Frankenstein

Mary Shelley’s
Frankenstein

The Life and Work of Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley

Mary Shelley dedicated her first novel, Frankenstein or,
The Modern Prometheus, to her father, William Godwin. Godwin, a
respected writer himself, was the author of two well-known books,
Political Justice (1793) and Caleb Williams (1794). Godwin’s work
containedcontroversialphilosophicalideasandcritiquesofsociety.
His belief in the inherent decency of human beings influenced a
numberoftheRomanticpoetsofthetime.In1797,hemarriedMary
Wollstonecraft, a distinguished writer whose A Vindication of the
Rights of Women was published in 1792. They had been married
less than a year when Wollstonecraft died after giving birth to their
daughter, Mary, who was born on August 30, 1797.

After Godwin remarried, Mary was raised by her stepmother,
Mrs. Clairmont, a widow with two children of her own.
Although Godwin had hoped to provide a stable family for his
daughter, Mary had a difficult childhood, due in part to her contentious
relationship with Clairmont. When Mary was 15, she moved
into the home of the Baxters, who were friends of her father. It was
at the Baxter’s house, in May 1814, that she met Percy Bysshe Shelley,
a notable young poet who was there visiting Godwin. Although
Percy was already married, he and Mary fell in love. In June, they
left England together to travel through Europe. On February 22,
1815, Mary gave birth to a premature child, who died three weeks
later. Another child, William, was born in January 1816.

Five months later, Percy and Mary traveled to Switzerland
where they rented a cottage for the summer. Their neighbors
included their friend, Lord Byron, who had a home near Geneva.


During a rainy spell, when the evenings were cold and damp, Mary,
Percy, and Byron would gather in front of Byron’s fireplace and
entertain each other by reading German ghost stories. Inspired
by the tales, the three friends agreed to each write a story similar
to ones they had been reading. Although Percy and Byron never
completed theirs, Mary went on to write a story that would eventuallybecomethenovel
Frankenstein.Theeventfulyearconcludedin
tragedy after Shelley’s wife, Harriet, committed suicide, drowning
herself on December 10, 1816. Percy and Mary were legally married
three weeks later. Another son, Percy Florence, was born shortly
after the wedding.

Mary’s novel, Frankenstein, was published in 1818 and
its success brought Mary considerable recognition. Five months
after it was published, a friend wrote from England that the book
was “universally known and read.” But this success would soon
be overshadowed by tragedies in the author’s life. Two of her three
children became ill and died—Clara on September 24, 1818, and
William on June 7, 1819. Then, three years later on July 8, 1822,
Percy Shelley drowned with two companions when his boat was
caught in a heavy squall on the Bay of Spezia in Italy.

In spite of the unhappiness in her life, Mary Shelley continued
to write. Her second novel, Valperga, was a success after it
was published in 1823. Other works include The Last Man (1826),
The Fortunes of Perkin Warbeck, A Romance (1830), Lodore (1835),
and Falkner (1837). An account of her European travels in the
1840s was published in two volumes under the title Rambles in
Germany (1844). She is also the author of two dramas, Proserpine,
A Mythological Drama in Two Acts, and Midas, both written in the
late 1820s, as well as a number of short stories and poems.

Shelley’s only surviving child, Percy Florence, became
Lord Shelley in 1844. He married a few years later and Mary lived
comfortably with his family until her death, at the age of 54, on
February 1, 1851.

Historical Background

Published in 1818, Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley’s Frankenstein
or, The Modern Prometheus added to the growing body
of Romantic fiction published in the early 1800s. Shelley became


one of the most influential writers of both Romantic and Gothic
fiction, establishing, with Frankenstein, a new genre known today
as science fiction.

Gothic romance often deals with mysterious and supernatural
subjects. Gothic stories frequently take place in rugged,
natural settings, near ancient castles or monasteries. The plots
are suspenseful and usually deal with the forces of good and evil.
One of the earliest works of Gothic fiction is Horace Walpole’s The
Castle of Otranto (1764).

In his novel, Walpole challenged the realistic style of the
time by writing about the past and the subconscious. His Gothic
romance is one of the earliest examples of the emerging romantic
movement. Novels such as Ann Radcliffe’s Mysteries of Udolpho
(1794), Matthew Gregory Lewis’s The Monk (1796), and William
Godwin’s CalebWilliams areotherexamplesoftheGothicromance.
American writers such as Nathaniel Hawthorne and Edgar Allan
Poe also wrote in the Gothic style, which remained popular until
the 1820s.

Romanticism was a separate intellectual and artistic
movement that began in Europe in the middle of the eighteenth
century. Romantics, who promoted the uniqueness of individual
imagination and expression, believed in the interrelation of nature,
spirituality, and humankind. The movement, which began
in Germany, soon became popular in England as well. The lyrical
ballads of William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge are
generally considered to be the beginning of English romanticism.
Many other writers, including Lord Byron, William Blake, John
Keats, and Mary Shelley’s husband, Percy Bysshe Shelley, wrote in
the romantic style. Other notable fiction writers of the time include
Jane Austen, whose Pride and Prejudice (1813) remains popular
even today, and the poet Sir Walter Scott, who wrote his first novel,
Waverly, in 1814.

