Review Key Details.

Review Key Details

A Scientific Revolution
The early 19th Century was a time of scientific discovery. Explorers (like Robert Walton in the novel) had travelled to the far ends of the earth discovering new lands and strange people whilst scientists were pushing back the boundaries and increasing our knowledge of the world through advancements in Physics, Chemistry and Medicine. The recent discovery of electricity was thought by some to be the key to life and scientists had discovered by experimenting with frogs that electricity could reanimate dead tissue. While many embraced this new scientific world others feared it. Using science to reanimate dead creatures frightened people and others felt that such experiments were dangerous and feared the idea of man having the power of God to create life. Shelley was acutely aware of such fears and exploited them in the novel.

A Scientific Revolution
A nineteenth century cartoon depicting a scientist using electricity to bring life to a corpse

Prometheus Prometheus:
Prometheus was a Greek god who was in charge of giving out gifts to various creatures on Earth. By the time he got to mankind, he was out of gifts. He decided to go against his orders and gave man fire Prometheus gave man fire - a symbol of knowledge The other gods were angered by his disobedience (partly because now man was too godlike) Prometheus’s punishment was that he was chained to a rock. Every day a vulture came and devoured his liver. Every night the liver grew back to be devoured the next day.

Prometheus Prometheus:
Prometheus can be considered a tragic victim on account of his theft on behalf of civilization Prometheus was impatient with limitations and felt the universe held from humans something humans deserved. This myth is also important because Prometheus’ name means FORETHOUGH (thinking before you act). Prometheus created humans and made sure that his creations were well taken care of. He even suffered severely at the hands of Zeus to make sure that his creations were safe and would prosper.

Prometheus Victory Frankenstein is considered a modern Prometheus Why?
Dr. Frankenstein is the maker of “Frankenstein” / the monster. He stole the idea of creation from God and used it for his own ill0advised purposes. He uses Science to probe the depths of nature and to steal the secret of life, just as Prometheus stole Fire from Zeus. Prometheus is considered a martyr (a person who is killed because of their religious or other beliefs) Dr. Frankenstein is shown to be culpable (deserving blame / at fault – is a measure of the degree to which an agent, such as a person, can be held morally or legally responsible – if cause a negative event / intentional act of wrong doing) Like Prometheus, Victor was impatient with limitations and felt the universe held from humans something we deserve. Once we become intoxicated by the quest we will stop at nothing to get it. Promethean fever causes us to be dangerously out of touch with reality through the misuse of imagination and creativity. Remember: “Prometheus had created humans in the likeness of gods, using clay and water, and Athena had breathed a living soul into them. To compensate for the lack of great qualities, which had foolishly all been given to the creatures by Epimetheus, the wise Titan made Man stand upright like the gods, to be noble and conscious, and to hold his head high, looking up at the heavens”(Prometheus: A Brief Introduction)

Mary Shelley www.unitedstreaming.com www.Teacher-of-English.com
Mary Shelley was born on 30th August 1797 in London, the daughter of Mary Wollstonecraft, author of A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, a famous feminist essay encouraging women to act for themselves and William Godwin, a radical academic and author who counted William Blake, Lord Byron and Percy Shelley amongst his friends. Wollstonecraft died giving birth to Mary leaving her daughter in the care of Godwin. As a teenager Mary met and fell in love with the charming young poet Percy Shelley and the two ran away to Europe together however the affair was rocked by the suicide of Percy’s pregnant wife in November The couple married weeks later. ‘Frankenstein’ was published fourteen months later and became an instant success but Mary’s literary achievements were marred by a series of tragic personal events. From 1815 to 1819, three of her four children died in infancy and in 1822 Percy drowned off the shore of Tuscany, leaving Mary a widow and single mother ‘Frankenstein’ was Mary Shelley’s most famous novel yet she wrote a number of books including: Valperga, or The Life and Adventures of Castruccio, Prince of Lucca (1823), The Last Man (1826), The Fortunes of Perkin Warbeck (1830), Lodore (1835) and Mathilda (1959) (published over 100 years after her death). She died in London in February 1851. Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is, along with Bram Stoker’s Dracula of 1896, the most well known and widely read horror story of all time. The novel was first published anonymously and critics believed that Percy Shelley was the author.

