Frankenstein Study Guide

What is "modern science" as explained by M. Waldman, and how does it differ from the theories of Agrippa and the other scientists Victor studies?

According to M. Waldman ancient science gives promises which they cannot fulfill, he says, "...Promised impossibilities and performed nothing." He continues to and tells the students "The modern masters promise very little." He explains that modern science should be more materialist and reflects on the goals of ancient philosophers. M. Waldman differs between modern science and other theories; hence it is considered as the study of natural matter while old science studies unnatural matters. He says to students "......whose hands only made to dabble in the dirt and their eyes to pore over the microscope or crucible, and claim to have indeed performed miracles" — referring to the ancient scientist. He regarded modern science to be better since it helped to under how human body functions to live: " hey have discovered how the blood circulates, and the nature of the air we breathe".... Unlike the ancient theories that dealt with solid materials. He also termed is as important since it promoted discovery. M. Waldman says, "Chemistry is that branch of natural philosophy in which the most considerable improvements have been and may be made in the future" it is at this moment that Victor decides to pursue natural science to satisfy his curiosity. "It is on that account that I made it my peculiar study." Victor states. According to modern science enabled humans to discover new technology, "They have acquired new and unlimited powers which they can command the thunder of heaven, mimic the earthquake, and even mock the invisible world with its shadows."

Finally, in a paragraph of at least 7 well-developed sentences, explain your opinion of who the real "monster" is in the story. Why do you feel this way?

According to the novel, Victor is the real monster since he is responsible for the creation of the monster. Despite all skills and knowledge of science, Victor never put the risks and consequences of his creation to the community into consideration. He is also a monster because of his passion for creating selfish factors that drove to the creation of a new being. Victor claimed to create the monster for the betterment of human beings, but he did out of arrogance, greed, and the wish to become like God. Another reason to be seen as a monster is being inhumane towards his creation and the people around him. After creating the monster, Victor never showed any compassion or never attended to the needs of the creature, and therefore it stopped following his instruction hence started killing people as proof of becoming independent. He also makes a poor decision which had a great negative impact on social status; when he created the monster, and it started killing people, it threatened the state of security region. Victor's ego made him become an irresponsible scientist and ended up creating a monster that killed people without hesitation, which made him a monster, although he later changed to be a better individual. The above reasons triggered the monstrous behavior of his creation hence justifying him as the real monster in the novel, therefore, making his creation a victim of abandonment.

Victor is deeply affected by Caroline's death. Discuss Victor's reaction to his mother's death and the influence it has on his scientific studies.

Caroline was an ambitious young woman with a sense of right and wrong, and Victor loved her. Her death caused considerable emotional damage to Victor that led to a change in his personality and drove him to become a scientist. Victor reacted to Caroline's death by showing no emotion. Victor says" I need not describe the feelings of those whose dearest ties are rent by that most irreparable evil....." the death of Caroline never affected Victor's study since he considered himself as new to sorrow, "I was new to sorrow, but it did not the less alarm me." He says. Her death had less impact on his life, too, since he went back to school within two weeks without any emotions. While in the university Victor dedicated his life on natural philosophy and this reason made him visit M. Krampe a natural philosophy professor:" I turned my reluctant steps from my father's door, and it led me first to M. Krempe, professor of natural philosophy." Victor began his quest to bring order into the society, but he did not have any powers to do that, so he visited M Waldman:" My inner being was in a state of rebellion and turmoil; I felt that order would thence arise." According to Victor, M Waldman became his mentor after his mother died, and he encouraged him to study science, and since he attended Waldman's lecture, it changed his life. He says, "it decided my future destiny." The curiosity to concur nature motivated him to be more scientific productive and made great sacrifices to achieve it.

Why do you think Victor created such a horrible-looking creature? Did he realize what he was doing? Explain your answer.

I don't think that Victor knew he would create a horrible looking monster and only realized his doings after finishing his work in creating the Creature and taking a look at what he had done. Instead, I think the main objective of Victor in creating the monster was more than improving human life. I think he created the monster to fulfill his inner desire of something looking up to him like humans look up to God. There is even a time that Victor says that if he created a new creature, it would bless him because he was their source and creator and would be able to renew a life where death had corrupted already. It shows that his motivation was more than improving the quality of human life. Even though the Creature would help improve the human experience, it would also worship and bless Victor as the creator. In short, he intended to be like God and try to cheat the limitation of human death. Therefore, his intention was not creating a creature that would look like a monster. That is why, after finishing connecting the different human parts and seeing how the Creature looked, he became depressed and decided not to associate himself with the monster. The disappointment and frustration after accomplishing to create the monster show that his intention was not designing it to look horrible like it did, but it was a limitation in his process. If he had known that he would create such an ugly looking creature, he would have accepted his scientific work because it was a success and even present it to the world.

