Frankenstein Quiz Letters 1-4, Chapters 1-10 Review

A. Supernatural Elements

Ex: Victor creating the Creature.

Victor uses forbidden scientific knowledge to bring a dead body to life, which goes beyond the natural laws of life and death. The act of reanimation feels unnatural and terrifying, blending science with the supernatural and showing the danger of humans trying to play God.

B. Mysterious Characters

Ex: The Creature.

The Creature is first seen from a distance and described in frightening, unclear terms, such as when Walton’s crew sees a giant figure traveling across the ice. His unknown origins and unclear intentions make him mysterious and threatening, which is a key Gothic trait.

C. Medieval Setting / Nature

Ex: Harsh natural settings like the Alps and the Arctic.

Shelley uses wild, isolated landscapes to reflect fear and emotional turmoil. The icy Arctic and stormy mountains emphasize humanity’s smallness and lack of control, which aligns with Gothic traditions that portray nature as powerful and dangerous.

D. Atmosphere of Impending Danger

Ex: Storms and dark nights before major events.

Important moments—like the creation of the Creature or William’s murder—occur during storms, darkness, or isolation. These settings create constant tension and foreshadow tragedy, making the reader feel that something terrible is about to happen.

A. “They have acquired new and almost unlimited powers; they can command thunders of heaven, mimic the earthquake, and even mock the invisible world with its own shadows.”

Victor → Walton

Context: Victor says this while speaking to Robert Walton about the power of modern science and discovery.

Significance: The quote shows Victor’s obsession with scientific power and his belief that humans can control nature. It reflects the dangerous ambition that leads to the creation of the Creature and warns against overreaching human limits, a major theme of the novel.

B. “Unhappy man! Do you share my madness? Have you drunk also the intoxicating draught?”

Victor → Walton

Context: Victor says this to Robert Walton when he realizes Walton has the same obsessive ambition he once had.

Significance: Victor recognizes his own destructive pursuit of knowledge in Walton and fears Walton will repeat his mistakes. The quote highlights the theme of dangerous ambition and serves as a warning about obsession blinding people to consequences.

C. “What may not be expected in a country of eternal light?”

Walton → Margaret Saville

Context: Walton says this while traveling through the Arctic, expressing his hopeful expectations of discovery.

Significance: This quote shows Walton’s naive optimism and ambition, which parallels Victor’s earlier mindset. The phrase “eternal light” symbolizes knowledge, but it also foreshadows danger, reinforcing the Gothic idea that the pursuit of enlightenment can lead to destruction.

D. “Listen to me, Frankenstein. You accuse me of murder, and yet you would, with a satisfied conscience, destroy your own creature. Oh, praise the eternal justice of man!”

The Creature → Victor

Context: The Creature confronts Victor after William’s murder and argues against Victor’s moral judgment of him.

Significance: This quote exposes Victor’s hypocrisy and questions human morality and justice. The Creature suggests that humans condemn him while ignoring their own cruelty, complicating the idea of who is truly monstrous.

E. “I was like the Arabian who had been buried with the dead and found a passage to life, aided by one glimmering and seemingly ineffectual light.”

Victor → Walton

Context: Victor reflects on his early scientific studies and discovery of ancient philosophers’ ideas.

Significance: This metaphor shoes Vicotr’s intellectual awakening and growing obsession with forbidden knowledge. The “glimmering light” symbolizes dangerous curiosity that ultimately leads to his downfall.

F. “Learn from me, if not by my precepts, at least by my example, how dangerous is the acquirement of knowledge and how much happier that man who believes his native town to be the world, than he who aspires to become greater than his nature will allow him.”

Victor → Walton

Context: Victor says this while recounting his life story to Robert Walton near the end of the novel.

Significance: This quote serves as the novel’s central moral warning. Victor urges others not to repeat his mistakes, emphasizing that the reckless pursuit of knowledge and ambition can destroy both oneself and others.

Caroline Beaufort Frakenstein

Caroline represents idealized motherhood and self-sacrifice. Her death creates an emotional void in Victor’s life, contributing to his fear of loss and emotional isolation. This absence helps explain Victor’s inability to nurture or take responsibility for his own creation.

Robert Walton

Walton serves as Victor’s foil and frame narrator. His ambition mirrors Victor’s desire of glory and discovery, allowing Victor’s story to act as a warning to him. Through Walton, Shelley shows how unchecked ambition can be recognized and possibly corrected.

Justine Moritz

Justine represents innocence destroyed by flawed social justice. Her wrongful execution highlights the moral failure of society and the consequence of Victor’s silence. She emphasizes the theme that inaction can be just as destructive as violence.

Henry Clerval

Henry acts as Victor’s moral and emotional contrast; He values human connection, compassion, and balance rather than obsessive ambition. His death demonstrated how Victor’s pursuit of knowledge destroys not only himself but those closest to him.

Elizabeth Lavensa

Elizabeth symbolizes domestic peace and moral goodness. She represents the life Victor could have chosen if he valued relationships over ambition. Her murder confirms the final collapses of Victor’s personal and moral world.