In addition to their philosophical and spiritual concerns,
the Romantic writers were also affected by the political events of
the time. Beginning in 1789, the French Revolution had created an
upheaval in Europe. Social reorganization lasted for the next 10
years as the rebellion continued to change the social structure and
government of France. While many of the Romanticists favored the


originalprinciplesoftherevolution,whicheffectivelyabolishedthe
French monarchy in favor of a more democratic system controlled
by the middle classes, they were opposed to the extreme violence
that helped bring about the changes. At the same time, England
was also experiencing a profound transformation. The Industrial
Revolution had made England a leading economic force in the
world as mechanical power helped boost the country’s production
in every area of industry and manufacture.

After the French Revolution, France, which had aided the
rebellious British colonies during the American Revolution, soon
found itself engaged in a war with England. In 1804, Napoleon
Bonaparte was crowned emperor of a revolutionary France still in
flux. Within seven years, Napoleon had conquered all of Europe,
fromSpaintotheRussianborderwithPrussia.TheBritish,however,
with the help of their powerful navy, remained unconquered. Then,
in 1812, after Napoleon invaded Russia, a severe Russian winter
cost France most of its army. A new European alliance, nurtured by
British money and diplomacy, sprang up and France was defeated
in Germany and Spain. Finally, in 1814, Napoleon surrendered
and Britain, Russia, Austria, and Prussia drafted a peace treaty
in Vienna. The following year, Napoleon returned from exile and
raised a new army, but allied forces commanded by the British
Duke of Wellington defeated Napoleon during a three-day battle
at Waterloo in June 1815.

Mary Shelley, who was experiencing turmoil in her own
family, was raised during this time of political unrest and violence.
Her relationship with Percy Shelley was scandalous at the time,
but she gained acceptance at an early age with the publication
of Frankenstein. The book was as controversial as her affair with
Shelley. Sir Walter Scott, writing in Blackwood’s magazine, praised
the novel as an “extraordinary tale” and Shelley as an author with
“uncommon powers of poetic imagination.” Edinburgh magazine
said Shelley demonstrated a “mastery in harsh and savage
delineations of passion,” adding, however, that “it is one of those
works…which we do not well see why it should have been written.”
The Quarterly Review praised the “highly terrific” language
of the novel, but said “our taste and our judgment alike revolt at
this kind of writing…it inculcates no lesson of conduct, manner,


or morality; it cannot mend, and will not even amuse its readers,
unless their taste have been deplorably vitiated.”

Inspiteofthemixedreviewsitreceived, Frankenstein wasa
bestseller and would remain popular for generations. Mary Shelley
became a respected author with numerous titles to her credit. It is
the remarkable power of her first novel, though, that continues to
inspire a host of horror stories and science fiction tales. Considering
the book’s lasting influence, it is hardly surprising that film
adaptations of Frankenstein are still being made today.

Master List of Characters

Robert Walton—An explorer who meets and cares for Victor Frankenstein
while traveling in the Arctic;Walton writes to his sister,
Margaret Saville, in England, relating Victor’s horrible tale.

The Creature—Victor Frankenstein’s “monster”.

Victor Frankenstein—A young man, born in Switzerland, whose
study of science and natural philosophy leads to his tragic
creation of the monster.

Alphonse Frankenstein—Victor’s father; a wealthy, influential man
with humanitarian concerns.

Beaufort—Alphonse Frankenstein’s friend and Caroline’s father.

Caroline Beaufort Frankenstein—Victor’s mother and Alphonse’s
wife; she dies shortly before Victor leaves for Ingolstadt.

Elizabeth Lavenza—A young woman who is adopted by the
Frankenstein family; she marries Victor and is killed by the
creature.

Henry Clerval—Victor’s best friend and closest confidant; he is also
killed by the creature.

Ernest Frankenstein—Victor’s younger brother.

William Frankenstein—Victor’s youngest brother; William is murdered
by Victor’s creature.

Justine Moritz—A young woman who lives with the Frankenstein
family; Justine is falsely accused of killing William. She is tried
and executed for the murder.


M. Krempe—Victor’s philosophy professor at the University of
Ingolstadt.
M. Waldman—Another professor who becomes Victor’s mentor at
Ingolstadt.
Felix De Lacey—A young peasant the creature observes living in a
small cottage in the forest.

Agatha De Lacey—Felix’s sister, who also lives in the cottage.

M. De Lacey—Felix’s and Agatha’s father; the creature tries to make
friends with him.
Safie—A young Turkish woman who is Felix’s fiancée.
Safie’s father—A Turkish man Felix helps escape from prison.
Mr. Kirwin—A judicial magistrate who is in charge of Victor’s case
in Ireland.
Daniel Nugent—A witness in the murder case in Ireland.
Nurse—A woman who cares for Victor in prison.
Magistrate—A criminaljudgeinGeneva wholistens toVictor’sstory
about the creature.

Summary of the Novel

Robert Walton, an explorer, describes his trip to the Arctic
in letters to his sister, Margaret Saville, who lives in England. After
discussing his preparations for the trip, one of Walton’s letters informs
Margaret that his ship is stuck and surrounded by ice. Walton
then relates a strange event: As they looked out on the enormous
ice field, Walton and his crew saw a gigantic man being pulled
by a dogsled. The following day they discovered another, smaller
man, desperately ill, adrift on a sheet of ice. Walton writes that he
brought the man onto his ship, allowed him to rest, and attempted
to nurse him back to health. After a week the man was able to talk
and told Walton an incredible story.

Theman’snameisVictorFrankenstein,ayoungscientistborn
inGeneva,Switzerland.Heisamemberofawealthyfamilyconcerned
with humanitarian issues. Victor goes on to relate his story to
Walton, who writes it down as Victor speaks, making a record


of Victor’s story, to be sent as a letter to Margaret Saville, Walton’s
sister.