Victor tells us that his friend Clerval's imagination was "too vivid for the minutiae of science." What does he mean by this?

I think Victor meant that science is something that required a person who saw deep sense in work and seeks to find puzzles to solve the mysteries of the world. Victor believes that Henry is not good at philosophy and philosophy is for people who think beyond to solve mysteries. Natural philosophers are people who want to explain the mystery things like God existence, why humans exist, and human development among many other things. Natural philosophers seek to understand everything rather than appreciate them the way they are or understand their existence. Philosophers mind is the same as those of scientists because they try to find an answer. They use the imaginative mind a lot. However, the description of Henry by Victor was a person who loved and appreciated the natural way of things. Victor describes Henry as alive and joyful when he gazes at the beauty of the setting sun. Victor believes that Henry had a perfect way of reacting to the worldly thing and life as a whole. Also, Henry is satisfied with his accomplishments and goals he has set in life. Additionally, Victor praises Henry ability to appreciate the simple parts of existence. Based on the description of a natural philosopher or scientists, one can see that Henry is the opposite of these things. He doesn't ask a question about nature but rather appreciates them. He is not curious about anything in life. His imagination is not about nature but how to maximize happiness and accomplish his set goals rather than nature. That is why Victor believes that Henry imagination is vivid for the branch of science.

First, in three well-developed paragraphs of at least 7 sentences each, explain the different perspectives of the story though the eyes of Walton, Frankenstein, and the Monster. How does each perspective help to build the overall theme of the story?

In the novel Frankenstein, Walton's story is narrated through written letters to his sister Margaret. According to the story, Victor and Walton have the same goal of changing the world, but they use different approaches to achieve it. Walton aimed to change the world through concurring it geographically and exploration. Walton is considered as the narrator since he retells Victor's story by writing everything he said to him on letters and also he gives an account of the monster's story. In the novel, Walton is a minor character who builds the primary role of Frankenstein in the narration. The author also uses Walton to justify Victor's story and the monster. The conclusion made from the narrative is that Walton is a better version of Victor Frankenstein. This narrative frame helps readers understand better the relationship between Victor and Walton and their influence on theme development. The point of view in the novel changes from Walton to Victor to the monster and ends backs at Walton. Victor's life begins as a young boy who later becomes a scientist. He wanted to change the world through concurring it geographically and also overcome nature. After many years of learning, Victor created a monster which had significant negative impacts on his life. He viewed the monster as a dangerous thing since it killed some of his relatives and friend. In the narrative, Victor is seen as inhumane and arrogant since he created a destructive monster. His story shows how the consequences of his actions impacted the people around him. Victor tries to rectify his mistakes by plotting ravage against the monster; hence the author uses his character to justify the effects and consequences of his creations. Before the narrative concludes, Victor justifies his story by relating it to Walton's account then he dies. This frame helps readers to understand the role of Victor in the novel as narrated by Walton. As a result of Victor excluding himself from society and focused on science, he ended up creating the Frankenstein's monster due to frustration. Walton narrates the account of the monster story as he tells the story of Victor in the letters to his sister. Victor sees the monster as an evil creature despite being his creation. The destructive work of the monster is a result of Victor's creation which affected him and the society at large. Victor's point of view on the monster brings out the aftermath of inventions on the community. The monster's perspective is displaying the emotions and thoughts of Victor and his goal achievement of changing the world by overcoming nature. Victor tells the monster's story without excluding its dark, gothic, and the hatred it has for the new world. The monster story helps readers to understand the relationship between the creator, the monster and the community. As observed from Walton, Victor and the monster's point of view is that framing narrative helps readers to understand the theme, the role characters play, and the plot used by the author. Framing narratives also ensures that there is a good flow of events throughout the story.

Do you think Victor is right when he urges Walton to abandon his ambition? Explain your answer.