The birth of ‘Frankenstein’
In her preface to Frankenstein Mary Shelley admits that her main goal was simply to write a ghost story. She got the idea during the summer of 1816, which she spent at Lake Geneva in Switzerland together with Percy Shelley, Lord Byron and Dr. John Polidori. That year the weather was cold and dreary due to the eruption of Mount Tambora and the Shelley's spent most of their time indoors. Inspired by German ghost tales, they held some kind of supernatural story writing competition where Mary Shelley invented her story of Frankenstein. The preface to the novel begins with: ‘I passed the summer of 1816 in the environs of Geneva. The season was cold and rainy, and in the evenings we crowded around a blazing wood fire, and occasionally amused ourselves with some German stories of ghosts, which happened to fall into our hands. These tales excited in us a playful desire of imitation. Two other friends (a tale from the pen of one of whom would be far more acceptable to the public than any thing I can ever hope to produce) and myself agreed to write each a story, founded on some supernatural occurrence.’

That night Mary had a dream which changed her life.
The Dream That night Mary had a dream which changed her life. “I placed my head on my pillow, I did not sleep … I saw with shut eyes, but acute mental vision, - the pale student of unhallowed arts standing before the thing he had put together, I saw the hideous phantasm of a man stretched out… the creature terrified its creator ; he would rush away from his odious handiwork, horror stricken.... He (the scientist) sleeps but he is awakened; he opens his eyes; behold, the horrid thing stands at his bedside, opening his curtains and looking on him with yellow, watery, but speculative eyes."

Frankenstein Letters 1 – 4 Key Details

Key Detail Frankenstein is a frame story
A frame story is a story within a story. Walton tells Victor’s story; the creature, Elizabeth, and Alfonse also have speaking roles within the story, in the form of their letters. Elizabeth’s and Alfonse’s letters make the novel an epistolary, which means a novel told with letters. The purpose of a frame story is to allow the author to use more than one viewpoint and more than one narrator. The reader is able to have the viewpoints of both Frankenstein and the creature in the novel.

Letters 1-2 The opening letters are written by an explorer named Robert Walton He is organizing and expedition to the Artic (North Pole). The Artic Ocean covers most of this region, and more than half of the ocean’s surface is frozen at all times. Travel by ship is extremely dangerous. Huge sheets of ice float through the frigid waters, threatening to crush the vessels that appear in their paths. If you were stranded on a chunk of ice and a rescue boat came to save you, would you care where they were headed? What was your reaction when Frankenstein questions the intentions of the captain?

Letters 3-4 In the letters, which set the stage for the novel, Robert Walton says he has been deeply affected by the narrative poem The Rime of the Ancient mariner, written by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, a leading poet of the Romantic era. In the poem, an old sailor, or mariner, tells the story of a horrific sea voyage that changed his life. Sailing in stormy seas near the South Pole, the mariner’s ship is surrounded by ice. When the crewmen spot and albatross, a huge seagull-like bird, flying through the fog, the ice splits open, freeing the ship. Then, unexpectedly, the mariner shoots the albatross. After this act of cruelty, the ship is cursed. Driven north, it becomes stranded in a hot, windless sea. All of the crew except the mariner die. Ever since, the remorseful mariner has traveled the world to tell his story and to teach others to revere God’s creatures.

Letters 3-4 Walton’s comments about The Rime of the Ancient Mariner are examples of literary allusion. Allusion: is a reference in a written work to something from history, art, religion, myth, or another work of literature. Writers use allusions to give readers additional insights about what is happening in the story and why. Shelley makes frequent use of literary allusion in Frankenstein

Letters 3-4 Part of the fascination of Frankenstein is the striving of the human intellect to break accustomed limits, pushing out into unknown territory. The framework of the story brings Walton and Frankenstein together. Almost at the end of his quest, Frankenstein both inspires and admonished Walton. The author suggests a sequence: ideal, quest, act, consequence. The daring of both Walton’s and Frankenstein’s ideals lifts the story out of the reader’s ordinary world and suggests comparison with the reader’s experiences, however limited.

Review – Letters 1-4 Who is the author of the letters and who is the recipient? What is the author of the letters writing about? What did the stranger answer when asked about his predicament? How does Walton feel about the stranger? What literary allusion can be found in these first pages? Who is the author of the letters and who is the recipient? The author of the letters is Robert Walton, an explorer seeking a new route to the North Pole, and he is writing to his sister Mrs. Margaret Saville. What is the author of the letters writing about? Walton is writing about an encounter with a stranger he saved from the waters. He and the crew found the stranger (Frankenstein) stuck on a large piece of ice and brought him aboard the vessel. What did the stranger answer when asked about his predicament? Frankenstein answered that he was chasing someone who had fled from him. How does Walton feel about the stranger? Walton feels as though the stranger and he have much in common. He feels an automatic connection with the man. (This connection will be of importance when studying the “Rime of the Ancient Mariner” because the Mariner’s audience feels connections to him when they need to hear his story – in order to learn from his mistakes.) What literary allusion can be found in these first pages? Shelley alludes to Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s poem “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner.