Victor tells Walton that, as a boy, he was always fascinated
by science and alchemy and he eventually attended the University
of Ingolstadt to study natural science. At the university he focused
all his attention on experiments designed to create life. After
months of exhaustive study, Victor constructed a huge creature
from parts of human cadavers. He then discovered a method of
bringing it to life. However, when the creature opened its eyes, Victor
was horrified by his monstrous-looking creation. He ran from
his laboratory and became very ill and disoriented for almost two
years. During this time, he believed that the creature must have
perished.

Afterherecoveredfromhisillness,ashepreparedtoreturn
home to his family, Victor learned that William, his seven-year-old
brother, had been murdered. Justine Moritz, a young woman the
Frankenstein family had adopted, had been accused of the crime.
But Victor refused to believe that Justine committed the murder.
Instead, he suspected that his creature wasn’t really dead, and was
responsible for the horrible crime. However, after Victor returned
to Geneva, Justine was tried, found guilty, and hanged.

Victor explains to Walton that he felt responsible for William’s
murder and Justine’s execution. Guilt-ridden and desperate
to be alone, he climbed into the mountains, where he encountered
the creature. The creature told Victor that he had survived for the
past two years, hiding out in the woods and eating nuts and berries.
Lonely and miserable, he realized that he was repulsive to
other human beings. In the forest, though, the creature discovered
a gentle peasant family living in a cottage; by secretly observing
them, the creature learned to read and write. Then, in his jacket
pocket, the creature found Victor’s journal and read of the experiments
that led to his creation. Enraged, he concluded that it was
Victor Frankenstein who was responsible for his misery.

After relating his story, the creature demanded that Victor
re-create his experiment and construct another creature. The
creature explained he was desperate for a companion who would
not find him repulsive. If Victor does as he asks, he will go away
withthenewcreatureandneverbotherVictoragain.Althoughwary


of the proposal, Victor says he reluctantly agreed to the creature’s
request.

Victor tells Walton that he set up a new laboratory in Scotland
and began the work of creating a companion for the creature.
But he was haunted by the thought that this new monster might be
more evil than the original, and he was terrified at the idea of the
two creatures creating a new, horrible race of beings. So instead
of completing his task, Victor destroyed his work before giving life
to the new creation. But the original creature was watching Victor
in his laboratory. Furious, he swore revenge, vowing to torment
Victor for the rest of his life. Later that night the creature strangled
Victor’s best friend, Henry Clerval.

Severalweekslater,VictormarriedElizabethLavenza,agirl
who was adopted by his family, and with whom Victor had always
been in love. But after Victor and Elizabeth marry, the creature appeared
on their wedding night and strangled Elizabeth to death.
Grief-stricken over the death of Elizabeth, Alphonse Frankenstein,
Victor’s father, died a few months later. In utter despair, Victor
vowedtopursuethecreatureanddestroyit.Hechasedthemonster
for months, finally arriving in the Arctic where he met Walton and
his expedition.

Having finished his story, Victor Frankenstein dies on Walton’s
ship. Walton ends the tale in additional letters to his sister, telling
her that the night Victor died, the creature entered Victor’s room
and lamented his death. He then told Walton he planned to build a
huge fire and burn himself to death. Before Walton could respond,
the creature jumped from the ship and landed on a floating slab
of ice. Walton concludes his final letter, telling Margaret that the
creature was carried out to sea, where he disappeared into the
darkness.

Estimated Reading Time

The Pennyroyal edition of Frankenstein or, The Modern
Prometheus is 237 pages long with illustrations. While the novel is
of average length, some of the language is dated and the sentences
and paragraphs are rather long. The plot is complicated, and the
narrative is unusual—related as a series of stories within stories
andletters.Itmaybedifficultforsomereaderstofullycomprehend


the entire text during a first reading. The average reader might
want to divide his or her reading time into four or five sessions of
two to three hours each, completing three to five chapters in each
sitting.


SECTION TWO

Study Questions
&
Suggested Study Topics



Frankenstein
or, The Modern
Prometheus


Volume One: Letters One through Four

New Characters:

Robert Walton: an explorer who writes to his sister Margaret in
England; he encounters Victor Frankenstein on the Arctic ice
and later records his horrible story

The Creature: a huge figure Walton sees traveling in a dogsled on
the ice; later we learn that this is the “monster” created by Victor
Frankenstein

Victor Frankenstein: a young scientist, unidentified by Walton in
these letters, who is hunting for the monster he created

Study Questions

1.
What does Robert Walton hope to accomplish on his voyage?
2.
How did Walton prepare himself for the expedition?
3.
What did Walton read for the first 14 years of his life?
4.
How old is Robert Walton?
5.
Why did the ship’s master decide not to get married?
6.
How far is the ship from land when Walton sees the gigantic
figure in the dogsled?
7.
How does Walton describe his expedition when his new
passenger asks about the ship’s destination?
8.
How does Walton feel about the man he rescues?
9.
Why is the man Walton rescues traveling alone on the ice?

