Gabriella Sweet - Ch 10 Frankenstein Excerpt

Overview of "Frankenstein"

• Author: Mary Shelley (1797-1851)

• Published: 1818

• Genre: Gothic novel

• Main Theme: The consequences of creating life and the responsibility of the creator.

• Plot Summary: Scientist Victor Frankenstein creates a living being from dead matter but is horrified by its appearance and abandons it. The creature confronts Frankenstein and seeks understanding and companionship.

Chapter 10 Excerpt Analysis

Creature's Confrontation with Frankenstein

• Setting: The story unfolds in a desolate, icy landscape.

• Initial Reaction: Frankenstein feels rage and horror upon seeing his creation.

• Description of the Creature: The creature is described as having an unearthly ugliness, provoking feelings of anguish in Frankenstein.

Creature's Plea for Understanding

• The creature expresses the torment of being hated and alone, wishing to explain its miserable existence to Frankenstein.

• Key Quote: "All men hate the wretched; how, then, must I be miserable beyond all living things!"

• The creature states it desires to be treated with compassion, feeling abandoned by its creator.

Frankenstein's Response

• Frankenstein's Initial Reaction: He responds with fury, blaming the creature for his own suffering and vowing to destroy it.

• Key Quote: "Devil, do you dare approach me?"

Creature's Argument for Empathy

• The creature argues that misery has transformed it into a fiend and implores Frankenstein for a chance to recount its experience.

• Creature's Offer: Promises peace to humanity if granted a companion, saying, "If you will comply with my conditions, I will leave them and you at peace."

• Threat of Violence: If denied, the creature threatens vengeance against Frankenstein and his loved ones.

Themes and Motifs

• Creation vs. Creator Responsibility: Frankenstein’s abandonment of the creature raises ethical questions about creation and responsibility.

• Isolation and Loneliness: The creature articulates profound loneliness, rejected by society, which resonates with the reader’s understanding of humanity's need for connection.

Characterization

• Frankenstein: Portrayed as an emotional and conflicted character, torn between creator guilt and rage toward his creation.

• The Creature: Initially benevolent, its experiences of rejection shape it into a figure filled with despair and vengeance.

Text-Dependent Questions

Vocabulary

• Dissoluble: (Paragraph 3) means 'breakable'.

• Recompense: (Paragraph 8) means 'make amends to'.

Plot Advancement

• The verbal conflict between Frankenstein and the creature serves to deepen their relationship and develops the narrative by highlighting the consequences of their intertwined fates.

Emotional Tone

• Primary Tone: Emotional distress, characterized by the creature's pleas and Frankenstein's fury.

• Supporting Quotes: Intensely emotional phrases demonstrate the creature's despair and longing for compassion.

Discussion Questions

• Human Rejection of the Creature: The creature's malevolent turn is in part due to its mistreatment and isolation.

• Ethical Boundaries: Examines if Frankenstein has overstepped ethical lines in his scientific pursuits, inviting parallels with modern scientific challenges.

• Loneliness: Pondering the creature's emotional state can prompt personal reflections on feelings of isolation in social contexts.