10. Henry imitates the style of Persian and Arabic writers.

Letters: 1. What does Robert Walton hope to accomplish on his voyage? 2. How did Walton prepare himself for the expedition? 3. What did Walton read for the first 14 years of his life? 4. How old is Robert Walton? 5. Why did the ship's master decide not to get married? 6. How far is the ship from land when Walton sees the gigantic figure in the dogsled? 7. How does Walton describe his expedition when his new passenger asks about the ship's destination? 8. How does Walton feel about the man he rescues? 9. Why is the man Walton rescues traveling alone on the ice? 10. How does Walton feel about hearing his new friend's story?

1. Walton wants to visit, and walk upon, a part of the world that has never been seen before. 2. Walton prepared by going without food and sleep. He also endured cold temperatures. He worked on whaling ships during the day, and then studied all night. 3. As a child and as a young man, Walton read his uncle Thomas's books of voyages. 4. Walton is 28 years old. 5. The fiancée of the ship's master loved another man. He let her go because he wanted her to be happy. 6. Walton believes he is hundreds of miles from land when he sees the dogsled. 7. Walton tells the man he is on a "voyage of discovery towards the northern pole." 8. Walton says he loves him like a brother, and feels sympathy and compassion for him. 9. The man says, "To seek one who fled from me." 10. Walton is grateful that the man will tell his story, but he worries that telling it will cause the man renewed grief.

c22: what happens on their wedding day ?

All is perfect on their wedding day. It is to be the last happy day in Victor's life. As they land on the shores of Como, both Elizabeth and Victor are overcome by a sense of inexplicable foreboding.

c18: what difference does victor recall between him and clerval?

Clerval was entirely alive to the natural landscape, which he loved with unparalleled ardor; Victor, by contrast, was wracked with melancholy, and felt himself a "miserable wretch." Victor mourns over the memory of Clerval, whom he still considers a man of peerless worth and beauty of soul.

c22: victor vs. catherines view of wedding

Elizabeth seems cheerful, but is seized with melancholy on the day that the wedding is to take place. Victor now regards her sadness as a presentiment of evil, and imagines that she was apprehensive to discover the reason for his misery.

walton continued: what does victor do when walton says he wrote down what he told him?

Frankenstein corrects and augments it; he primly remarks that he does not want a "mutilated version to go down to posterity." With each successive conversation, Walton grows fonder of Victor, whose eloquence and erudition never fail to impress him; he feels that he has found the beloved friend whom he has always been seeking. Victor thanks him for his affection, but says that no new tie can replace the ones that he has lost.

C16: -what does the creature do after the family left him?

He spends the remains of the day in his hovel, by turns weeping and feverishly contemplating the revenge he will take upon mankind. By morning, he is overcome with fury, and burns down the cottage in order to give vent to his anger.

c23: -who does victor visit after being released?

He visits a magistrate to ask for the help of the law in apprehending the creature. Though the official listens attentively, it is clear that he only half-believes Frankenstein's wild tale. He tells Victor, quite reasonably, that it would be nearly impossible to pursue a superhuman being of the kind he has described. Frankenstein is enraged, and vows that he will devote himself to the creature's destruction.

c21: what does mr. kirwin do after seeing frakensteins agitation ?

Mr. Kirwin, the magistrate, suggest that Victor be shown the body, so that the tribunal might judge his reaction. Frankenstein is well composed as they conduct him toward the room in which the body has been laid; he has an unassailable alibi for the time that the body was found. When he walks into the chamber, he is overcome with horror: the lifeless form of Henry Clerval lies before him. Frankenstein throws himself upon the body, and becomes almost mad with grief and guilt; he is carried from the room in convulsions.

C16: what happens when he arrives in geneva?

Once again, a child runs past his hiding-place in the deep woods. The creature is much taken with the beautiful child, and speculates that he is still too young to feel hatred for his deformity. He seizes the boy's arm as he runs past; the child screams in terror and struggles to get away. He calls the creature a "hideous monster," and says that his father, M. Frankenstein, will punish him. Upon hearing the name of Frankenstein, the creature, enraged, strangles him. He feels a "hellish triumph" at the boy's death, and reflects that his despised creator is not, after all, invulnerable.

c20: what happens several hours later when the creature visits frankenstein?

The creature reproaches him with having broken his promise, and asks if all his hardship and suffering has been for naught. When Frankenstein vows never to create another being like him, the creature calls him his "slave" and reminds him: "You are my creator, but I am your master." Seeing that Frankenstein will not be moved by threats, the creature swears that he will have his revenge upon his creator; he leaves him with a chilling promise: "I will be with you on your wedding-night."

c17: how does victor feel towards the monsters argument?

