Frankenstein Notes

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Includes titles such as "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer", "The Deerslayer", "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde", "Great Expectations", "Jane Eyre", "The Jungle Book", "The Last of the Mohicans", "The Moonstone", "Robinson Crusoe", "A Tale of Two Cities", "The Three Musketeers", "The Time Machine", "Treasure Island", and "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea".

Frankenstein is a well-known horror story about a scientist who creates a monster from dead bodies.
Many movies have changed the original story. For example, Frankenstein is the name of the scientist, not the monster.
The monster has a surprising personality, and Frankenstein hopes to help people with his work.
Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein to win a bet during a ghost story session with her husband and a friend in 1816.

Walton assures his sister of his safety and expresses his excitement for his adventure to the North Pole.
He views the North Pole as a place of beauty and peaceful seas with constant sunshine.
His dream stems from reading books in Uncle Thomas's library and is now financially possible after his father's death.
He has prepared by spending time in cold weather and sailing on fishing boats that go far north.
He will travel to Archangel by horse-drawn sled and then rent a boat to sail to the North Pole.

Walton is in Archangel, surrounded by ice and snow, and is eager to begin his adventure but lacks a friend to share it with.
He has a good crew and captain, but they must wait for the weather to clear before sailing.
He requests his sister's continued correspondence to cheer him up and asks her to remember him with love if he doesn't return.

Walton writes briefly to assure his sister of his safety and progress, noting their location far north.
Big sheets of ice float by, and the weather is pleasant when the wind blows from the south, although not as warm as in England.
He expresses his excitement and determination to succeed in his adventure and sends his blessings.

Walton recounts a strange encounter: the sighting of a giant-sized man on a dog sled far out on the ice.
Later, they found a man on a piece of floating ice with only one surviving dog.
The man was European and, before accepting their help, asked where the ship was headed, expressing satisfaction upon learning they were going to the North Pole.
The rescued man was in poor health and revealed he was pursuing someone who had run away from him, traveling by dog sled.
The stranger's health improves, and Walton finds him interesting and desires his friendship.

Walton expresses growing admiration and pity for the stranger, noting his unhappiness and wisdom.
Walton shared his lifelong dream of reaching the North Pole, stating the potential scientific gains outweigh the lives of a few men.
The stranger reacted with sadness and questioned Walton's disregard for human life, hinting at his own tragic story.
The stranger revealed he once had a close friend but is now doomed to be alone and plans to share his story with Walton.

Victor Frankenstein's family is well-known in Switzerland, with his father having a distinguished public service record.
Victor recounts his parents' meeting: his father helped a friend who lost his fortune and eventually married the friend's daughter after the friend's death.
Victor was born in Italy during one of their vacations and spent happy years as their only child.
When Victor was five, his parents adopted Elizabeth, a sweet and different child, from a poor farmer's family in Italy.
Victor and Elizabeth grew up together, sharing a deep love and affection, referring to each other as cousins.
Elizabeth loved art and beauty, while Victor was drawn to science, seeking to understand how things worked.
Later, his brother, Ernest was born, followed by William.
Victor's close friend, Henry, fueled their childhood with stories of heroes and great adventurers, contrasting Victor's scientific pursuits.
At a younge age, he found an old book and was told *