The Rime of the Ancient Mariner
Poem Analysis

Poem Analysis

The Rime of the Ancient Mariner – GROUP WORK
Frankenstein is heavily influenced by Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s famous poem ‘The Rime of the Ancient Mariner’. Mary and her husband, the poet Percy Shelley, were great admirers of Coleridge’s work. Research this poem and find out the following information: What is the poem about? When was it written? What is the ‘moral’ of the poem? How is it similar to Frankenstein?

The Rime of the Ancient Mariner – GROUP WORK ANSWERS
It is about: An old sailor is haunted by a sin he committed years ago. In a fit of anger he shot and killed an albatross whilst on an ocean voyage. Following the death of the bird the ship and its crew began to suffer terrible torments and many men died. The men blamed the mariner. It was felt that God was punishing all the sailors for the mariner’s crime of killing an innocent creature. The moral of the poem is: That you cannot escape sins committed in the past, that they will always be on your conscience and be with you wherever you go. And that only God, not man, has the right to give or take life. It is similar to Frankenstein because: Victor has broken God’s law by creating life. As with the mariner, this is a crime that follows him to his grave, a crime from which he can never escape.

Poem Analysis - Themes Sin Repentance Good vs. Evil
Religion (lack of faith) Consequences of Actions

Poem Analysis - Symbolism
The Albatross The burden of sin (the cross we all have to bare) Spirit Guilt Snakes God’s creations – beautiful in God’s eyes Shrieving The necessity of confession, the fact that we always feel better when we “come clean”

Poem Analysis – Answer After having read the poem, why do you think that this poem is important to Walton? How is the stranger similar to the ancient mariner? What mood does Shelley create by alluding to this poem? Based on the allusion of “The Rime of the Ancient mariner” and the fact that Victor is telling his story at the end of the letters demonstrates that Robert Walton probably has an important lesson to learn that only the stranger can teach him. Robert’s crew is being put into danger to explore new territories, but this knowledge comes with a price. This is similar to Frankenstein's story. He is seeking to explore new science, but at what cost?

10 minute Quick Write – Review COMPLETE on binder paper – TURN IN
The summer of 1816: Explain the events that led to Mary Shelley writing the story of Frankenstein. What discussions influenced the development of the idea she had for this story?

Quiz 1. Why does the Ancient Mariner stop the wedding guest and not one of his companions. His instincts tell him whom to stop The wedding guest is the most distracted and therefor the easiest to reel in He chooses his audience at random The wedding guest asks him for directions His instincts tell him whom to stop

Quiz 2. Why does the wedding quest eventually sit down to hear the ancient Mariner’s tale? He pities the ancient Mariner? He is amused by the ancient Mariner’s antics He isn’t expected at the wedding any way He feels compelled to listen He feels compelled to listen

Quiz 3. Other than “rhyme” what is the meaning of the word “rime”?
An ice formation An original mode of printing Limbo Ancient Greek lyrical poem An ice formation

Quiz 4. How did the sailors react when they first spotted the albatross? They suddenly dropped dead They thought it was a bad omen They mistook it for an angel They hailed it in God’s name They hailed it in God’s name

Quiz Why did the Mariner shoot the Albatross?
He was starving and killed it for food He thought it was evil We are never told He was mentally unable We are never told

Quiz Write a paragraph defining frame story? Explain using specific examples from the text. How is Frankenstein and the poem similar? 6. A frame story (also known as a frame tale or frame narrative) is a literary technique that sometimes serves as a companion piece to a story within a story, whereby an introductory or main narrative is presented, at least in part, for the purpose of setting the stage either for a more emphasized second narrative or for ... 7. Victor has broken God’s law by creating life. As with the mariner, this is a crime that follows him to his grave, a crime from which he can never escape.

Journal Entry - #1 Complete on Binder Paper
How do you define personal responsibility? When something bad happens that involves you, how do you know whether you bear some responsibility for it?

Chapters 1-2 A falls of B’s roof while mending it, who is responsible?
B walks by A, who is homeless and begging on the street; do you have a (moral) responsibility to help him or her? B lends A his car, which has faulty brakes, and A has an accident. Who is at fault?

Chapters 1-2 Victor Frankenstein develops an interest in science after reading about the “wild fancies” of several noted alchemists who lived 300 to 500 years before his lifetime. Alchemy: The field of philosophy which believed it could find substances that would enable them to transform ordinary metals, such as lead, into gold or create a magical drink that would extend life and youth forever. While alchemy is not true science, the alchemists did make some scientific contributions.