Though he feels a certain compassion for the creature, the "loathsomeness" of his appearance soon replaces his sympathy with horror and hatred. The creature continues to plead, saying that his "vices are the children of a forced solitude"; in the company of another his virtues would come forth, and he would thus become "linked to the chain of existence and events" from which he is now excluded.

c18: -where do victor and clerval meet than travel to?

Victor and Clerval meet at Strasbourg, and travel by boat through Germany and Holland, and thenceforth to England; they arrive at London in December.

c20: what does victor do at 2a.m.?

Victor boards a small skiff and pilots it far away from shore. He disposes of the remains, and sails onward; he soon grows tired, however, and falls asleep in the bottom of the boat.

c21: where is victor brought to?

Victor is brought before the magistrate, and several witnesses testify against him. A crew of local fishermen found the victim, a young man of about twenty-five years of age. When Victor hears that the victim was strangled, he trembles with anxiety; this, he knows, is his creature's preferred modus operandi.

c19: what happens when they arrive at scotland?

Victor is overcome by fear that he has neglected his work too long, and that the creature will visit his wrath upon his family or his friend. He awaits his letters from Geneva with tormenting anxiety, and follows Henry about as though he were his shadow.

c17: what does victor debate?

Victor is torn. He thinks of the creature's supernatural strength, and about the great destruction he still might cause. He therefore determines to comply with the creature's request, in order to save both his family and the rest of humanity. The creature says that he will anxiously observe his progress and then leaves him. Victor descends the mountain with a heavy heart, and returns to Geneva haggard.

c19: what happens after visiting edinburgh and other cities?

Victor leaves Henry, having resolved to finish his work in a remote part of the Scotch countryside. His friend urges him to hurry back, as he will grow lonely without Victor's company.

c21: what happens to victor for two months?

Victor lies in a delirium of fever and confusion. He cries out that he is a murderer, and begs his attendants to aid him in apprehending the monster. He often imagines that he feels the hands of the monster closing about his neck, and starts from his bed in an agony of terror.

walton continued: what does victor say on his deathbed?

Victor says that he finds his past conduct to be blameless; he entreats Walton, "in perfect reason and virtue," to pursue the creature's destruction after his death. In a rare moment of sanity, he tells the young captain to avoid ambition; only a moment later, however, he reconsiders, and says that Walton may succeed where he himself failed. With that, he dies.

walton continued: what happens when the men are firm in their demands?

Walton consents to return to England. He is bitterly disappointed to have lost his dreams of glory. When Walton informs Frankenstein that he is determined to head south, Victor says that he, unlike Walton, will not abandon his quest. He attempts to leap out of bed, but is too weak to do so; the doctor who is summoned to examine him says that he only has a few hours left to live.

walton continued: what does walton recall of victor? what is walton curious of victor? how does victor respond?

Walton fondly recalls Victor's face, its shifting expressions; he remembers how his "fine and lovely eyes" were, by turns, filled with indignation, sorrow, and wretchedness. Walton is extremely curious as to how Victor was able to generate life; when questioned, however, Victor becomes extremely agitated. He entreats Walton to learn from his miseries, rather than endeavoring to create new ones; he says that, "like the archangel who aspired to omnipotence" (i.e., Satan), he "is chained in eternal hell."

walton continued: what does walton write to his sister?

Walton writes of the dire danger in which he and his crew find themselves. Mountains of ice surround them, and it is not clear whether they will be able to free themselves; if, by a miracle, they are saved from death, the crew wants to return to England. Many of them have already died of cold and frostbite.

c22: why are victor and his father forced to stop in paris?

as Victor has grown too weak to continue the journey. The elder Frankenstein urges him to take solace in society. Victor, however, cannot bring himself to comply: the company of people is abhorrent to him. Though he is full of a great and indiscriminate love for humanity, feeling them to be "creatures of an angelic nature and celestial mechanism," he does not feel himself worthy of sharing in their intercourse. He has created a being who delights in bloodshed, and thus deserves only abhorrence and hatred.

c21: what happens to victors criminal charges?

cleared of all criminal charges, as "the cup of life [is] poisoned forever." His father tries in vain to cheer him, but Victor suffers from an insuperable melancholy. He is under constant observation, so as to keep him from taking his own life.

c24: what does the creature do?

cuts taunting messages into trees and stones, in order to remind his creator of the absolute power he has over him. He provides Frankenstein with food and advises him to prepare himself for the intolerable cold of the North: it is into these icy wastelands that the creature intends to lead him. Though Frankenstein knows that this final journey will mean certain death, he pursues the monster without hesitation

c24: what does victor want walton to do?

he despises the idea of dying with his task is unfulfilled. He begs Walton to kill the creature if he shows himself to him no matter how eloquent and persuasive he seems.