No, I disagree with Victor's advice to Walton. From the analysis of the text, it becomes clear that Victor's selfish acts and ambitions led to the disastrous consequences of his scientific creations. Victor wants us to believe that it was his moral duty to destroy the creation he made. However, another perspective informs that Victor was selfish and never thought about the welfare of this creation he brought to life. He was just an irresponsible and reckless scientist. In the first place, Victor abandons the creature he created because it was ugly. The creature is chased away by the residents and forced to live a lonely, miserable life just because its creator was ignorant. The creature is loving and passionate, as seen when it saves a drowning girl. However, the people are hostile towards it and hate the creature for its ugly looks. Victor's behavior changes the life of the creature and brings a monster out of a good-hearted creation. If Victor was more careful, responsible, and compassionate about his scientific creations, the results could have been different. The creature was not a monster until Victor neglected his parenting obligations. One might object that Victor had the full experience of what too many scientific ambitions would cost someone. So many lives were lost as a result of Victor's scientific ambitions. He lost his loved one and family too. However, all these dreadful actions were as a result of selfish and ignorant Victor. With a little more concern, the scientific ambitions of Walton would bear relatively better results.

Why do you think Robert Walton is so eager to visit such a hostile environment?

Robert Walton was an ambitious explorer who wanted to discover more about the world. According to his letters, he feels excited about going on an adventurous journey because he wants to gain new experience and gain more knowledge. In the first letter, he says, "I can feel the cold northern breeze playing upon my cheeks, which braces my nerves that fills me with delight." He further states that the origin of the breeze gives him the foretaste of the icy chimes, which is inspired, but the winds helped him to see his dream to become vivid and fervent. The need to discover more about nature also inspired him to travel more. Another reason is the need to satisfy his curiosity. For example, Robert writes to Margaret, saying that I shall fulfill my ardent curiosity with the sight of a part of the world never visited before. Robert wants to learn new languages since he thinks that it's an advantage to him. In letter two, Robert says, "I perceived the necessity of becoming acquainted with more languages than that of my native country." Another reason is his love for visiting new places that were unexplored. This is specifically described when Robert writes, "A belief and love for the marvelous, intertwined in all my projects which hurries me out of the common path of men, and even to the wild sea and unvisited regions I am about to explore," and again when his desire to make new friends whom he could share his sympathy and the happiness of his success,"I wrote of my desire to find a new friend whom we can be more intimate and sympathetic especially a fellow mind that had fallen to my lot and expressed my concerns and that a man could boast of little happiness who did not enjoy these blessings."

Give some examples of the Romantic concept in Shelley's use of physical locations. How does it help establish character and mood in the novel?

Romanticism is used in the novel to embody character and mood through a parallel expression of nature and feelings of the characters. The weather conditions and physical landscapes where some characters are placed echo the emotions of these character in the given physical locations. The vivid imagery of nature incorporated in the novel creates the mood of the novel. For example, the icy conditions echo the feelings of the characters in these environments. The monster and Walton find themselves in icy conditions that are inhabited, reflecting the lonely feeling of these characters. The romantic concepts used in this novel create mood by moderating the expression of emotion and a dramatic character. Walton is in a dreary landscape at the beginning of the novel, which reflects loneliness and isolation in the cold lands. An example of the romantic concept is the intricate setting of nature from which the story evolves. Shelley creates emotion by demonstrating how Victor expressed an extreme assertion of himself versus his experiences. The character of Victor is built upon the concept of romanticism, as seen in his efforts to understand the gap between the real world and the mysterious world. The interconnection between weather, physical landscape, and characters' feeling and thoughts continues throughout the novel. By moderating the expression of emotions in the novel, romanticism set the mood of the story. It also helps creates a romantic character through imagination and innovation, as seen in the scientific ambitions of Victor. Shelley's Frankenstein is recognized as one of the greatest romantic novels given the occasional application of romantic concepts in its plot.

Why is Walton so impressed with his shipmaster's actions regarding his fiancée?