10.
How does Walton feel about hearing his new friend’s story?
Answers

1.
Walton wants to visit, and walk upon, a part of the world
that has never been seen before.
2.
Walton prepared by going without food and sleep. He also
endured cold temperatures. He worked on whaling ships
during the day, and then studied all night.
3.
As a child and as a young man, Walton read his uncle
Thomas’s books of voyages.
4.
Walton is 28 years old.
5.
The fiancée of the ship’s master loved another man. He let
her go because he wanted her to be happy.
6.
Walton believes he is hundreds of miles from land when he
sees the dogsled.
7.
Walton tells the man he is on a “voyage of discovery towards
the northern pole.”
8.
Walton says he loves him like a brother, and feels sympathy
and compassion for him.
9.
The man says, “To seek one who fled from me.”
10.
Walton is grateful that the man will tell his story, but he worries
that telling it will cause the man renewed grief.
Suggested Essay Topics

1.
Why do you think Robert Walton is so eager to visit such a
hostile environment?
2.
Discuss the similarities between Robert Walton and Victor
Frankenstein, the man he rescues. Why does Walton feel
such compassion for Victor, a total stranger?
3.
Why is Walton so impressed with the shipmaster’s actions
regarding his fiancée?
4.
What Romantic concepts do the characters of Victor and
Walton illustrate?

Volume One: Chapters One and Two

New Characters:

Alphonse Frankenstein: Victor’s father
Beaufort: Alphonse’s close friend and Caroline’s father
Caroline Beaufort Frankenstein: Alphonse’s wife and Victor’s

mother
Elizabeth Lavenza: Victor’s adopted sister
Henry Clerval: Victor’s closest friend
Ernest Frankenstein: Victor’s brother
William Frankenstein: Victor’s youngest brother

M. Krempe: an arrogant professor at the University of Ingolstadt
who ridicules Victor
M.Waldman: a friendly professor who advises Victor to study modern
science
Study Questions

1.
How did Victor’s father spend his “younger days”?
2.
While Victor was intrigued by science as a child, what were
Elizabeth’s chief interests?
3.
What did Henry Clerval write when he was nine years old?
4.
Where does Victor first come across the works of Agrippa?
5.
What does Victor witness during the thunderstorm?
6.
Why doesn’t Henry Clerval attend the university with Victor?
7.
What subject does Professor M. Krempe teach?
8.
How does M. Waldman react when he hears the names of
Agrippa and Paracelsus?
9.
Before he leaves for the university, what does Victor hope to
accomplish with his scientific studies?

10.
According to Professor Waldman, what have the “modern
masters” learned about blood and air?
Answers

1.
He was “perpetually occupied by the affairs of his country.”
2.
Elizabeth was concerned with the “aerial creations of the
poets.” Victor explains that while he sought to discover the
secrets of the world, Elizabeth thought of the world as a
“vacancy, which she sought to people with imaginations of
her own.”
3.
Henry wrote a fairy tale that delighted all his friends.
4.
Victor comes across the works of Agrtippa at an inn near the
baths of Thonon.
5.
Victor witnesses a bolt of lightning that strikes and destroys
a tree.
6.
Henry’s father wants him to join the family business.
7.
Krempe teaches natural philosophy.
8.
He smiles in a friendly way, without showing any contempt.
9.
Victor wants to learn how to “banish disease from the human
frame, and render man invulnerable to any but a violent
death.”
10.
Waldman says they have “discovered how the blood circulates,
and the nature of the air we breathe.”

Suggested Essay Topics

1.
Victor is deeply affected by Caroline’s death. Discuss Victor’s
reaction to his mother’s death and the influence it has on
his scientific studies.
2.
Discuss Victor’s friendship with Henry Clerval and compare
it to his father’s relationship with Beaufort.
3.
What is “modern science” as explained by M. Waldman, and
how does it differ from the theories of Agrippa and the other
scientists Victor studies?

Volume One: Chapters Three, Four, and Five

New Character:

Justine Moritz: a young woman living with the Frankenstein
family

Study Questions

1.
After he begins his study of natural philosophy, how does
Victor feel about M. Waldman?
2.
How tall does Victor plan to make his creature?
3.
How does Victor describe himself after his months of
study?
4.
In what month does Victor finally complete his experiment?
5.
What color is the creature’s hair and lips?
6.
After he brings the creature to life, who does Victor dream
about meeting in Ingolstadt?
7.
What does the creature do when he visits Victor in his bedroom?
8.
As he wanders the streets of Ingolstadt, what poem does
Victor quote?
9.
Afterherecoversfromhisillness,howdoesVictorreactwhen
he finally sees his laboratory instruments again?
10.
When Henry invents tales to amuse Victor, what kind of
writers does he imitate?
Answers

1.
Victor says he regards Waldman as “a true friend.”
2.
He plans to construct a figure that is eight feet tall.
3.
Victor says he is pale and emaciated after months of study.
4.
He brings the creature to life “on a dreary night of November.”

5.
Black. Victor describes the creature as having flowing hair
of “lustrous black” and “straight black lips.”
6.
Victor dreams about meeting Elizabeth in Ingolstadt.
7.
The creature grins and holds out his hand to Victor.
8.
He quotes lines from Coleridge’s “Rime of the Ancient Mariner,”
the same poem that was referred to earlier in Robert
Walton’s second letter to his sister.
9.
He becomes nervous and suffers from renewed anxiety at
the thought of his experiment.
10. Henry imitates the style of Persian and Arabic writers.
Suggested Essay Topics

1.
Why do you think Victor created such a horrible-looking
creature? Did he realize what he was doing? Explain your
answer.
2.
What are some of the characteristics of the Gothic novel,
and how does Mary Shelley use them in these chapters?
3.
Victor tells us that his friend Clerval’s imagination was “too
vivid for the minutiae of science.” What does he mean by
this?