C16: what does the creature do as he seeks a hiding place?

he enters a nearby barn and finds Justine sleeping within. Her beauty, too, both transports him to ecstasy and fills him with bitter despair, since he will never know the pleasures of love. Suddenly terrified that she will awake and denounce him as a murderer, he places the portrait of Caroline in Justine's dress: she, not he, will suffer punishment for the murder. In his madness, the creature thinks that it is the inaccessible beauty of people like Justine that caused him to kill William; it is thus only fair that she should atone for the crime.

c23: -what happens when victor revives?

he finds himself surrounded by the people of the inn; he escapes from them to the room in which Elizabeth's corpse is lying. He falls upon her body and takes it in his arms. Wracked by indescribable grief, he looks up to see the monster grinning at him through the windowpane. Victor fires his pistol, but the creature eludes him.

c21: what happens when victor emerges from his delirium?

he finds that a grim-faced old woman has been attending upon his sickbed. She tells him that he will be sorely punished for the murder that he has committed, and would be better off dead; she seems to take pleasure in her own hatefulness and cruelty. The physician who is sent to examine Victor is equally careless and unfeeling. Victor bitterly reflects that now only the executioner is concerned with his well-being.

c21: what does victor want to do? why doesnt his dad want him to go?

he might return to Geneva to protect his remaining family. Though the elder Frankenstein wishes to postpone the journey until his son has recovered from his melancholy, Victor will not be dissuaded. He cannot sleep without the aid of laudanum (a tranquilizer), and is frequently tormented by nightmares in which his creature strangles him.

c24: what does victor do for months ?

he pursues the creature over the better part of the earth. At times, he is guided in his search by peasants who have been frightened by the hideous apparition; at others, the creature himself leaves Frankenstein some clue of his whereabouts, so that Victor will not despair and abandon his quest. Victor feels that some good spirit protects him throughout this journey; it alone saves him from death. He has grown to despise his life, and only finds refuge in sleep; in dreams he is once again among his beloved dead.

c24: what does victor do before leaving geneva?

he visits the graves of his family. He kisses the earth and vows to avenge their deaths; he calls upon "the wandering ministers of vengeance" and upon the spirits of the dead to aid him in his quest. Suddenly, Victor hears a "fiendish laugh," as though hell itself were mocking him. From out of the darkness, the creature whispers that he is "satisfied" that Frankenstein has determined to live.

c20: what is victor terrified to find?

his fragile ship has drifted into treacherous water. He thinks of how his death would leave his family at the mercy of the creature; the thought is torture to him, and he is nearly driven mad by it. Despite his misery, Victor still clings to life: he rejoices when he is out of danger, and manages to arrive safely on Irish shores.

c19: what does frankenstein devote his mornings to?

labor, and walks the bleak and stony beach at night. His horror at his task increases daily, in stark contrast to the enthusiasm with which he undertook his first experiment. He grows progressively more anxious and terrified that he will meet his monster. He looks upon the new creation with a mixture of hope and "obscure forebodings of evil."

c20: how does this affect frankenstein

passes a sleepless night; he weeps at the thought of how great Elizabeth's grief would be if her lover were to be murdered. He resolves not to fall before his enemy without a struggle.

c20: how do the people greet him?

people observes his approach with suspicion; they rain verbal abuse upon him and cry that he is a villain. A bewildered Frankenstein is told that he must go see the magistrate, as he is suspected of being responsible for the death of a man who was found murdered the previous night.

c18: - what does victor realize of traveling when the monster is out there?

realizes that it will ensure the safety of his loved ones. At this moment, he feels himself to be "the slave of [his] creature."

walton continued: what does the creature remark?

remarks that he did not expect to find any sympathy from Walton, but is content to suffer alone. He cannot believe that he is the same being who once dreamed of sublime beauty and transcendent goodness; now he is "the fallen angel become a malignant devil." He wonders why Walton does not despise Felix, or the rustic who sought to kill the savior of his child; the monster feels itself to be "an abortion, to be spurned at, and kicked, and trampled on." Walton's hatred of the creature cannot, however, equal the creature's hatred of himself; the creature says that he will throw himself upon a funeral pyre, and thus be saved from the enormity of his remorse. With that, he leaves the ship, and is "lost in darkness and distance."