Since Walton had a caring personality, he was impressed with his master's romantic actions towards her. Walton describes his master as romantic, who he was not; hence it impressed him. The reason why he was excited is that his master left the sailing and stayed with his fiancée. Robert says," My generous friend reassured the suppliant, and on being informed of the name of her lover, instantly abandoned his pursuit." The decision to marry his wife also impressed Walton. Robert writes and says that after buying all he wanted, his master went to the fiancée's father to seek for a marriage. After the father declined his master's proposal, the master left his country and went back to sailing, which impressed Robert. The shipmaster returned to his country after hearing that his fiancee was already married and stayed silent since he was uneducated otherwise he could have taken actions, this action made Robert describe the shipmaster as astonishing despite being ignorant as a sign of being impressed by his decisions. The act of being sympathetic also impressed Walton since he did not expect such quality. Even after receiving the disappointing news about his fiancée's marriage, the master respected her decision and never took any decision, this action surprised Walton, therefore, becoming very impressed. The above actions changed Walton's perspective of the shipmaster and called termed him as a nobleman. The romantic activities of the shipmaster challenged Walton because he sees himself as unromantic, and this made impressed Walton.

Discuss the creature's final speech to Walton. How does he really feel about Victor? Is he sad or happy about his death?

The creature abhors the death of victor and seems excited about it, but again forgiving the creature took pride in the murder of its creature and pointed out Victor's actions changed its passions. The monster tells Victor that he was happy that he lived a miserable life, just like the monster. The creature admits that it sought vengeance and wanted Victor to suffer for what he had done to it. "Blasted as thou wert, my agony was still superior to thine; for the bitter sting of remorse will not cease to rankle in my wounds until death shall close them forever." The creature did not want things to end the way they ended and blames it all on Victor. Instead of Victor being happy for the creature, he doesn't even want to see it. He hates the creature whose intentions are good. Planning to kill the monster makes things worse, and the monster observes that it was the major reason it felt accomplished upon the death of Victor. A mixture of remorse and vengeance arise from the creature's last words to Victor. The creature's last words to Victor are forgiving. The tries to explain why he set out on the murderous rampage and swears that its mystery will never be felt again on earth. The creature says that it was designed to love, but hatred changed this virtue to a vice. All it wanted was revenge and feels accomplished upon the death of Victor. Victor did not get the chance to experience the love that the creature intended for him just because he was selfish and never cared about the creature.

Why do you think the creature wants to eliminate any evidence of his own existence?

The creature did not want to leave any memories behind. It also never wanted to be part of this world, and whatever remains of it. The creature lived a miserable life and suffered under the hands of the human race. The creature mentions that Victor was the last thing he wanted to see before it destroyed itself, "Farewell! I leave you, and in the last of human-kind whom these eyes will ever behold". The death of Victor was all the creature wanted to witness, and now that his creator is dead, the monster wanted to vanish completely. It was frustrated that all the life it lived was miserable, and nothing legendary was written of it. It was hated all its entire life and murdered people. Nothing good to remember of, and therefore it so need to leave anything of it behind. The creature was also guilty of its murderous rampage and never wanted people to feel its presence in the current and future life. It already admitted that its existence was a threat to the human race. Any trace of the creature left behind would act as a reminder and threat to the peace of human-kind. It had caused many miseries that it wanted to disappear with. In the second last paragraph, the creature says, "I shall die, and what I feel now shall never be felt again." It wanted to disappear with all misery that came about as a result of its existence. The creature never wanted people to remember it or think of it either.

Discuss Victor's friendship with Henry Clerval and compare it to his father's relationship with Beaufort.

The friendship between Victor and Henry began at their childhood in Geneva where they grew up together, thus considering him as a brother. The two become closer when Victor gets ill. Besides seeing him as a brother, he also saw him as a brother. Their friendship was great that Henry escorted Victor to school. Their relationship becomes complicated when Victor neglects Henry by choosing the friends he wanted to hang around him. Despite Henry being an excellent friend to Victor, Victor did not want to help Henry when he needed it. Victor describes their friendship as a strong bond hence being inseparable; he states," We could not tear ourselves away from each other nor convince ourselves to say the word 'Farewell!" Beaufort was Henry's father, and they did not have a good relationship because he was strict and selfish. For instance, Beaufort denies Henry permission to and study together with Victor. Victor states "He had committed to persuading his father to permit him to accompany me and to become my fellow student, but it was in vain." According to Victor, Henry's father did not support his dreams, and he calls him narrow-minded:" His father was a narrow-minded trader who saw idleness and ruins the aspirations and ambition of his son." The relationship between Henry and his father affected his ability to express emotions significantly. Victor writes, "He said little, but when he spoke." The father-son relationship did not exist between Beaufort and his son. The friendship between Victor and Henry was stronger than the bond he had with his father.