Chapters 1-2 Victor, at the age of 13, becomes fascinated with the work of Cornelius Agrippa (a Roman alchemist who attempted to turn tin into gold and men into lions…) Victor’s father discourages this type of “science” and encourages his son to study something that is more realistic. Victor becomes obsessed with finding the “secrets” of life and nature (and how to raise the dead). Victor has an excessive thirst for knowledge, which will leads to his downfall.

Chapter 3 In Chapter 3, we learn of the death of Victor’s mother. She died caring for her adopted daughter, Elizabeth. We see that she is a great example of the love a parent has for her child (even if the child is not biologically hers.) This becomes important tot show that Victor had good parental role models and should have better cared for his creature.

Chapter 5 The events in chapter 5 are the most pivotal in the novel.
After the crescendo of motivated study, Frankenstein is ready for some decisive action. All the factors of the experiment come together in the “birth”, the awakening of the creature. An additional problem arises which Frankenstein has never thought through: What if the awakened creature should be different from what the creator imagined?

Chapter 5 The scientist, unable to manage his horror at the appearance of the live creature takes flight, thereby rejecting the new being. A pattern established which will reappear in the novel: Victor suffers mental and physical illness; Henry Clerval supports him with care and friendship; victor recovers

Chapter 5 Elizabeth’s letter also establishes for the reader the narrative facts about the family Victor has not seen in the years he has been preoccupied with his experiment. His younger brother Ernest and William are flourishing, and the family has taken in a young woman, Justine, who needs sheltering after unusual hardship.

Chapters 1-5 Who is telling this part of the story?
How did the Frankensteins treat Victor when he was a child? How did Elizabeth come to live with the Frankensteins? Who was Victor’s close boyhood friend? What natural phenomena influenced Victor when he was young? How did Victor’s mother die and what does this say about her role as a mother? When at the university of Ingolstadt, what goal did Frankenstein devise for himself? How did Frankenstein react when his experiment succeeded? How did Victor spend the night after bringing the creature to life? What happened to Victor after the night of the creation and who cared for him? Chapters 1-5 Who is telling this part of the story? The narration has changed from Walton to Victor Frankenstein. Victor is now telling his account of what happened to him. How did the Frankensteins treat Victor when he was a child? Victor’s parents doted on him and were deeply conscious of their duties as parents to ensure a happy childhood. How did Elizabeth come to live with the Frankensteins? Elizabeth’s German mother had died giving birth to her and her father had given her to peasants to raise before he died. The peasant family then fell on hard times and decided it would be better for her to live with Victor’s mother, who happened to visit them. Who was Victor’s close boyhood friend? Victor’s one close friend was Henry Clerval. What natural phenomena influenced Victor when he was young? He watched a tree being struck by lightning during a storm. He then became interested in the theories of electricity and galvanism (direct current energy). How did Victor’s mother die and what does this say about her role as a mother? After nursing Elizabeth through scarlet fever, Victor’s mother herself caught it and died. She loved Elizabeth and put her own health in danger by exposing herself to the contagious disease. Victor’s mother adopted Elizabeth as her own child and cared for her as though she was her own. She was therefore an excellent example of a good parent to her son. When at the university of Ingolstadt, what goal did Frankenstein devise for himself? Victor wanted to renew life in a corpse, to “bestow animation upon lifeless matter.” How did Frankenstein react when his experiment succeeded? Victor was horrified and disgusted, not only with the look of the creature, but also with himself for not having sufficiently anticipated the outcome. (He was more like Epimetheus for his afterthought.) How did Victor spend the night after bringing the creature to life? He ran from the laboratory and went to his room where he slept a nightmarish sleep. When he woke up, the creature was by his side smiling at him, which made Victor run from the room and pace the yard. (Notice that the creature could have harmed Victor as he slept, but he did not. This demonstrates that the creature is intrinsically good.) What happened to Victor after the night of the creation and who cared for him? Victor became ill with a fever and delirium for several months. Luckily, Henry Clerval has been a great friend and took care of him for several months.

Prologue – Guided Question Answers
1. The novel begins with a series of letters in which the narrator of the novel is writing his thoughts and plans to his sister. Where is the narrator going? Why has he chosen to make this voyage? Of what does the narrator dream? What is his goal? Robert Walton is attempting to be the first person to sail to and reach the North Pole. He is pursuing this goal for personal gain and glory. He is not concerned with the possible cost in the suffering of his crew or even the benefits this exploration will provide to mankind. He thinks only of the glory and fame that will be his. 2. Walton says he is a “Romantic.” What is a Romantic person like? He listens to his heart instead of his mind. He is concerned with the individual, focusing on his subjective experiences. He is irrational, imaginative, and emotional. He also finds peace of mind in nature and admires its beauty. 3. What evidence does Walton provide of his Romantic leanings? Walton’s wonder at the rough beauty of the north reflects the Romantic notion of beauty.

