Frankenstein questions chapters 5-10

How does Victor respond in the days after Justine's death? How have Elizabeth's views changed?

In the days after Justine's death Victor feels full of remorse and guilt. He cannot sleep and blames himself for everything that has happened. He went into solitude and shunned the face of man. Happiness and joy was torturous to him. Elizabeth now she sees the evil in men. She was always sad and never sees happiness or delight in anything anymore. Elizabeth does not see the good in anything, unlike the old Elizabeth before William and Justine died.

What does the creature ask of Victor? What does the creature say to Victor? How good is Victor at performing the role of creator for his creature?

The creature asks that Victor acts as a creator and makes his creation happy along with listening to the monster's story. The creature says that he was benevolent and virtuous, until misery came along and ruined him. Victor is not very good at performing the role of creator for his creature because he is not nurturing, he shows absolutely no love, and he abandoned his creature because he was ugly and wanted nothing to do with him.

In this chapter, we finally hear the creature speak for the first time. What does he say? Is this what we expect from the creature?

The creature says that he is filled with loneliness and he is hated by mankind, including his creator. He says that if Victor does his duty towards him, he will do his duty for Victor and the rest of mankind. If Victor complies, he will be peaceful, but if not, he will continue with his evil ways. This is sort of what we expect from the creature. It is understandable that the monster wants revenge for Victor deserting him and that he is also acting crazy and evil because we already know that he murdered someone. However, it is not what we expect because the reason he is doing this stuff is because he wants Victor back. He is upset and lonely because Victor abandoned him. He is retaliating as a result of not having any family or love in his life.

What will cause the creature to change? Keep in mind his statement "I was benevolent and good; misery made me a fiend. Make me happy, and I shall again be virtuous." What sort of psychological understanding is Shelley showing here?

The creature will change if he is shown love and Victor treats him nicely. He will go back to his good ways if he is shown love and compassion. Shelley is showing that people will practice what they preach. If they are shown goodness and love and compassion, then they will return that kindness. But, if they are not, they will be just as mean back to the person. Good things come from other good things.

Whom does Victor see? How does he respond?

Victor sees a figure of a man which is the monster he created, running at a speed like no other. Victor trembled with angriness and horror and he is ready to participate in mortal combat.

What journey does Victor undertake, and when? What places does he travel through? Where does he stay?

Victor takes a journey to the valley of Chamounix in the Swiss mountains in August two months after Justine dies and six years after Victor's boyhood. He travels toward the Alpine Valley, through the Ravine of Arve, the bridge of Pelisser, Servox, and Chamounix. Victor stays at the Village of Chamounix, after a great length of traveling.

What happens at Justine's trial? How does Victor respond?

a. At Justine's trial many people testified against her. Elizabeth spoke and believed Justine to be innocent. Justine also spoke and tried to defend herself by saying that she was coming home from visiting her aunt's house and she heard William was missing. She went searching for him and ended up sleeping in a barn, where she believes the actual murderer tried to plant the evidence on her. Victor responds by not saying anything but feeling anguish and despair along with guilt because he believed that he was indirectly the cause of her death.

Who has been identified as the murderer, and on what evidence? How does Victor respond to this news? Why doesn't he say anything about the real murderer?

a. Justine Moritz has been identified as the murderer due to the fact that she had the picture of Caroline in her pocket which is said to be the temptation of the murder. Victor replied by saying that Justine is not the murderer. He does not say anything about the real murderer because he believes that he will be looked upon as mad and no one would see him as rational.

Who is Justine and what is her story? What comments does Elizabeth make about her position in Swiss society? What religion is Justine?

a. Justine is clever, gentle, and extremely pretty. She reminds Elizabeth of her dear Aunt Caroline. The Frankenstein family took her in as a servant at twelve years old after she was treated very poorly by her mother. She was one of Victor's favorites and she was always happy. After she was ignored by everyone once Caroline got sick, she went home to her mother. Since then, her mother died and she returned to the Frankensteins. Elizabeth says that the servant's role in Swiss society is much more dignified and they do not have any ignorance, unlike servants from other nations. Justine is Roman Catholic.