Volume One: Chapters Six and Seven

Study Questions

1.
Who is Ernest Frankenstein?
2.
Why did William hide from Ernest in Plainpalais?
3.
Why did Elizabeth feel responsible for William’s murder?
4.
How long has Victor been away from home, studying at
Ingolstadt?
5.
When Victor sees the creature in the Alps, why doesn’t he
pursue it?
6.
How has Elizabeth changed in the six years since Victor has
seen her?
7.
How does Justine look and behave during her trial?
8.
How did Justine react when she was shown William’s
body?
9.
Whom does Victor consider to be the “true murderer” of
William?
10. How does Elizabeth feel after she visits Justine in prison?
Answers

1.
Ernest is Victor’s and William’s brother. He returned alone
after he and William went off to play.
2.
William and Ernest were playing hide-and-go-seek.
3.
Elizabeth had given William the locket. She assumed the
murderer killed William to get the locket, however, she believes
Justine is innocent.
4.
Victor has been away for six years.
5.
The creature would be impossible to catch. Victor has seen
it bound up Mount Saleve with tremendous speed and agility.

6.
Elizabethhasgrownupandbecomean“uncommonlylovely”
woman.
7.
Victor describes Justine as being calm and tranquil during
the trial, and “confident in innocence.”
8.
She became hysterical and was ill for several days.
9.
Victor thinks of himself as the “true murderer.”
10.
Although Justine has been condemned to death, Elizabeth
is relieved to learn that Justine is really innocent. If Justine
had been guilty, Elizabeth would have felt terrible anguish
at being deceived by someone she loved and trusted.
Suggested Essay Topics

1.
AfterJustineisaccusedofWilliam’smurder,whydoyouthink
Victor never tells anyone about the creature?
2.
Explain why Justine confesses to the crime, even though she
is innocent.
3.
Discuss Victor’s experience with lightning and Shelley’s use
of it when Victor sees the creature.

Volume Two: Chapters One and Two

Study Questions

1.
Where does the Frankenstein family move to after Justine is
executed?
2.
How does Victor spend his time at Belrive?
3.
When does Victor like to sail his boat?
4.
Besides sailing, what else does Victor consider doing at the
lake?
5.
How do Victor and his family travel to Chamonix?
6.
What is Victor looking at when the creature appears?
7.
What does Victor call the creature when he first sees him?
8.
What happens when Victor tries to attack the creature?
9.
Why does Victor agree to listen to the creature’s story?
10.
What is the creature’s mood when he enters the hut with
Victor?
Answers

1.
The family moves into their house in Belrive.
2.
Victor sails his sailboat aimlessly, letting the wind blow him
in any direction.
3.
He usually sails at night, after his family has gone to sleep.
4.
Victor thinks about committing suicide by drowning himself
in the lake.
5.
They travel first by carriage and later, as they enter the
mountains, by mule.
6.
Victor is looking at Mont Blanc and Montanvert, two mountains
in the Alps.
7.
Victor calls him “Devil!” and a “vile insect.”
8.
WhenVictorspringsatthecreature,thecreatureeasilyeludes
him.

9.
Victor is not only curious, but he is also moved by a strange
compassion for the creature, and he feels a sense of duty
because he is the monster’s creator.
10. Victor says the creature is exultant.
Suggested Essay Topics

1.
The creature tells Frankenstein: “misery made me a fiend.”
Do you think the creature’s unhappiness justifies his murderous
behavior? Explain your answer using examples from
the text.
2.
Victor contemplates suicide while sailing on the lake, and
again when climbing the mountain. Discuss the change in
Victor’s personality from his university days.

Volume Two: Chapters Three, Four, and Five

New Characters:

Felix De Lacey: a young peasant the creature observes living in a
small cottage in the forest

Agatha De Lacey: Felix’s sister who also lives in the cottage

M. De Lacey: Felix’s and Agatha’s father; the creature tries to make
friends with him
Safie: a young Turkish woman who is Felix’s fiancée

Study Questions

1.
What is the first food the creature eats when he goes into
the forest?
2.
What does the creature call the moon?
3.
What weapons do the villagers use to attack the creature?
4.
What does Agatha, the young girl, do after she finishes playing
her musical instrument?
5.
Why is the creature perplexed at first by the unhappiness of
the peasant family?
6.
Who is the saddest member of the peasant family?
7.
Do Felix, Agatha, and their father realize it is the creature
who is helping them?
8.
How does Felix change when Safie arrives?
9.
What pet name does Felix call his fiancée?
10. What book does Felix use to instruct Safie?
Answers

1.
The creature eats berries he finds growing on a tree.
2.
The creature calls the moon the “orb of night.”
3.
They use stones and “other kinds of missile weapons.”

4.
Agatha holds her brother and sobs.
5.
The family appears to have everything they need—food,
shelter, clothing—and the creature doesn’t understand that
they are actually living in poverty.
6.
The creature believes Felix must have suffered more than
the others because he appears to be the saddest person in
the cottage.
7.
They think it is a magical “good spirit” that is helping
them.
8.
Felix is delighted to see her, and “every trait of sorrow vanished
from his face.”
9.
Felix calls her his “sweet Arabian.”
10.
Felix reads Volney’s Ruins of Empires. By listening to Felix
read,thecreaturegainsaninsightintothe“manners,governments,
and religions of the different nations of the earth.”
After hearing about the wonderful and terrible deeds of
humankind, the creature wonders how humans could be
“at once so powerful, so virtuous, and magnificent, yet so
vicious and base.”
Suggested Essay Topics

1.
Describe the creature’s feelings towards Victor when he first
came to life. How do they differ from Victor’s first reaction
to his creation?
2.
Discussthecreature’sattitudetowardsknowledge.Whydoes
learning new things excite him and at the same time cause
him so much pain?
3.
Explain how the creature feels towards the peasant family.
Why do you think he is so moved by their gentleness and
kindness?

