Frankenstein ULTIMATE STUDY GUIDE

1. Who is writing Letter 1 (and all the letters)?

Robert Walton

2. To whom is he writing? What is their relationship?

He is writing to Margaret, his sister.

3. Where is Robert Walton when he writes Letter 1? Why is he there? What are his plans?

When Walton writes Letter 1 he is at the St. Petersburg. He is there because he needs to hire a crew for his ship. Plans to sail to the North Pole in order to discover magnetisms' secrets.

4. What does Robert Walton tell us about himself?

Self educated, loves to read, father died, loves adventure and discovery. Wishes he had a friend along to share it with.

5. Where is Walton now? What do you think of Walton's question "What can stop the determined heart and resolved will of man"?

Walton is sailing to the north. Walton's question shows his faith in the Romanticism. Emotion over reason

6. How much time has elapsed between Letter 3 and Letter 4? What "strange accident" has happened to the sailors?

One month has gone by. The ship is trapped in ice and fog

7. Why does the man picked up by the ship say he is there? What shape is he in?

He says he is looking for the one who fled from him. He asks for which direction the ship is sailing. He is near death and very weak.

8. What sort of person does he seem to be? How does Walton respond to this man The man appears to be mysterious.

"This person" is Victor: Educated, well-spoken, refined. Walton is fascinated by him.

9. How much time has elapsed when Walton begins writing again? What has happened in the meantime? How does the man respond to Walton's project? How is Walton responding to the man?

Walton begins writing the biography of this man the very next day. This man has slowly regained his strength and his health. The man tells Waldon that his quest for knowledge and and his project will end in misery. Walton becomes intrigued and wants to hear his side of the story.

10. How much time has elapsed when Walton begins writing again ? What has happened in the meantime? How does the man respond to Walton's project? Why does the man agree to tell his story?

The man agrees to tell his story because he can see that Walton is looking for knowledge as he once was. Victor hopes that it won't end in a disaster for Walton as it did for him.

11. What is the man's background? (Do we know his name yet?) Where is he from?

We don't know his name. He is from Geneva, Switzerland. He was greatly loved and adored by his parents.

12. What is the story of the man's mother, Caroline Beaufort? How does the man feel toward his parents, and what responsibilities does he feel they had toward him?

Caroline's father and Frankenstein Sr, were friends. Once Caroline's father died Caroline married Frankenstein Sr. Victor's mother died. He loved his parents. He felt as though it was his parents responsibility to raise him the right way. Holds his parents responsible for his sadness and happiness.

13. Who is Elizabeth Lavenza and what is her story? What gift does the man's mother give him? Do we know the man's name yet? Do we know his family name?

Victor's parents adopted Elizabeth Lavenza, she was an orphan. The man's mother gave him Elizabeth. This is the first time that we figure out Victor's name. We don't know his family name.

14. Who is Henry Clerval and what is his relation to Victor?

Henry Clerval is Victor's childhood best friend. He is the son of a merchant from Geneva.

15. How does Victor characterize the interests and characters of Clerval, Elizabeth, and himself?

Clerval was interested in romantic literature. He acted in plays with Victor. He was intrigued in being moral. Elizabeth was captivated by poetry but she didn't want to learn it. Victor was always intrigued by science, always wanted to learn more.

16. Who is Cornelius Agrippa and how does Victor find out about him? How does Victor's father respond, and how does Victor comment on that response?

Cornelius Agrippa is a scientist that studied alchemy. Victor finds out about him by reading a book. Victor's father says that Agrippa's work is nonsense. The books are unscientific and outdated.

17. What sort of science ("Natural Philosophy") is Victor learning from Agrippa, Paracelsus, and Albertus Magnus? How would a modern scientist respond to this sort of thinking?

Victor is learning alchemy from Magnus, Agrippa and Paracelsus. Modern scientists would believe that this thinking is silly. Goal was to find the fountain of youth.

18. What happens when Victor sees an oak tree destroyed by lightning and hears an explanation? What does Victor then begin to study?

When Victor sees an oak tree destroyed by lightning and hears an explanation, he decides to study galvanism and electricity.