Explain why Justine confesses to the crime even though she is innocent.

The main reason why Justine decides to confess to the crime of killing William is that she believed it was the only way that she would obtain absolution and redemption from God for the sins she had committed in her life. She reveals this when Victor and Elizabeth come to visit, and Elizabeth wants to know why Justine had confessed to the murder even though she was not the one who killed William. That is when she says that she admits that she confessed to a lie to seek God absolution, but the lie had become more onerous than any other sin that she had done. The life of Justine had been complicated and had a big part in her deciding to confess about the murder. Justine went to live with the Frankenstein because of the hatred she received from her mother. Even when she returned to her mother after her siblings died, her mother put the blame of their deaths on Justine. Finally, her mother died without forgiving her. The death of her siblings and her mother made her feel guilty and partly responsible. Her mother had hated her for the whole life and Justine had believed that it was because of her behaviors or choices in life that had made her mother blame her and causing her death. Also, since her siblings had died when she moved to the Frankenstein and upon returning to her home her mother blames her for the death of the siblings, she must have felt that her decision to move away was the reason why her siblings had died. Therefore, when she was accused of murdering William, she sees it as a significant opportunity to repay for consequences of her choices in life and find redemption.

When Victor is chasing him, why does the creature keep leaving clues to help Victor follow his trail?

The monster left clues for Victor to follow because it wanted to keep Victor close to the 'chase.' It wanted to exhaust him, make him more furious and desperate. The creature had faced so much rejection from the society that he even hated himself. The creature wonders if it is fair for one to be treated as an outcast just because of the way he looks. It even hurts more than Victor, who is the father of the creature, hates him for looking ugly. He abandoned him and left the monster to take care of himself. Victor goes ahead to destroy the second creature, the only hope that the monster had of at least experiencing love and care. These series of mistreatments make the monster furious, and all he wanted was revenge. He wants to make Victor pay for mistreating him and keeps him close by leaving clues behind for Victor to the trail. The monster knew that Victor was furious because of what had happened and that he wanted to kill him. The creature was sure that long-suffering was the best revenge on Victor and therefore kept Victor's eye close to the chase but ensured that Victor never caught him. The life of victor feels hopeless, given that he could not kill the monster he created and that he suffered at the hands of the creature. The monster tells Victor that he was happy that he lived a miserable life, just like the monster. Victor dies, trying to kill the creature he created. The creature just wanted to make Victor's life miserable and desperate. This shows how the father-son relationship failed to lead to a trail of death and destruction. It can be concluded that good virtues turn into vices when not well nurtured.

Second, in a paragraph of at least 7 well-developed sentences, explain which character you most identity with. Why are you drawn to this character?

The most interesting character in the novel Frankenstein is Victor Frankenstein, whose role has a moral lesson. Firstly, he is intelligent since he was able to overcome nature by creating a creature that was similar to human beings. Secondly, his knowledge-seeking, despite being discouraged from reading metaphysical books by his father and his teacher was also against his interests, Victor never stopped, and it encouraged him to learn more. Thirdly, he is caring and sympathetic; after the monster killed his best friend and some family members and the death of a few innocent individuals, Victor decided to fight the monster to prevent more damage to society. He also outshines others by being doubtful about the functionality of nature, and this led to the creation of Frankenstein's monster. He is an agent of change because, despite his hateful attitude towards the people around him, he later changed. After all, he was ashamed and embarrassed by the monster's actions and decided to fight the monster he created. Finally, he is courageous; this is evident when Victor decided to go after the monster without fear even though he knew its capabilities and the risks involved hence being selfless. The above virtues made Victor become a better person, regardless of being a bad person. In conclusion, Frankenstein's character teaches the society that people can change with time.

Did it surprise you that the creature killed Elizabeth and not Victor? Explain your answer.