Volume Two: Chapters Six, Seven, Eight,
and Nine

New Character:

Safie’s father: a Turkish man Felix helps escape from prison

Study Questions

1.
What French city did the De Laceys live in?
2.
At the conclusion of his trial, what sentence does Safie’s
father receive?
3.
Why didn’t Safie’s father want her to marry Felix?
4.
What does Safie take with her when she leaves Turkey?
5.
What are the creature’s “chief delights” when he is living in
the shed?
6.
How does old De Lacey describe the hearts of men to the
creature?
7.
What does the De Lacey family do after their encounter with
the creature?
8.
What does the creature do to the De Laceys’ cottage?
9.
What happens when the creature sees the young girl fall into
the stream?
10.
Why does the creature think William will not be frightened
by his appearance?
Answers

1.
The De Laceys lived in Paris.
2.
Safie’s father is condemned to death.
3.
He loathed the idea that she would ever marry a Christian.
4.
Safie takes her jewels and a small sum of money.

5.
The creature enjoys nature, especially in the summer, delighting
in “the sight of the flowers, the birds, and all the gay
apparel.”
6.
He says the hearts of men, when unprejudiced by self-interest,
are “full of brotherly love and charity.”
7.
They move out of the cottage and the creature never sees
them again.
8.
The creature burns it to the ground.
9.
The creature saves her from drowning and pulls her back to
safety.
10.
When the creature meets William, whom he at first only
knows as an anonymous boy, he believes the boy is too
young to have formed any prejudices about “deformity.”
The creature mistakenly thinks the boy will accept the way
he looks.
Suggested Essay Topics

1.
Discuss the Romantic notion of good and evil. How does it
relate to the creature’s actions so far?
2.
Explain why the creature feels it is so important to come out
of hiding and talk to the elder De Lacey.
3.
DescribehowthecreaturefeelswhenhefindsVictor’sjournal
in his pocket.

Volume Three: Chapters One and Two

Study Questions

1.
Why does Victor want to go to England?
2.
Why does Alphonse want Victor to marry Elizabeth?
3.
How long does Victor plan to be away from Geneva?
4.
What does Victor take with him on his trip?
5.
What poem does Victor quote from as he describes the
beautiful scenery on his trip?
6.
In London, why does Clerval remind Victor of his “former
self”?
7.
Why does Victor agree to go to Scotland?
8.
How does Victor feel when he and Henry visit Hampden’s
tomb?
9.
While he is traveling in Scotland, what does Victor fear the
creature might do?
10. To what islands does Victor travel in Scotland?
Answers

1.
He wants to go to England to create a companion for the
creature; Victor must continue his studies and learn about
the new scientific discoveries that were made in England.
2.
Alphonse realizes that his son is depressed; he hopes the
marriage will make him happy.
3.
Victor plans to be away for two years.
4.
At the last minute, Victor remembers to pack his chemical
instruments.
5.
Victor quotes from Wordsworth’s “Tintern Abbey.”
6.
Victor says Clerval is “inquisitive, and anxious to gain experience
and instruction.” He reminds Victor of himself when
he was young and enthusiastic.

7.
Although he “abhorred society” and doesn’t want to visit any
new friends, Victor is anxious to see mountains and streams
again, and to be in a natural setting.
8.
For a moment, Victor forgets his troubles. He feels free, filled
with a “lofty spirit” as he recalls Hampden’s heroic deeds.
9.
Victor is afraid the creature will kill his family in Geneva,
although he also thinks the creature is following him.
10.
Victor goes to the Orkney Islands to begin working on the
companion for the creature.
Suggested Essay Topics

1.
Victor says of his father that “a more indulgent and less dictatorial
parent did not exist upon earth.” Discuss Alphonse’s
influence on Victor and Victor’s feelings towards his father.
2.
Give some examples of the Romantic concept in Shelley’s use
of physical locations. How does it help establish character
and mood in the novel?

Volume Three: Chapters Three and Four

New Characters:

Mr. Kirwin: a judicial magistrate who is in charge of Victor’s case
in Ireland

Daniel Nugent: a witness in the murder case in Ireland

Nurse: a woman who cares for Victor in prison

Study Questions

1.
Where does the creature go after Frankenstein destroys the
female creature?
2.
What do the fishermen deliver to Victor while he is sitting
on the beach?
3.
Does Victor ever reconsider his actions after he destroys the
female creature?
4.
Is Victor afraid when he is adrift at sea?
5.
What language does Victor use to address the Irish people?
6.
How does Victor describe Mr. Kirwin?
7.
What did the fishermen do when they found Clerval’s
body?
8.
While he is delirious, what does Victor say that implicates
him in the murder of Clerval?
9.
What does the prison nurse tell Victor about his father?
10. Does Victor care that he is in prison?
Answers

1.
The creature runs out of Frankenstein’s hut and rows out
to sea.
2.
The fishermen deliver a letter from Clerval suggesting that
they travel to France together.