4. Aside from personal glory, what two benefits to mankind does Walton hope to achieve? He hopes to discover the “northwest passage” for trade with the East, and he hopes to discover the secret of the North’s magnetic pull. 5. Identify one example of foreshadowing. - Walton claims that even the threat of death is not enough to mitigate his ambition. Walton’s stated need of a “friend,” an equal in terms of passion and aspiration hints that he will meet just such a man. By letter 3, Walton has become too boasting and too self-assured of success, his “Triumph Over Nature.” 6. How do Walton’s letters illustrate the tension between eighteenth-century rationalism and nineteenth-century Romanticism? Walton’s letters indicate a belief that humankind (via science) can and will ultimately conquer nature, contrary to the Romantic belief that Nature was ultimately unknowable and unconquerable. 7. What is Walton’s impression of Frankenstein? He thinks Frankenstein has been “broken by misery,” and is, perhaps, insane. He sees wildness in Frankenstein’s eyes. Walton also thinks he takes well to kindness and has a strong spirit.

8. How does Frankenstein react to Walton’s dream/goal? He is horrified by Walton’s goal because he sees himself in Walton. He fears Walton is doomed to make the same tragic mistakes he has made. He fears for Walton’s safety and the crew’s lives. 9. Why does Frankenstein decide to tell Walton his story? He is trying to keep Walton from falling into the same trap he fell into with the pursuit of knowledge.

Chapters I & II – Guided Reading Questions
1. What plot exposition does Shelley offer the reader in these chapters? Shelley provides the reader with the account of Frankenstein’s birth and early life, the backgrounds of his parents, how Elizabeth came into the family, etc. 2. What are Frankenstein’s parents like? How do they feel about each other and about their child? They are from a distinguished family and they are devoted to each other and their child 3. How are Victor and Elizabeth different? What kind of person is Victor? Victor is curious to learn the hidden laws of nature. Elizabeth delights in the appearance of things; he investigates their causes. 4. What quality in young Frankenstein proves to be his tragic flaw later in life? His “passions were vehement.” He loved learning, and pursued that end with ferocity. 5. Who is Henry Clerval? What is he like? How is he different from Victor? He is a boyhood friend of Victor’s. He is adventurous and interested in the romance and moral relations of things.

Chapters I & II – Guided Reading Questions
6. What does Victor want to accomplish in life? Why does he turn to the study of mathematics? What prevents him from continuing his study? He wants to find the elixir of life and banish disease from mankind. He wants to study real knowledge, and he believes that destiny has decided something else for him. 7. How is Elizabeth a “typical” Romantic female character? She is blonde and fair—the only one in her “family,” as she is Italian. She is also sweet, virtuous, and kind. 8. How did Cornelius Agrippa and other early scientists affect young Victor? He began to desire the elixir of life. They set him on his path trying to understand God scientifically. 9. How does Victor view his switch to mathematics? What does he compare it to? He sees it as his guardian angel’s last effort to get him off the path to ruin. 10. What is foreshadowed at the end of Chapter 2? Victor suggests that his switch from the study of natural philosophy to the study of mathematics will turn out to be merely a temporary change, and the change back to natural philosophy will lead to Victor’s ultimate destruction.

Chapters III - IV – Guided Reading Questions
1. How is the story of Victor’s mother’s death ironic? Victor’s mother contracts the disease that kills her by caring for, and eventually saving, Elizabeth. 2. What does Victor contemplate in the first hours of his departure? How do these thoughts indicate his future? He is sad to be alone and he does not feel he has the capacity to meet strangers. Later he becomes more and more reclusive as he makes his creature. 3. Why does Victor not want to study the contemporary scientists suggested by M. Krempe? Victor has contempt for the uses of modern natural philosophy; he believes the older, natural philosophies seek immortality and power while modern ones are just busy proving the old ones wrong. 4. What ultimately changes Victor’s mind about new chemists? A lecture by M. Waldman about how much modern chemists have found changes his mind. He realizes that the old scientists have paved the way for modern ones.

5. Compare the physiognomy of Krempe and Waldman. Krempe is opinionated and intolerant. He is also extremely ugly. His physical appearance repulses Victor as does his attitude. Krempe is more open-minded and able to reconcile the ideas of the past with those of the furture. He is also dashing-looking—not traditionally handsome, but handsome in a Byronic hero sort of way. (Byronic Hero – an antihero who is rebellious and cynical) 6. What is the literary term for M. Waldman and the effect that his lecture and guidance have on Victor? He is a catalyst. (Catalyst – meant to increase or cause a reaction) 7. Why does Victor favor science above all other disciplines? He likes that science offers the opportunity for limitless learning while it is possible to exhaust the knowledge of other disciplines.