c22: what does victor tell his father ? what does alphonse say?

tells his father that he is the true engineer of all the catastrophes that have befallen them, but Alphonse attributes his confession to delirium. When his father begs him not to say such dreadful things, Victor replies that he would gladly have died in their place, but that he could not sacrifice all humankind to save those whom he loved. At length, Frankenstein is able (albeit through "the utmost self-violence") to control his desire to declare his guilt to the world.

c21: what does victor learn of mr. kirwin? who is the visitor?

that Mr. Kirwin alone has shown him great kindness during his sickness; it is he who provided Victor with his sickroom and doctor. The magistrate visits him and expresses confidence that he will be cleared of all responsibility for the murder. He tells Victor that "a friend" has come to see him; thinking that it is the monster, Victor begs to have him sent away. Mr. Kirwin, much taken aback by this outburst, sternly informs him that the visitor is his father; at this, Victor is overjoyed.

C16: what happens at the arrival of morning?

the creature allows himself to hope that all is not lost: perhaps he can still endear himself to the elder De Lacey, and thereby make peace with his children. When he returns to the cottage, however, he finds it empty. He waits, tortured by anxiety, until Felix finally appears in the company of a strange man. From their conversation, he learns that the De Laceys have determined to leave the cottage out of fear that he (the creature) will return.

C15: what happens when the creature confronts the family?

the creature bares his soul to the old man: he tells him that he is a wretched outcast, and that the De Laceys are his only friends in the entire world. De Lacey is astonished, but Safie, Felix, and Agatha burst into the cottage before he can reply to the creature's entreaty. The women scream in terror, and Felix, in a "transport of fury," violently beats the creature with his walking stick. The creature, his heart still full of love for the De Laceys, cannot bring himself to retaliate. Instead, he flees the cottage and takes refuge in his hovel.

c20: what does frankenstein see at the window? what does he do? how does the creature react?

the creature grinning at him from behind the glass. As the monster looks on, Frankenstein tears the half-finished creation to pieces. The creature howls in fury and despair, and then disappears.

walton continued: what happens at midnight on his deathbed?

the creature steals into the ship to view the body of his dead creator. He utters exclamations of grief and horror, but moves to escape when Walton walks into the chamber. Walton asks him to stay. The creature, overcome with emotion, says that Victor, too, is his victim; he asks Frankenstein to pardon him for his crimes. Despite all that has transpired between them, the creature still harbors love for his creator.

C16: what does the creature take?

the necklace, as he finds the picture of Caroline exquisitely beautiful. At the same time, the image fills him with redoubled fury, for no one will ever look upon him with the divine kindness he sees in Caroline's eyes.

c21: who does victor ask for?

the safety of Elizabeth and Ernest, and the elder Frankenstein assures him they are all well. At the mention of Clerval, Victor weeps and exclaims that a horrid destiny hangs over his head.

c23: what happens when victor alerts the others of the murderer?

they try in vain to apprehend him. Though he longs to aid them in their search, he is feeble as a result of his shock and misery; he is carried, barely conscious, to his bed. Realizing that he does not know whether his father and brother are safe, Victor gathers all of his strength and travels to Geneva. On the journey, he reflects that he has lost all hope of future happiness; no being in all creation is so miserable as he

c24: - what does victor resolve to do?

to leave Geneva forever because the country has become hateful to him in the absence of his loved ones. Taking a sum of money and his mother's jewels, he goes off in search of the monster.

C16: what does the creature command of frankenstein at the end of his tale?

to make him a companion "of the same species and of the same defects," so that he will no longer be so miserably alone.

c24: where and what does victor do when he sees the creature?

traversing the ice on a dogsled, Frankenstein weeps tears of hope and joy. When he has almost overtaken his enemy, however, he inexplicably loses all trace of him. Shortly thereafter, the ice breaks apart, and Victor is set adrift on a single jagged floe. He is on the brink of death when Walton's ship appears in the distance.

c22: what does the letter from elizabeth say?

who says that she is longing to see him. She expresses regret that he has suffered so terribly, and tells him that if his unhappiness is related in any way to their impending marriage, she will gracefully leave him to the arms of another.

walton continued: how does walton regard the creature?

with a mixture of curiosity and compassion, but cannot bring himself to console him. The creature says that it caused him agony to commit his crimes, since his heart "was fashioned to be susceptible to love and sympathy": only the greatness of his misery drove him to vice and hatred. Walton, though he is touched by the creature's remorse, still feels great indignation at his crimes: he says that the creature has "thrown a torch into a pile of buildings, and when they were consumed...sat among the ruins and lamented the fall."