3.
After he destroys the creature, Victor doubts himself, wondering
if he did the right thing. But he says, “I banished
from my mind every thought that could lead to a different
conclusion.”
4.
Even though he is miserable, Victor is grateful to be alive
when the sea becomes calm and he sees land in the distance.
5.
Victor speaks to them in English.
6.
Mr. Kirwin is an “old, benevolent man, with calm and mild
manners.”
7.
The fishermen brought the body to a nearby house and went
to town for a doctor.
8.
Victor blames himself for the deaths of Henry, William, and
Justine, raving that he is the murderer of all three.
9.
She tells him that his father has come to visit him.
10.
Because he is in such anguish, it makes no difference to him.
Victor tells us that “to me the walls of a dungeon or a palace
were alike hateful.”
Suggested Essay Topics

1.
DiscussVictor’sreluctancetocreatethesecondcreature.Why
do you think he destroys it in front of the other creature?
2.
What does the creature mean when he tells Victor, “I shall
be with you on your wedding night”?
3.
Compare Alphonse’s and Victor’s relationship to Victor’s
relationship with the creature.

Volume Three: Chapters Five and Six

New Characters:

Magistrate: a criminal judge in Geneva who listens to Victor’s story
about the creature

Study Questions

1.
After he is released from prison, does Victor tell his father
about the creature?
2.
Why do Victor and Alphonse go to Paris?
3.
Besides thinking that Victor may have found someone else,
why does Elizabeth believe that Victor may not really want
to marry her?
4.
Does Elizabeth love Victor?
5.
How does Victor behave in the days leading up to his wedding?
6.
What does Victor think the monster plans to do on Victor’s
wedding night?
7.
Where do Victor and Elizabeth intend to live after their wedding?
8.
How does Victor get back to Geneva from Evian?
9.
How does the magistrate react when Victor tells him his
story?
10. What is Victor’s response to the magistrate?
Answers

1.
Even though Alphonse wonders why his son keeps blaming
himself for the murders, Victor never tells him about the
creature.
2.
Alphonse has to attend to some business there.
3.
When Elizabeth saw Victor in Geneva, she assumed he was
depressed because of his obligation to marry her.

4.
She loves him, but she worries that he is not really interested
in marrying her.
5.
Victor pretends to be happy. He fools his father, but not
Elizabeth.
6.
Victor thinks the monster will try to kill him.
7.
Victor and Elizabeth plan to live in a house that was purchased
for them near Cologne.
8.
He can’t sail because of the storm, so he hires several men
to help him row back to Geneva.
9.
He is incredulous at first, but he soon grows more interested
and shudders with horror as Victor relates his tale.
10.
Victor becomes enraged when the magistrate, who doesn’t
believe him, tries to calm him down.
Suggested Essay Topics

1.
Compare the events that occur on Victor’s wedding night to
the night when Victor destroyed the second creature.
2.
Did it surprise you that the creature killed Elizabeth and not
Victor? Explain your answer.
3.
Why do you think Victor finally tells the magistrate about the
creature?

Volume Three: Chapter Seven

Study Questions

1.
As Victor pursues the creature, what is the one thing that
gives him pleasure?
2.
What clues does the creature leave for Victor?
3.
What does the creature steal from the villagers by the sea?
4.
Why is Victor stranded on the ice?
5.
How does Victor move his ice raft towards Walton’s ship?
6.
How is the creature’s soul described by Victor ?
7.
In his youth, what did Victor think he was destined to
achieve?
8.
Is Margaret Saville married?
9.
When Walton’s crew wants to return home, what does Victor
advise them?
10.
Although Frankenstein wanted to destroy the monster, in his
speech over Victor’s body, what does the creature say would
have been a more satisfying revenge?
Answers

1.
Victor finds pleasure only when he sleeps at night and dreams
of Elizabeth and Henry, alive and healthy.
2.
The creature leaves messages carved on rocks and trees.
3.
The creature takes their store of winter food and a dogsled
team.
4.
Victor followed the creature onto the ice and could see him
in the distance. But when he is within a mile of him, the
creature disappears and the ice breaks apart, leaving Victor
stranded.
5.
Victor breaks his sled apart and uses the wood to row towards
the ship.

6.
He says his soul is “as hellish as his form, full of treachery
and fiend-like malice.”
7.
Victor tells Walton that, as a young man, he felt he was
destined for “some great enterprise.” He believed that his
good judgment would enable him to accomplish “illustrious
achievements.”
8.
Yes. Walton mentions that she has a husband and children.
9.
Victor tells them not to give into fear and cowardice. They
should continue the expedition and return home as heroes.
10.
The creature says that Victor’s desire for revenge against
him would have been “better satiated in my life than in my
destruction.”
Suggested Essay Topics

1.
When Victor is chasing him, why does the creature keep
leaving clues to help Victor follow his trail?
2.
DoyouthinkVictorisrightwhenheurgesWaltontoabandon
his ambition? Explain your answer.
3.
Is Victor justified in blaming himself for the deaths of Henry,
Elizabeth, and his other family members? Explain your answer.
4.
Discussthecreature’sfinalspeechtoWalton.Howdoeshereally
feel about Victor? Is he sad or happy about his death?
5.
Why do you think the creature wants to eliminate any evidence
of his own existence?

SECTION ThrEE


Sample Analytical
Paper Topics


Topic #1

Discuss the true nature and personality of the creature in
Shelley’s Frankenstein.