The murder of Elizabeth by the creature does not come as a surprise to me. This is because the monster was agitated and wanted revenge. The only way the monster would make Victor heart-broken is by killing his fiancé. Victor had made a promise to make the monster a mate and, at first, agrees. Having a second thought, victor destroys the she-monster because he thought it would be dangerous. Victor did not think about the consequences of destroying this female monster. He only saw that it would prevent the multiplication of these creatures but never anticipated the retaliation of the monster, although he knew it could kill. Since the monster was angry as it saw its mate being destroyed, vengeance was obvious. The monster kills Victor's mate, the same way he destroyed the monster's mate. The killing of Elizabeth could be speculated from the threat it issued after Victor destroyed its mate. The creature observed victor as he destroyed the second creature and promised to be with him on the night of his wedding. The monster had experienced a lot of rejection and hatred, including from its creator, Victor. The threat to visit Victor should have been taken seriously, but Victor did not think it would do anything disastrous. However, given the past circumstances where the monster admittedly killed William, it was easy to think that the monster could kill. Killing Elizabeth was the most appropriate way of revenge for its mate. The monster wanted Victor to feel and mourn the death of his loved one, the same way the monster sobbed. It is, therefore, obvious that the killing of Elizabeth was not a surprise given the analysis of events and circumstances.

What Romantic concepts do the characters of Victor and Walton illustrate?

The relationship between Victor and Walton begins after Robert rescues Victor and gives him hospitality. The romantic concept observed from this character firstly is care. Just like couples are expected to care for each at all times, this is justified when Robert takes care of Victor until he fully recovers. The concept of openness between couples is observed. From a romantic point of view, Robert and Victor encourage others to be open to one another through conversations. Roberts writes to Margaret says that they talk about their project when they get a chance. The characters inspire protectiveness and support. The letter shows that Victor is very protective of Robert's success, this is seen when Robert writes and says," He entered attentively into all my arguments in favor of my future success and into every detail of the measures I had taken to secure it." Another romantic concept is taking an interest in one's partner, and this is proven when Victor asks Robert about his history. Many people find emotional support as a gesture of romances hence the two character promote this concept especially Robert who confronts Victor while crying; in the letter, Robert says, "At first I perceived that he tried to suppress his emotions..." Similarly, the two characters display the concept of love among partners. Robert shows love to Victor by caring for him during the recovery period, and this made them bond quickly despite being strangers. Robert also expresses his romantic love for Victor by loving him as a brother. Victor shows his love for Victor by admiring him; hence Robert recognized him as a nobleman.

What are some of the characteristics of the Gothic novel and how does Mary Shelley use them in these chapters?

There are many characteristics of a gothic novel that Mary Shelly novel utilizes to develop the themes, despite having some romantic elements too. The most dominant features are the character isolation and the nature of the setting of the characters, the supernatural elements and the atmosphere. Mary Shelly starts by showing the gloomy, sad, and dark conditions that Victor is under that motivates him to deny the companionship of that the monster had offered. In Chapter three, Victor is set in an isolated island in a lab alone thinking about the monster proposal before he decides to deny the request of the monster. The scene of a laboratory that is equipped with all tools of creating a monster in an isolated place is a mystery to many people, especially during the time of publishing the novel. Also, the presence of the monster and its description creates a feeling of fear and danger. Apart from that, the monster pleads to Victor, his creator, to give him compassion and the attention and Victor refuses shows the deep and dark hatred that Victor had over the monster he created. The action of the beast when Victor refuses to give the monster what it seeks; the monster threat creates a suspension. Also, the monster action to kill his friend Henry and frame it on Victor is a gothic element. Finally, the desperation for the love and attention of the monster to Victor creates the theme of isolation to the point that it becomes dangerous.

Compare the events that occur on Victor's wedding night to the night when Victor destroyed the second creature.

There was anger and destruction of loved ones in both cases. Victor destroyed the creature when he revisited the past and examined that the second monster might be more dangerous. The reason as to why victor destroyed the second creature as he puts it is that he did not want to blame in the "future ages" (p.174). The destruction of the second creature was as a result of anger and guilt as Victor puts it. The creature threatens to visit Victor at his wedding. The monster kills Elizabeth on the night of the wedding. In both events, destruction was a result of anger and selfishness. Victor was angered that the creature he could not show love to the creature he had created. Is scientific work was for his glory and pursuit of personal ambitions. He, however, did not love the creature he created and feels disappointed. He destroys the creature had promised to create when he is halfway done. As a show of mercy, love, and compassion, he could have brought peace by making a mate for the first creature. The creature also murdered Elizabeth due to anger and vengeance. The selfish actions of Victor led to the destruction of the lives of loved ones. Both events happened unexpectedly. Victor did not initially intend to destroy the second creature; otherwise, he would not have started creating it. The thoughts that intercept his mind make him destroy the second creature. In the same way, Victor did not expect that the creature would kill Elizabeth. Although the monster had issued a threat, Victor never took it seriously. After all, no one expected the monster would kill Elizabeth even if it visited them on the wedding night. It was more obvious that it would attack Victor, who destroyed his mate.