19. Who or what does he credit for this change in direction? Who or what does he blame for his "utter and terrible destruction"?

He acknowledges Krempe for this change in direction. He blames Waldman for his destruction. Waldman is his chemistry professor. Kempe-> Good encouraged. Waldman -> Chem= destruction

20. What happens to Elizabeth and to Victor's mother as a result of Elizabeth's scarlet fever? How does this compare with the mother's early history?

Caroline comes down with scarlet fever and eventually dies after she restores Elizabeth back to health. Caroline's dad dies in an identical situation.

21. Why does Victor's father send him to the University of Ingolstad? How old is Victor then? (Ingolstadt is in southern Germany, in Bavaria, on the Danube, 43 miles north of Munich. The university founded there in 1472 moved to Landshut in 1802 and to Munich in 1826.)

Victor's father sends him to the University of Ingolstad because he thinks that Victor should study in another country. At this time, Victor is 17.

22. What does Victor learn from M. Krempe? How does Victor respond to him, and on what grounds? Is this a good basis for making such a decision?

Victor learns about natural philosophy from M. Krempe. Victor is troubled about this idea. Dislikes M. Kempe.

23. What does Victor learn from M. Waldman? How does Victor respond to him? How does Victor think of his older science as opposed to modern science? What does M. Waldman say in describing modern chemistry that changes Victor's mind? What does Victor say he will now do?

Victor learns that scientists are very powerful and can do miracles. Victor is astonished and says that he will go back to studying natural philosophy. Waldman teaches Victor chemistry. Impressed by M. Waldman, looks up to him.

24. How well does Victor progress during the next two years? What does he then become interested in, and what ultimately does he discover?

Victor progresses extremely. He becomes interested in the old sciences and natural philosophies. He is drawn into becoming "god like." Animates a corpse, accomplishes what he wanted to

25. Will he share that knowledge with Walton? Why? (Note the "present" of the telling breaking through the narration here.)

Victor won't share his knowledge with Walton because his personal knowledge resulted in distress.

26. How does he go about creating a human being, and what does he expect as a result of this creation? How long does the task take? What happens to Victor in the process?

Victor steals body parts from the charnel houses, dissection rooms and slaughterhouses. He spends a year. He becomes obsessed and does not eat or drink. Waits for lightning storm.

27. Do you recognize the opening words of this chapter? Remember that Shelley gave them as the starting point of her story ? In the introduction Mary Shelley stated that after she witnessed her dream that gave her inspiration for Frankenstein, and she began it with "it was a dreary night in November." These words are also the beginning of this chapter.

Lines from Rime of the Ancient Mariner. Moral is to respect nature and his authority, and Victor is doing the opposite. Mariner came face to face with death and life and death. "Albatross"-> guilt symbol

28. 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?

The awakening of the monster is much less dramatic than it is in the movies. In the movies they over exaggerate the awakening and what the monster looks like. In the procedure, Victor collects the instruments, and putting life into the monster to create it as a being. The creature opens its eyes around 1 am and it was breathing hard with shaky limbs. The monster looked better than how they are portrayed in the movies as well.

29. 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?

He is immediately horrified but what he was able to create. He feels disgusted as well because he had hoped he was creating a beautiful creature, and instead the monster is very disgusting and hideous with its black lips and watery, white eyes. Victor realizes he has been depriving himself of being healthy, and rushes to his room but he cannot fall asleep. 1st rejection->"new"

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

He dreams that he embraces Katherine and kisses her, and while he's doing that, she turns into his dead mother. I think that the dream is showing what Victor has done, by taking something good like his need for knowledge, and and ruining it.

31. What does the creature do ? How does Victor respond?

The creature comes into Victor's room, open the curtain, smiles and Victor and mutters something. Victor responds by running out of his room away from his creation.

32. 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?

Victor meets Henry Clerval, who was his best friend as a child. Victor is filled with joy and happiness, after being sad for many months. Seeing Henry reminds Frankenstein of his family back home and all the fun times they had together. When they arrive back at the apartment the monster is nowhere to be found. Victor is ecstatic because he did not want Henry knowing about the creature, he clapped his hands and seemed relieved that the monster was not there. Victor is acting so strange, that he becomes sick with a nervous fever that he has for many months. There is no news of the creature.