The next day, why does Justine say she has confessed to the murder of William? How does Victor respond to Justine's situation and to Elizabeth's anguish?

a. Justine says she has confessed to the murder of William because her priest threatened to excommunicate her. She hoped by confessing that she would obtain absolution. Victor responds to the situation by sitting in the corner. He felt despair and anguish along with deep and bitter agony. Victor felt guilty and believed that the monster he created was the murderer of William and Justine.

What does the creature do? How does Victor respond?

a. The creature comes into Victor's room, holds up the bed curtain, looks at victor, grins and possibly mutters something. Victor responds by escaping and going downstairs, away from his creation.

Given all the mad doctor and monster movies we've seen, including perhaps versions of Frankenstein, what is unexpected about the description of the actual creation of life here? How much do we learn of the actual procedure?

a. Unexpected elements about the description of the actual creation of life include the fact that in the book the awakening of the monster is much less dramatic than in the movies. The actual procedure included Victor collecting the instruments of life around him, and infusing a spark of being into the monster to make it come to life. Eventually, the creature opened its eyes at one o'clock in the morning. The monster breathed hard and its limbs were nervous. The monster sounds surprisingly good looking despite its portrayal in most movies. The being is described with his limbs being in proportion, having yellow skin, not having any arteries or organs showing, having nice black hair and white teeth. However he is said to have eyes that almost look white and a bad complexion with black lips.

What does Victor dream? How does the dream grow out of, comment on, even explain what Victor has done and been through?

a. Victor dreams that he embraces Elizabeth and kisses her, and while kissing her she turns into their dead mother. The dream explains what Victor has done and been through by creating a parallel by taking something that was good, like his thirst for knowledge, and ruining it, such as creating a monster from his knowledge.

How long has Victor been away from home? What happens the night he returns to Geneva? How does he respond?

a. Victor has been away from home for six years. The night he returns to Geneva there is a great, beautiful storm. Victor says that it is William's funeral and nature's way of honoring his death.

Whom does Victor meet arriving in a coach the next morning? How does Victor respond? What does Victor discover when they go to Victor's apartment? How does Victor respond? What happens to him and for how long? Is there any more news of the creature?

a. Victor meets Henry Clerval, who is his childhood best friend. Victor responds by finally feeling joyfulness and happiness after months of sadness. Seeing Clerval made Frankenstein think about his family back at home and their wonderful times together. When they go back to Victor's apartment they discover that the monster is nowhere to be found. Victor is extremely happy because he does not want Clerval to know about his creation. He clapped his hands and was relieved when the monster was not there anymore. Clerval becomes curious to why Victor is acting so strange and Victor falls into a nervous fever for which he is stuck with for several months. Henry nurses him during his sickness. There is no more news about the creature during this time.

How does Victor respond to the actual creation of life? What surprises him about the way the creature he has brought to life looks? What does that do to Victor's response?

a. Victor responds to the actual creation of life by immediately being horrified by what he has created. He is filled with disgust and horror and what he had hoped to be a beautiful creation is actually horrible with its black lips and almost-white, watery eyes. Victor realizes that he has deprived himself of health and has gone into isolation. Also, he rushed out of the room and went into his bedroom and could not fall asleep.

What is waiting for Victor when he returns to his apartment? What news does his father have for him? And what is his father's name? How does Victor respond?

a. When Victor returns to his apartment he finds a letter from his father. His father, whose name is Alphonse, has written that William has been murdered. Elizabeth blames herself because William was wearing something that Elizabeth gave him that probably compelled the murderer to kill the boy. Victor responds by heading to Geneva, along with Clerval.

Who is William and how old is he? Have we heard of him before?

a. William is the Frankenstein's cousin who is very tall, has blue eyes, dark eyelashes, and curly hair. His exact age is not given, but he is probably a little boy because it states that one of his "wives" is five years old. We did hear of him before because he is actually Victor's younger brother. (page 25)