After Justine is accused of William's murder, why do you think Victor never tells anyone about the Creature?

There were many times that Victor could have told the truth about the monster like the time it murders William and Justine is accused of the action, but Victor refuses to speak out about the monster because of three main reasons. The first one is that maybe he thought that the monster was his invention in which he was ashamed of from the time he finishes to create it. Many people are afraid to talk about their failure, especially scientists, with their experiment. The reason why Victor thought it was a failure is that the Creature was too ugly, and he knew many people would be against it while his main aim was to create the monster to help human beings. This is seen based on how humans react every time they see the monster. They were afraid and refused to associate with it. Secondly, I think Victor refused to talk about the monster because he thought that people would not believe him. The story about creating another human being would seem bizarre to people during the time of the novel's setting. Thirdly, I think that Victor was afraid of the consequences he would get out of creating the monster and not telling people and now it had gone and killed a person because of him. He would be accused of murder because the thing that he created was the one responsible for killing William. Additionally the fact that the reason or motive of the monster killing William was because Victor abandoned it would make the case against Victor very strong. Also, the ugliness of the Creature and the negative reaction from, the people who saw it would not favor Victor in a court, and he would have been the one accused of William's death.

Discuss the similarities between Robert Walton and Victor Frankenstein, the man Walton rescues. Why does Walton feel such compassion for Victor, a total stranger?

Victor Frankenstein was saved from an icy ground by Robert in his quest to explore. The similarities that make Robert and Victor bond easily include; firstly, they are both curious to explore. Just like Robert describes in first letter the need to satisfy his curiosity on new places, "He showed the greatest eagerness to be upon deck to watch for the sledge which had before appeared." In this quote, Robert describes the eager of Victor to know more about things which they both had in common. Another similarity is they are both adventurous. Robert writes to Margaret saying that Victor told him about his projects, and Robert intern shared his projects with Victor without hesitation. They were both successful. Robert talks of Victor as a nobleman, and Victor always showed interest in Robert's success. They are both caring, in the letters Roberts shows care by rescuing Victor whom later shared concerned on the security of Robert's success, "He entered attentively into all my arguments in favor of my future success and into every minute detail of the measures I had taken to secure it,". Finally, Robert and Victor also have the same desire to gain more knowledge, since Robert travelled to acquire new knowledge on unvisited region, he writes to Margaret telling her that Victor also explored to find further information and this was evident when Victor said to Robert, "You seek for knowledge and wisdom just as I once did." When Robert found Victor and rescued him, he showed compassion through caring and becoming his friend. Robert agrees to discuss his projects with Victor despite being a stranger.

Victor says of his father that, "A more indulgent and less dictatorial parent did not exist upon the earth." Discuss Alphonse's influence on Victor and Victor's feelings toward his father. Compare Alphonse's and Victor's relationship with Victor's relationship with the creature.

Victor feels that his father has failed to completely play his parenting role and considers him to approve conditional love. Alphonse, in the beginning, seems gentle, loving, and considerate, but his love turns out to be conditional. According to the story, Alphonse's conditional love dictates that justice is a virtue that renders it necessary, "That he should approve highly to love strongly". Alphonse is very obsessed with parenting rather than educating his children, while Victor is more engrossed in his scientific interests that he almost neglects his family. He funds Victor's education and constantly reminds him that he has to keep in touch with his family. The father says that Victor should not treat any correspondence as an interruption on his single-minded pursuit of creating life from an inanimate matter. As a result, Alphonse's actions change the character of Victor throughout the story. Victor, at first, condemns his father for judging him that he could not keep contact but later admits his father's wisdom. Throughout the novel, the character of Victor and Alphonse is used to demonstrate parental disapproval, where the relationship between father and son is reflected as a failure. Victor did not give birth to the creature but he is the father since he created it. His commitment of two years to creating the monster appears to be horrific and monstrous since he doesn't show love to the creature. After creating the creature, Victor refers to him as a "miserable monster". The creature receives no love from the father, which leads to series destruction and miserable life of Victor and his family. Although Victor's father failed by showing conditional love to his son, Victor completely failed to show any love for his creature.

