Frankenstein Chapters 1-6 Study Guide

Who is Robert Walton writing letters to at the beginning of the book?

his sister, Margaret Saville

Where is Walton trying to go, and what is he trying to accomplish during his journey?

the North Pole

to find a passage near the pole that will make travel easier; and to discover "the secret of the magnet" (the magnetic pull of the needle in compasses)

Before Walton set off on his journey, what occupation did he try for one year?

he tries to be a poet, but fails miserably

What does Walton desire ("the one want he has not been able to satisfy")?

to have a friend

Is Walton an educated person?

no, he is not

the book says, "he was twenty-eight, and was in reality more illiterate than many schoolboys of fifteen"

Why did Walton's lieutenant not marry the girl he met who was from Russia?

because she was in love with another man

What did the lieutenant do to make sure the girl he was going to marry was happy?

he gave the farm he owned to the girl's true love and also bought them livestock

he did this because the girl's father did not want her to marry the one she loved because he was poor

basically, the lieutenant gave all his wealth to him and left the country until he learned that the girl's father had allowed her to marry the other man

What poem does Walton hint at in the end of Letter 2?

the Rime of the Ancient Mariner

What "strange sight suddenly attracted" the attention of the men on the ship?

they saw a man of gigantic stature being pulled by dogs on a sledge

How do you know who the person is who distracted the men on the ship?

you know it is the creature because they state the man was of gigantic stature

Who is the man in the second sledge, and how do you know?

Victor Frankenstein; because it says this man was a "European"

Why is it peculiar that Victor Frankenstein asks the men on board the ship "to inform me whither you are bound?"

he was close to death, and most people in his condition would have been happy that someone was there to rescue them

Why does Victor Frankenstein decide to tell Walton his tale about him and the creature he created?

he tells him the story as a warning to not make the same mistakes he has

Was Victor Frankenstein's father (Alphonse Frankenstein) a young man when he married?

no, he is not

the book says, "a variety of circumstances had prevented his marrying early"

Who was Alphonse Frankenstein's closest friend?

Beaufort

Why did Alphonse's closest friend run away from his country with his daughter (Caroline) and hide?

he had lost all of his money and was living in poverty; he was embarrassed, so he decided to take his daughter and leave the country

After Beaufort dies, who takes Caroline into his care and then marries her two years later?

Alphonse Frankenstein

Was Alphonse Frankenstein nice or mean to Caroline?

he was extremely nice to her

the book says, "He strove to shelter her, as a fair exotic is sheltered by the gardener"

How was Victor Frankenstein treated by his parents as a child?

he was treated extremely well

the book says, "my mother's tender caresses and my father's smile of benevolent pleasure while regarding me are my first recollections"

What did Caroline Frankenstein do because she felt it was "more than a duty; it was a necessity, a passion - remembering what she had suffered"?

she visited the poor areas of the countries she lived in, and tried to give the people living there some comfort and hope

Caroline is fixated with a small girl with blonde hair while visiting Italy. What happened to this girl's mother and father?

her mother died in childbirth, and her father is either a prisoner of war or dead

What is the girl's name, and how does she become associated with Victor Frankenstein?

her name is Elizabeth Lavenza, and she comes to live with their family; she is like Victor's sister (although she calls him her cousin)

How much of an age difference is there between Victor and his brother Ernest?

seven years

How much age difference is there between Victor and Elizabeth?

not quite a year

Who is Victor's best friend?

Henry Clerval

When the Frankenstein family is confined to the indoors, due to a storm, what author does Victor Frankenstein become obsessed with?

Cornelius Agrippa (and other books written by alchemists)

Wealth does not interest Victor, but what does?

glory

What consequence occurs as a result of Elizabeth Lavenza getting scarlet fever?

Victor's mother (Caroline Frankenstein) dies after catching scarlet fever from Elizabeth while taking care of her

What does Caroline Frankenstein want Victor and Elizabeth to do?

get married

What does M. Kempe (Victor's natural philosophy teacher) tell him he has done by studying alchemists?

that he has wasted his time and must start all of his studies over again

How does M. Waldman (Victor's chemistry teacher) view alchemists?

he believes they have made contributions to science

How long does Victor go without visiting his family and friends in Geneva?

about two years

How tall did Victor make the creature?

over eight feet tall

Why did Victor flee from the monster once it came to life?

he thought the monster was hideous

When Victor fled his apartment and went into the streets (after creating the monster) who did he see?

his best friend, Henry Clerval

Victor becomes very ill after he creates the monster.

Who takes care of him?

Henry Clerval

How does Elizabeth refer to Victor in her letters?

as her cousin

How did Justine Moritz come to live with the Frankenstein family?

her father, who adored her, died and she was left living with her mother (could not stand her); Justine lived in poverty with her family, but when Victor's mother saw this, she had Justine move in with them as their servant

Who is Ernest?

Victor's brother who is seven years younger than him

Who is William?

Victor's other little brother who is exactly five years old

What object would cause Victor to "renew all the agony of his nervous symptoms"?

his chemical instruments caused him to have symptoms similar to post-traumatic stress syndrome, which happens because he has flashbacks from creating the monster