Frankenstein Study Guide

    Cards (100)

    • 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.See an expert-written answer!We have an expert-written solution to this problem!
    • 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 reasonSee an expert-written answer!We have an expert-written solution to this problem!
    • 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 fogSee an expert-written answer!We have an expert-written solution to this problem!
    • 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.See an expert-written answer!We have an expert-written solution to this problem!
    • 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.See an expert-written answer!We have an expert-written solution to this problem!
    • 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.See an expert-written answer!We have an expert-written solution to this problem!
    • 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.See an expert-written answer!We have an expert-written solution to this problem!
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