33. What is waiting for Victor when he finally recovers? Who has nursed him during his illness?

After Victor recovers, a letter from Elizabeth is waiting for him. Henry Clerval helped him during his illness.

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

Justine had an abusive mother and was taken in by the Frankenstein family. Elizabeth says that Swiss peasants are moral and defined compared to other peasants. Justine is Roman Catholic. Justine's family all died-> guilt: mom dies. Peasant looking for a family.

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

William is Victor's youngest brother. Yes, we heard of him before. He is about 5 years old.

36. What does Victor do after his recovery ? What is Clerval's "plan of life" ?

After his recovery, Victor makes visits to Krempe and Waldan. Clerval's '"plan of life" is to study Oriental languages.

37. When does Victor finally plan to return home? What do he and Clerval do while waiting for his father's directions?

He plans to return home in the Spring because of the horrible winter conditions. Victor and Clerval hike across the mountains and the countryside.

38. 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?

When Victor returns to his department he discovers a letter from his father. It says that Victor's brother, William, was killed. Victor immediately goes to Geneva.

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

Victor has been away for six years. There is a violent storm that is also beautiful. Victor believes that this is nature's way of honoring William's death.

40. Whom does Victor see that night ? When was the last time they saw each other? How long ago was that ?

Victor sees the outline of the monster climbing Mt. Saleve. Victor has not seen the monster in two years.

41. What does Victor now believe happened to William ? What does Victor assume about the nature of the creature?

He believes that the monster killed William. Victor says that the monster is a "depraved wretch" and that it delights in "carnage and misery."

42. 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?

Justine is identified as the murderer, because the small portrait of Caroline Frankenstein was found in her pocket. Victor says he knows who the real murderer is, and it is not Justine. He does not speak up about this because he does not want everyone to think he is insane.

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

Justine defends herself by saying that she was visiting her aunt, and when she returned she heard that William was missing. She said she spent hours searching for him but the city gates were locked so she was forced to sleep in a barn, and that maybe the murderer put the necklace in her pocket while she was sleeping. Victor says nothing but becomes filled with despair and horror over what he has created.

44. 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?

Justine is forced to confess because her priest threatens to excommunicate her. Fearing that this would damn her soul, she confesses a lie and then feels extreme anguish over the sin she has committed. Victor goes to the corner of the prison, and does not say anything in Justine's defense.

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

Victor is unable to sleep and wants to be alone. At first Elizabeth didn't believe in capital punishment but her views change and she wants the murderer to be punished.

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

Victor takes a journey to the Swiss Alps in August. He travels through the Arve Valley. He stays in village of Chamounix.

47. Where does Victor go the next day? Where does he go the following day?

P. B. Shelley mentions the glacier in a letter written an Chamouni (his spelling) on July 25, 1817: Victor travels through the valley. The following day, Victor climbs Montanvert.

48. How does he feel during this part of his journey? (Notice in this chapter that Frankenstein, in the late 1700s, is able to quote a poem written by P.B. Shelley in 1816.)

Victor is filled with joy, peace and freedom.

49. Whom does Victor see? ? How does he respond ?

Victor sees the creature. He is scared and horrified. He is ready to fight.

50. 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 very lonely. He is sad that his creator doesn't like him. No we don't expect this from the creature, we expect the creature to be violent.

51. What does the creature ask of Victor ? What does the creature say to Victor ? Does his language remind you of another literary work? How good is Victor at performing the role of creator for his creature?

The creature asks Victor to listen to him. The creature says that misery made him a beast/fiend. Victor isn't good at performing the his role as the creator. He left the monster.

52. Why has the creature caused the deaths of William and Justine? Is he as inherently evil and bloodthirsty as Victor has assumed?

The creature kills William because of his relationship to Victor. He kills Justine by framing her. He isn't as bloodthirsty as Victor assumed.

53. 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?

Love and compassion will allow the creature to change.