8. How is Victor’s practice of science different from the modern practice of science? Victor’s practice of science is the reading of books and observing the decay of corpses, while the modern practice of science is based on experiments. 9. Why does Victor hesitate to make a creature like man? Why does he go through with it? He originally thought that the body frame would be too laborious to make. However, his pride and ego convince him to try it. He wants a creation that owes him everything and will revere him. 10. What traditional tragic flaw is Victor demonstrating? Hubris - proud or extreme self-confidence that brings about a characters downfall 11. What is the central flaw in Victor’s decision what to create? He believes he is creating a new life form when he is in reality merely imitating what has already been created. 12. What internal conflict does Victor deal with as he finishes his creation? He is both repelled and obsessed by it.

13. List some gothic details from the end of Chapter IV. - Victor’s ill health-pale skin, emaciated frame, bulging eyes The visits to charnel houses (charnel house – a building where bones are piled) The isolation of the top-floor laboratory 14. What is Romantic in the moral Victor shares with Walton? Nothing, no study or pursuit, is more important than relationships with other people. The fact that his study of science and his creation drew him away from appreciating the beauty of Nature around him was a crime against Nature.

Why do you think Shelley might have included the poem in this part of the novel?

Chapter 6-10 Frankenstein’s encounter with his creation is very symbolic The creature is furious with him for having abandoned and cursed him. He compares himself both with Satan and with Adam. This is a biblical allusion The creature is like Adam because he is the first of his kind. He, like Adam, was created from nothing (not giving birth). But, Adam was in God’s favor, where the creature is not in his master’s favor. He says that he’s intrinsically good, but that circumstances have made him evil. He has been abandoned and therefore, he associates himself with the devil because of how he feels inside. In the biblical story, however, although Adam suffered a natural consequence for his own disobedience, God never abandons him. Unlike the creature, who has done nothing to deserve the suffering he has endured, and he is completely rejected by his creator.

Chapter 6 – 9 - Review What did Elizabeth say about Justine in her letter to Victor? After his recuperation, what did Victor decide to study alongside of Clerval? What news does a letter from Frankenstein’s father bring? When returning to Geneva what does Victor see just outside the gates? Who was accused of murdering William, and why? How did Frankenstein react to this accusation? What happened to Justine? What was Frankenstein’s state of mind after the trial? Where did he go? Chapters 6-9 What did Elizabeth say about Justine in her letter to Victor? Justine, a good friend to the family, has returned to Victor’s family, following the death of her mother. After his recuperation, what did Victor decide to study alongside of Clerval? Victor decided to study the writing of the Orientalists. What news does a letter from Frankenstein’s father bring? Frankenstein’s younger brother, William, had been murdered. When returning to Geneva what does Victor see just outside the gates? He saw the monster he had created. Who was accused of murdering William, and why? Justine, who lived with the family, was accused. She was not with the family the night of the murder. There were also many accounts of seeing Justine the next morning looking frightened and confused. In addition, she was found with a locket that Elizabeth had given to William. 3 How did Frankenstein react to this accusation? Victor was certain that his creature was responsible for William’s murder. He was torn between exposing himself and telling the truth in order to save Justine, or to keep his secret. Nonetheless, he considered himself to be the true murderer. What happened to Justine? Justine was pressured to confess to a murder she did not commit because she wanted the priest’s absolution. She was then hanged. What was Frankenstein’s state of mind after the trial? Where did he go? Victor was filled with remorse for what happened and for what he had done. He is also fearful that his creation would commit other crimes. He then seeks refuge in the Alpine Valley and the village of Chamounix.

Chapters V and VI– Guided Reading Questions
1. How is the night that the creature is born an example of Gothic prose? It is dark and raining. The candle is nearly burned out. Overall, it is very creepy setting. 2. What is ironic about the creature’s physical appearance? Victor says he selected the features to be beautiful, but the composite effect is grotesque. 3. What is Romantic about the creature’s physical appearance? The creature’s very grotesqueness is Romantic. Additionally, his flowing black hair and perling-white teeth make the creature resemble – M. Waldman –they Byronic hero 4. How does Dr. Frankenstein feel about his creation? What does he do after the creature comes to life? Breathless horror and disgust fill his heart when he sees his creature. He runs from the room 5. What event is foreshadowed in the beginning of Chapter V? Frankenstein has a dream about Elizabeth’s death. 6. What does Frankenstein feel when the creature reaches out to him? What do you think is the creature’s reason for reaching out for Dr. Frankenstein?