Outline

I.
Thesis Statement: Althoughthecreaturebehavesviciouslyand
murders several people, he is not inherently evil or malicious.
II.
Creation of the creature
A. The creature as a product of Victor Frankenstein:
1.
Construction of creature from body parts
2.
Victor brings the creature to life
3.
Rejection of the creature by Frankenstein
4.
Confusion and pain of rejection
5.
Experience of physical senses
6.
Emotional response
B.
The creature as a lost innocent:
1.
Wanders in the woods, alone and confused
2.
Discovery of food and fire
3.
Seeking shelter from natural elements

III.
The creature in society
A.
Second rejection by humans:
1.
The peasant flees from the creature
2.
He is isolated from society
B. Creature understands he is repulsive to humans:
1.
Prefers to hide in the forest, away from people
2.
The creature realizes he is ugly
C.
The benevolent nature of the creature:
1.
Admiration of the De Lacey family
2.
Anonymous acts of kindness towards the family
3.
Appreciation of music and literature
4.
Attempt to communicate with M. De Lacey
a.
Seeks companionship from the father
b.
Experiences sadness instead of anger at Felix’s
attack
5. Burns down cottage after De Laceys move out
a.
First violent act in response to rejection
D.
The creature attempts to save the drowning girl:
1.
Attacked by girl’s father
2.
Further rejection by society
IV.
Creature’s relationship with Frankenstein
A.
Rejection and abandonment by “father”:
B.
Creature discovers identity of his creator:
1.
Creature experiences true rage
C.
Creature demands a mate from Frankenstein:
1.
Only wants to be left alone with a companion
2.
Promises not to harm anyone
D.
Creature’s last hope destroyed by his creator:
1.
Frankenstein tears apart the mate

2.
Creature vows revenge
3.
Kills Henry and Elizabeth
E. Frankenstein becomes as miserable as his creature:
1.
His loved ones are dead
2.
He feels responsible and guilty over their deaths
V.
The creature’s true nature and desires
A.
Love and acceptance by society
B.
Companionship
C.
An end to his lonely isolation
D.
Final desire: a fiery, anonymous death;
1.
Creature understands he can never find peace or
happiness in human society
E.
The creature as a product of society:
1.
Prejudice and behavior of humans
VI.
Conclusion
Topic #2

Illustrate Mary Shelley’s use of Romantic concepts in Frankenstein.


Outline

I.
Thesis Statement: Frankenstein isaclassicexampleofliterature
written in the Romantic tradition.
II.
Romanticism
A. History of romanticism in literature and the arts:
1.
Examples
B.
Characteristics of Romantic literature:
1.
Feelings and emotionalism vs. intellect
2.
Emotional response of characters
3.
Nonrealistic portrayal of characters

4. Dramatic settings
a. Mountain landscapes
b. Germany and the Rhine
c. Scotland
5. Bizarre stories and events
C. Major Romantic writers:
1. Mary Shelley
2. Percy Bysshe Shelley
3. Lord George Gordon Byron
4. William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge
5. Sir Walter Scott and Jane Austen
6. Edgar Allan Poe and the American movement
III. Romantic elements in Frankenstein
A. Bizarre story of monster and creation:
1. Unexplained events
2. Strange creature
B. Characters driven by emotional need:
1. Creature
a. Need for love and acceptance
b. Loneliness and desire for revenge
2. Victor Frankenstein
a. Love of friends and family
b. Despair and shock
c. Revenge against creature
3. Elizabeth Lavenza
a. Love of Victor and family
b. Belief in Justine’s innocence
c. Self-sacrifice for Victor

4. Robert Walton
a. Desire for close, loving friend
5. Henry Clerval
a. Close, loyal friend and companion
C. Romantic settings:
1. Switzerland and the Alps
2. Ingolstadt
3. Scotland and Orkney Islands
4. The Arctic
D. Emotional events:
1. Death of Caroline Beaufort
2. Adoption of children by Frankensteins
3. Death of William Frankenstein
4. Trial of Justine Moritz
5. Death of Henry Clerval
6. Marriage of Victor and Elizabeth
7. Murder of Elizabeth
8. Death of Victor Frankenstein
E. Creature as a natural man
1. Idea of the “Noble Savage”
IV. Conclusion
Topic #3

Victor’s driving, obsessive ambition ruined his life and led
to his own death and the murder of his loved ones. Illustrate how
ambition affects not only Victor and Robert Walton, but also the
creature in Frankenstein.

Outline

I. Thesis Statement: Ambition and the quest for knowledge is

a fatal flaw in the characters of Victor Frankenstein, Robert
Walton, and the creature.

II. Victor Frankenstein’s obsession
A. Curiosity and desire for knowledge:
1. As a boy, sees lightning strike tree
2. Study of Agrippa and Paracelsus
B. Attends University of Ingolstadt:
1. Influence of M. Waldman
2. Intensive study and experimentation
3. Loses contact with family and friends
C. Creation of a monster:
1. Ambition blinds him to reality of creation
a. Thinks creature will be beautiful
2. Confronted with living creature
3. Horrified at what he has created
D. Life destroyed by his creation:
1. Family and friends killed
2. No hope for future
3. Sinks into black hole of anger and revenge
III. The creature’s quest for knowledge
A. Creature as a blank innocent:
1. Is benevolent, but knows nothing
2. Wants to be accepted
B. Is exposed to world of knowledge:
1. Observation of De Lacey family
2. Books, music, and loving relationships
3. Learns to read and write
C. Desires knowledge and understanding of world:
1. Reads Paradise Lost and other works

2. Reads Victor’s journal
D. Acquires a terrible knowledge:
1. Understands who he is and how he was created
2. Realizes he is doomed to lifelong misery
E. Becomes obsessed with notion of revenge:
1. Murders innocent people
2. Devotes life to torment of Victor
3. Seeks release in fiery death
IV. Walton’s expedition
A. Walton’s obsessive quest:
1. Like Victor, spends years pursuing dream
B. Confronted with reality of hardship and pain:
1. Could destroy crew and himself
C. Learns from Victor and ultimately abandons quest
V. Conclusion