54. How good of an ironic sense of humor does the creature have? (See the "hand" bit )

Creature relates touching Victor to Adam trying to touch God.

55. Does Victor agree to listen to the creature's tale? What does Victor begin to feel ? Where do they go?

Yes, Victor agrees to listen to the creature's tale. Victor feels compassion. They go to a cabin in the mountains.

56. What does the creature remember of his earliest days ? How does he seem to be learning things? How well can the creature speak at this point of his existence?

The creature's five senses were not easily separated and they bothered him. He had a lot of pain and misery knowing that he was lonely

57. How does the creature respond to his discovery of the fire? Why does he move?

He realizes that the fire is warmth and provides light, but it can also cause pain. He has to move because he needs to look for food.

58. What happens during his first encounters with people ? Is this more like what you expect from a horror story? But from whose point of view do we see these encounters?

Whenever he comes in contact with people, they become afraid and scream and run away, or they faint, or they even try and hurt him. These are all told through the monster's POV

59. Where does he finally find a place to stay ? What does he learn about the people who live in the cottage? How does he feel toward them?

He sees a small kennel next to a cottage and goes and stays there. He learns about music, as well as words and language for the first time. He feels a mix of pleasure and pain.

60. How does the creature continue to learn about the family he is watching? How might a modern anthropologist or sociologist respond to the creature's methods? What is the condition of the family? How does the creature manage to help them?

The creature studies their everyday routines. It believes they have all the luxuries they could ever have, and then finds out that they are very poor. It clears the snow from their walk and gives them a supply of wood for their family.

61. How does the creature learn language ? Why might he have trouble learning words such as "good, dearest, unhappy" ?

He learns the different words for food and objects. Hard for him to understand the emotions. Hears them talk.

62. What are the names of the family members ? Who are Agatha and Felix?

It is not said what the old man's name is. Agatha and Felix are brother and sister.

63. What things bother the creature when he thinks of discovering himself to the family ? How does he respond to his own appearance when he sees it?

He is fearful that the family will be scared of him. He sees his reflection and compares himself to humans thinking he is ugly because he believes that the humans are beautiful.

64. The creature is still there when spring comes . What has been happening to Victor in the meantime? (See Chapter 5.)

Victor is sick and Henry Clerval is nursing him back to health

65. How does the creature hope to win over the family? How does he respond to the coming of spring?

The creature hopes he can learn to speak. Spring gives him hope and joy.

66. Who arrives at the cottage in the spring? What is Safie's background? How does her language problem help the creature? Which of them learns faster?

Safie arrives at the cottage in the spring. Her father was put in prison however he was innocent. Safie is taught French and the monster learns from Safie's lesson. The monster learns faster because it is his first language instead of his second.

67. How does the creature learn about reading? What book does Felix use to teach Safie ?

Felix teaches Safie with the Volney's Ruins of Empires.

68. What does the creature learn from this book? How much of a monster can someone be who can say "but when I heard details of vice and bloodshed, my wonder ceased, and I turned away with disgust and loathing" ?

The monster learns about the destruction and violence of mankind. Skewed view of humanity

69. What happens when the creature begins to think about himself? How does he compare with the humans described in the book? What questions does he ask himself? How does his knowledge make him feel?

When the creature begins thinking about himself, he feels bad. He is the only "human" of his kind. He asks himself "Who am I?" This knowledge makes him feel ugly and unhappy.

70. What does he learn about human relationships, and how does this make him feel?

The monster learns that human relationships are families and love. This once again makes him sad, he has nobody.

71. How did the De Lacey family come to be living in the cottage?

The De Lacey family left France. In the past, they helped Safie's dad leave the country.

72. How did Safie come to find and join them?

She found letters from her father and they had directions to Felix

73. What does the creature find in the woods?

A suitcase and some books

74. What are the three books that the creature reads, and what does he learn from each?

He reads Goethe's Sorrows of Werter, Milton's Paradise Lost, and Plutarch's Lives. He learns about the history of war, the sad nature of man, and the brave thoughts of a man

75. What else does the creature read and what does he learn from it ?

He reads Victor's notes and learns who his creator is

76. How long has it been since the creature came to life ? What is Victor doing at this point? (See chapter 6.)

Victor has been hiking in Geneva it has been 2 years

77. What does the creature hope will happen when he talks to De Lacey? What actually happens?

He hopes they will become his friend but they are actually terrified of him.