6. What does Frankenstein feel when the creature reaches out to him? Frankenstein feels repulsion and disgust when the creature tries to make contact. Answers will vary, but clearly, Shelley is depicting the poignancy of the creature’s reaching out for the 7. What is most likely the cause of Victor’s reaction to his success? Victor is repulsed by the creature’s physical ugliness, but the true horror is in the fact that he has overstepped his bounds as a human being. 8. In Elizabeth’s letter to Victor there is one example of Shelley’s support for the revolution in France and republican society. Identify the passage. “The republican institutions of our country have produced simpler and happier manners than those which prevail in the great monarchies that surround it.” 9. What do you learn about in Elizabeth’s letter through plot exposition? We learn the history of Justine, the young girl who once lived in the Frankenstein family. Plot exposition: literary device used to introduce information about setting, characters, and events within the story.

10. What sparks Victor’s fever? His fever is brought on by nervousness he feels about his creature. 11. How is Victor’s recovery an example of Romanticism? He begins to heal when he sees the beauty of nature—the sky, the flowers, the smile of children. 12. How does Shelley create suspense toward the end of these chapters? One certainly expects some reversal after Victor’s apparent recovery. The sudden and unexplained introduction of Justine to the story hints that she will somehow figure into the plot. The disappearance of the creature and the fact that Victor apparently forgets him do not bode well for the future.

Journal Entry - #3 Complete on Binder Paper – Turn in With Vocabulary Quiz
What are some reasons a person might be rejected by others?

Chapter 6-10 In romantic literature, nature is a very powerful element brought into writing. Complete the “Nature in Romantic Literature” work on page 5 of the Student Guide. Correct in class together

Chapters VII and VIII – Guided Reading Questions
1. What function do letters serve in this and previous chapters? Letters are the vehicles by which the first-per-character narrator can relate information that he himself has not witnessed and has no other way of knowing. 2. What briefly lifts Victor’s spirit on his journey home? Why is this significant? Seeing the mountains and lakes of his homeland bring him very fleeting relief. The power of Nature to heal the human spirit is a cornerstone of Romantic philosophy. 3. Why does Elizabeth believe that she is responsible for William’s death? She had let him wear her mother’s necklace, and she believed that he had been killed in a robbery. 4. What is “gothic” about Frankenstein’s encounter with the creature? It is a dark, stormy, and suddenly violent night. The thunder ends when the creature disappears up the mountain. 5. What is depicted in the picture above the Frankensteins’ mantelpiece? It is a picture of Victor’s mother kneeling at her father’s coffin.

6. Why doesn’t Frankenstein take the blame from Justine? He doesn’t tell anyone his suspicions because he felt that no one would believe him. He had been out of the country when William is killed, and he was too afraid to tell the world about his monster. 7. Why does Elizabeth’s speech in court hurt Justine? While she means to help Justine, people feel that Justine has betrayed Elizabeth’s generosity, thus hating Justine even more. 8. What is revealed about Justine’s character in these chapters? She proves to be very religious and strong. 9. Do you think Frankenstein is as guilty as he feels he is? Of what do you think he is guilty, if anything? He is guilty of William’s murder because he created the monster. Victor has chosen to remain silent about his creation instead of freeing Justine from the accusation; therefore, he is also guilty of what happens to Justine.

10. How do the reactions of Victor and his family to William’s murder illustrate Romantic principles? All of their emotional responses are overly-intense as the Romantics fancied themselves preternaturally aware of sensory and emotional experience.

Chapters IX and X– Guided Reading Questions
What keeps Victor from killing himself at the beginning of this chapter? He feels he has an obligation to watch over the monster. He lives in deadly fear that it will commit crimes against his father or brother; his thoughts of Elizabeth also keep him alive. 2. How does Victor become a disenfranchised member of society himself? Because everyone believed the young girl was guilty and treated her so horribly, he can no longer see the world, and people, as he once did. 3. As Victor climbs the mountains, what effect do they have on him? The mountains bring to mind memories of boyhood pleasures, while the winds soothe and make him feel spiritual. Feelings of depression quickly follow. 4. Why does Victor climb Montanvert in spite of the rain? How does that identify this as a romantic novel? He wants to experience the sublime ecstasy that the mountains inspire. He seeks mental and emotional peace in nature. Romantics believed in the spiritual healing power of nature.

