Frankenstein: Chapters 16-20

What is "candor," and who asks it of a character in Chapter XVIII?

"Candor" is "speaking openly what one thinks," and Victor's father requests he give an honest opinion in answer to whether or not Victor will marry Elizabeth

What is "malice," and who is accused of having it?

"Malice" is a desire to hurt others, which Victor accuses the creature of having

What is "recompense," and who demands it in Chapter XVI?

"Recompense" is compensation awarded to make amends for damage done, a demand made by the creature on Victor

What does Victor do after realizing the potential problems of creating a female monster?

After realizing he can't go through with it, Frankenstein destroys the female creation he has labored over

How is the creature different after the cottages have fled?

After the cottagers have left, the creature's suffering intensifies, and becomes filled with bitterness

How does Victor feel after the creature leaves him, and he has returned home to Geneva?

After the creature leaves in exultation, Victor feels depressed and anxious over the agreement he's made

Should Victor create a mate for his creature?

He promised he'd make a mate for his creation, and society is very lonely for the creature without a mate, but it does seem morally wrong to do so, doesn't it?

When Henry and Victor visit the area around the Rhine, what is Henry's opinion of the scenery?

Henry feels the area around the Rhine river puts man in harmony with nature with its majestic mountains

Romanticism praised imagination over reason, emotions over logic, and intuition over science--how is Henry a Romantic?

Henry sees great beauty in nature, and expresses deep feelings and imagination, like most Romantics

Why does Victor leave Scotland?

Henry's letter prompts Victor to leave Scotland

Do you think the creature is a wicked demon?

If you think the creature is a wicked demon, you'd be in the same company as many, but you have to ask if the reactions of those he encountered didn't make him so by judging him by his appearance

Do you think Victor is in harmony with nature like Henry feels in Chapter XVIII?

No, Victor seems anything but in harmony with nature in Chapter XVIII--in fact, there is a sense that he has upset the balance in nature with his actions

Where does Victor choose to do his work in Scotland?

Victor picks a remote and barren spot in the Orkneys to perform his labors, a place beaten by the sea

Why does Victor decide to visit Scotland?

Scotland is a beautiful and isolated place where Victor can be close to nature, something Romantics craved

How does the creature feel after being found in the cottage by the old man's family?

The creature, in despair and anger, feels more alienated than ever after being driven from the cottage

When the creature observes the destruction of his mate before she is alive, what does the creature do?

The creature, observing the destruction of his mate, screams in anguish

Why does the creature think he will be happy with a female who is created like he himself has been?

The creature believes that a female created in the same way that he himself has been will share his isolation from the world, and so they will be strongly attached to each other

How does Victor feel about Henry accompanying him to England?

Victor believes that having Henry Clerval with him in England might help his own loneliness, and keep the creature from contacting him

What does the creature do with the picture that William had of his own mother?

The creature finds Justine asleep in the barn, and places the portrait in her dress to make her the murder suspect

Is the creature justified in being malicious?

The creature has definitely been wronged, so some readers believe he has justification for his actions, though most seem to feel his actions are not warranted, which is why he is labeled a monster

When the creature makes his speech to Victor after the destruction of his mate, does he make sense?

The creature is very articulate, and always makes sense--something the author wanted--but most readers feel that Victor's refusal to attend to his creation wasn't fair

After being driven from the cottage, what is the creature's next plan?

The creature resolves not to let the family see him again until the old man has spoken to them on the creature's behalf

What happens in Chapter XVI that makes the creature feel even more bitter than before?

The creature saves a girl from drowning, and the girl's companion sees him and shoots him

Why does the creature decide to go to Geneva?

The creature sets out for Geneva to find his creator

Why does the creature tell Victor that he is malicious?

The creature tells Victor in Chapter XVII that he is malicious only because he is miserable

When does the creature say he will get his revenge?

The creature tells Victor that he will "be with you on your wedding-night"

How does the creature react to the murder of William?

The creature's "heart swelled with exultation and hellish triumph," realizing that he, too, can cause desolation like Victor has for him

What is Victor's initial response to the creature's request in Chapter XVII?

Though Victor feels sympathy for the creature, he at first refuses to agree to the request for a mate

Why does the creature kill William?

Though not intending to kill the boy, the creature grabs his throat to silence him and strangles him

How does Victor speak of Henry toward the end of Chapter XVIII?

Toward the end of Chapter XVIII, Victor speaks of Henry as if he is dead and gone, seemingly because Victor is immersed in his creation and the consequences

What does the creature say that Frankenstein must do?

Victor Frankenstein is commanded by the creature to make him a companion of the same species since he is tired of feeling isolated

Why does Victor change his mind about completing the mate for the creature in Chapter XX?

Victor changes his mind because the mate may be more evil than the first, has made no promises to Victor, and might reject the first creature--worst of all, the two creatures might propagate a new race

Why does Victor not want to marry Elizabeth right away in Chapter XVIII?

Victor dearly loves Elizabeth, but feels he must complete his promise to the creature before beginning a family

Is Victor a good companion to Henry as they travel through England?

Victor doesn't think himself a very good companion to Henry because there is a bothersome barrier between Victor and other men

Why does Victor eventually decide to agree to the creature's request for a mate?

Victor eventually complies with the creature's request in order to protect others, especially his own family

Why does Victor go to England?

Victor goes to England because there are scientists there with knowledge that he needs

Is Victor being rational in agreeing to the creature's demands?

Victor has no way of holding the creature to the agreement, so he's something of a slave to his impulses

After Victor fears for his life when he falls asleep in the boat during a very Romantic storm, what evil befalls him?

Victor is arrested for murder at the end of Chapter XX

How does Victor react to the creature's promise to be with Victor on his own wedding-night?

Victor is enraged by the monster's threat, and wants to attack the creature, who eludes him and leaves

What does Victor have to do before he can leave Scotland in Chapter XX?

Victor must get rid of the remains of his work before he can leave--if they're found, he could get into trouble

Who describes himself as "inexorable"?

Victor says he is inexorable in Chapter XX because he is relentless and not capable of being persuaded by pleas

Who is "atrocious" in Chapter XX?

Victor says it would be atrociously selfish to create the 2nd creature, an evil act both "horrible and cruel"

What does "transitory" mean, and who uses this word in Chapter XIX?

Victor says that he "can cheat himself into a transitory peace," meaning a short-lived peace with Henry Clerval

What does Victor think of his creation?

Victor thinks of the creature as a wicked demon

How does Victor feel as he begins his work in the Orkney Islands of Scotland?

Victor works enthusiastically on his creation of the creature's mate at first, but his heart is sickened as the work progresses, and he regrets his decision

Is there anything wrong with Victor's decision in Chapter XIX?

Victor's decision not to make the 2nd creature might be valid, and probably IS, but he DID promise to do it

How does the creature react to the fact that the family is no longer in the cottage?

When he realizes the family is not to return, the creature feels great pain and rage, and destroys the garden and burns the cottage down--he dances around the burning cottage

What happens to the cottagers at the beginning of Chapter XVI?

When the creature returns to the cottage, he finds that the family has left, and he never sees them again

How is Henry different from Victor in England?

While Victor is withdrawn, miserable, and without imagination in England, Henry is positive, enthusiastic, and excited by his environment