78. What happens to the De Lacey family after the events of chapter 15? How does the creature respond, and what does he do to the cottage?

After the events of chapter 15, the De Lacey family flees. They think the monster will harm the old man. The monster burns down the cottage.

79. How does the creature travel? Does this remind you of any other people's travels?

The creature travels just at night. Vampires can only come out at night.

80. What event during the creature's travels confirms his hatred of humans?

The creature saw a girl drowning so he tried to save her but a man shoot at him.

81. What event happens when the creature is near Geneva ? Who is the boy? Who is the woman?

When the creature sees the small boy, he wants to take him. The creature wants the little boy to know that he isn't corrupt. However, the boy yells at the creature. The creature kills the boy. The boy is William Frankenstein. The woman is Justine, the creature puts a necklace in her pocket.

82. When Victor visits the site of William's death in chapter 7, he says "I had turned loose into the world a depraved wretch, whose delight was in carnage and misery" . After reading the creature's version of events, do you agree?

I agree, I think the monster just really wants someone to love and someone to love him back.

83. What does the creature demand from Victor ?

The creature demands that Victor make a woman.

84. How does Victor at first respond to the creature's demand? What response does he expect from the creature? What approach does the creature say he will take?

In the beginning Victor says no. He expects the creature to be upset. Victor thinks about it and realizes that this would be a good thing for the monster.

85. How effective is the creature in convincing Victor?

He is very effective and Victor agrees with him.

86. What does the creature say will happen if Victor creates a female for him ?

The monster agrees that he has to live in the South American desert and can't have any more contact with humans

87. What does Victor decide ? What does the creature say he will do while Victor is at work?

He decides that he will build the female and the creature says he is going to monitor Victor.

88. How does Victor appear and respond to his family when he returns home?

Victor comes across as very happy and healthy when he returns back to Geneva

89. Why does Victor's father think Victor might not want to marry Elizabeth?

Victor's father thinks that Victor has fallen out of love with Elizabeth over time

90. Why does Victor want to visit England? What do you make of his talk of slavery ?

There have been more advances of science in England. He says that his creation is enslaving him

91. What is the effect of Victor's return to the present?

It brings the reader back to the present and shows that Clerval will be dying later on in the book.

92. What are Clerval's plans for his career?

Clerval's plans for his career are to assist with the English empire in India.

93. Where does Victor's journey end, and what does he plan to do there? Why is he afraid?

Victor ended his journey in the Orkney Islands and Perth, Scotland. Victor is afraid because he told the monster that he would build a female but it keeps pushing back his promise.

94. Why does Victor change his mind about creating the female? Who watches him as he destroys the female?

Victor doesn't want the female monster to breed more monsters. As Victor destroys the female the creature watches.

95. What happens shortly after Victor destroys the female? How is this similar to what happened after Victor created the Creature?

After Victor destroys the female, he becomes sick.

96. What happens when the Creature visits Victor? What does the Creature promise to do? What does Victor understand that promise to mean?

When the creature visits Victor he says that he will see him on his wedding night. The creature promises to destroy all of Victor's happiness. Victor understands that promise to mean that the creature is going to kill him.

97. What happens when Victor goes out in a boat to dispose of the female creature's remains? Where does he end up? What happens when he lands?

He falls asleep and ends up on the Irish shore, when he lands he is taken into custody

98. Who is Mr. Kirwin and how does he treat Victor? What has happened to cause Victor's arrest? What happens to Victor after his arrest? Mr.

Kirwin was the magistrate. Clerval is found dead on the beach. Victor is put in prison for two months. Victor gets a fever and the magistrate find some papers that makes him believe that Victor is innocent.

99. What happens when Victor wakes up? Who is there?

When he wakes up he's feeling better and the nurse is with him.

100. What happens at Victor's trial?

Victor is eventually found innocent because of the fact that he was on the Orkney island at the same time that the body was found.