Discuss Victor's experience with lightning and Shelley's use of it when Victor sees the Creature.

Victor is called home by his father after the death of William to console Elizabeth and decides to visit the scene of William's death when the lightning strikes and he sees the Creature he created. Shelly uses the lightening episode to present the scary nature of the Creature and its capability that is of a supernatural status. Shelly says that a tempest, so beautiful yet terrific attracts Victor's attention and the lightning strike gives Victor a clear vision to see that it was the monster he had created. The flash does not provide Victor with sufficient time to look at the Creature, and that is why he decides to make pursuit. However, the second lighting gives him a better view of the creature "hanging among the rocks of the nearly perpendicular ascent of Mont Saleve." The second view of the Creature makes Victor realize that it was impossible to pursue it because the mountain was inaccessible. His revelations is the one that makes Victor makes up his mind about keeping silent about the existence of the monster to the family. The use of lightening by Shelly enables her to create the perfect image of the Creature that was scary and had no character that would associate it as a human being. The lighting creates the mystical nature of the Creature that even makes Victor afraid to pursue it or tell his family about its existence. Apart from the ugliness, it had the abilities that were beyond Victor's expectation. Otherwise, without the strike of the lightning, the Creature would look ordinary like any other creature.

Is Victor justified in blaming himself for the deaths of Henry, Elizabeth, and his other family members? Explain your answer.

Victor is not justified in blaming himself for the deaths brought by the monster he created. Since Victor was the creator of the monster that caused so many deaths, he should have been the one to destroy it. Apart from blaming himself for the deaths caused by the monster, Victor is utterly responsible for the behavior of the monster. The monster is born into a repulsive world, a world that rejects him because of his ugly looks. The creator of the creature is the first to throw him away. The creature deserves love, affection, and a sense of belonging. His only hope of having a female companion is destroyed by Victor. After realizing that these needs could not be satisfied in this human community, the creature sets out on a journey of revenge. The lives that were lost would not be restored by just feeling guilty. Although victor dies in an attempt to kill the creature, his actions cannot be justified in blaming himself. He should have had control over the monster. Victor was selfish, and all he thought about was the pursuit of his careless and unchecked pursuit of scientific ambitions. Victor should have treated the creature with more love, and it would not have crossed the boundaries. He is to be blamed for being ignorant. He never took threats seriously. The monster promised to be with Victor on the night of his wedding, but victor took no precautions. It is because of his recklessness and furry that Elizabeth dies. Therefore apart from feeling guilty, Victor should have made an effort to nurture the creature he created and have control over it such that he could kill it if the need arose.

Discuss Victor's reluctance to create the second creature. Why do you think he destroys it in front of the other creature?

Victor was reluctant to create a mate for the first creature because he was afraid of the future of his creation. Victor acted like God by creating life and bringing the first creature to life. However, victor failed to nurture this creature by showing it love and educating it. As a result, Victor did not want to create a second creature since, as a human, he felt obligated to show love to the creature, which he could not manage since they wanted to disappear. As a father, Victor was disturbed that he could not offer the expected parenthood to the creature. Their relationship was only marked by a series of horrific, monstrous, and miserable events. The failure of Victor to show love and tender care to the creature results in the changed life of the creature. Initially, the creature was designed to be passionate and lovable, but isolation and lack of family love change this virtue to vices. The creature asks Victor to create a mate for him, but Victor only responds after the creature issue a threat indicating that victor never loved the creature. Since Victor saw that he could not stand up to the responsibility of being a responsible father, he did not want to create another creature, he could not take care of. Another reason why victor was reluctant to create a second creature is that he did not want them to procreate. Victor says that he was afraid that they might give birth to young ones resulting in a "race of devils" on earth. Since he created the creature out due to threats on his friends and family, he finally destroys the creature saying it "might be ten thousand times barbaric" than the first creature. Victor had already failed to take care of his first creature, and it had turned against him. He anticipated that bringing more of such creatures would be disastrous since the first creature had killed so many people. He destroyed the second creation in front of the monster since he was agitated and disappointed that the first creature could not obey him.