5. What are Victor’s feelings as his creature approaches him. What is the first thing he says to his creature? He feels rage and horror. “Devil, do you dare approach me?” 6. How does the creature respond to Victor? He says, “How dare you sport thus with life?” This quotation refers to the idea of creating and destroying life as if it were a sport. The monster shows itself to be more humane than Victor, valuing life more than his creator. 7. What biblical character does the creature compare himself to? What character does he think he ought to be? He compares himself to a fallen angel—a reference to Satan. He feels he should be like Adam— adored by his creator. 8. What do you think the creature will ask of Victor? Why? Beginning with Walton’s desire for a friend, an equal, a soulmate, and Victor’s relationship with both Elizabeth and Clerval, it is clear that what the creature is going to request is a mate.

9. What does the creature say made him a “fiend?” What is Romantic about this? He says misery made him a fiend. Romantics believed that people were essentially good and that evil was introduced into the world by social mistreatment. 10. What does the creature claim is the basis of Victor’s debt to him? The creature claims that Victor owes it the protection and regard that a creator owes its creation. 11. What does the creature promise to Victor if Victor will fulfill his duties as creator? The creature __although larger and more powerful than its creator—will humble itself before Victor if Victor will do his part.

Nature in Romantic Literature - Answers
Nature’s restorative power as it affects Frankenstein “My country, my beloved country! Who but a native can tell the delight I took in again beholding they streams, thy mountains, an more than all, thy lovely lake!” (59) “I was tempted to plunge into the silent lake, that the waters might close over me and my calamities forever” (75). “These sublime and magnificent scenes afforded me the greatest consolation that I was capable of receiving. They elevated me from a littleness of feeling, and although they did not remove my grief, they subdued and tranquilized it” (80).

Nature in Romantic Literature - Answers
“The sight of the awful and majestic in nature had indeed always the effect of solemnizing my mind and causing me to forget the passing cares of life” (81). Victor often depressed because of his lack of forethought, but he finds much comfort in nature. Monster’s relationship with nature: ”The desert mountains and dreary glaciers are my refuge” (84). “I have wandered here many days; the caves of ice, which I only do not fear, are dwelling to me, and the only one which man does not grudge” (84). ”These bleak skies I hail, for they are kinder to me than your fellow beings” (84). Nature is the creature’s only comfort and refuge.

DEBATE Should Victor have told the truth about the situation with Justine?

Prepare for the Debate In earlier chapters in the novel, Victor Frankenstein fails to plan for his creature’s integration into the world. Victor does not, in fact, aid this integration, but instead rejects his creation completely. Chapter 7 begins with a letter which Victor receives from his father; a letter which announces the brutal murder of his brother William.

Prepare for the Debate Chapter 8, Justine Moritz if falsely accused of the crime, forced into a confession, and executed. But, Victor suffers desperately as he knows that the true criminal is his own creation. In these chapters, and in the two following chapters, Shelley emphasize the metnal states of both Frankenstein and the monster.

Should Victor have told the truth about the situation with Justine?
Divide the class in half Dived those groups in half again PRO – Victor should have confessed to save Justine CON – Victor should not have confessed Turn in your student packet to the Debate Worksheet. Be prepared to debate tomorrow in class

Can the creature really be blamed for his acts of fury? Who is truly responsible for the creature: himself or his creator? DISCUSS / DEBATE

Tragedy Tragedy: Is a story that ends in the downfall of its main character and arouses pity or fear in the reader. In general, tragedy also expresses a tragic view of life – the idea that a noble person inevitable brings on his or her suffering or death through some failure or error. As you continue to read Frankenstein think about whether the novel fits this definition of a tragedy.

Allusion A Fallen Angel Do these words sound familiar?
“Did I request thee, Maker, from my clay / To mold me man? Did I solicit thee / from darkness to promote me?” This quotation appears on the title page of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. It could have been spoken by Frankenstein’s creature. In fact, the words come from John Milton’s poem Paradise Lost (1667) and are spoken by the character of Adam. This book-length poem is a retelling of the story of Adam and Eve from the Bible. An equally prominent character in the poem is Satan, the lord of evil. Milton depicts Satan as the chief angel of heaven who rebels against God and is cast into hell. To avenge himself, he tempts Adam and Eve to disobey God in the Garden of Eden.

Allusion Near the end of chapter 10 of Frankenstein, creature confronts his creator. He compares himself not only to Adam but to “the fallen angel, whom thou drives from joy for no misdeed.” In chapter 11 through 16, Shelley expands on this allusion to Paradise Lost emphasizing the parallels between God and Satan in the poem, an Frankenstein and his creature in the novel.

Shelley uses several literary allusions in her novel. Identify and explain three of them.

Chapter Review These chapters are important because we know that the creature knows the difference right and wrong. The creature has been deeply influence by the works of Milton’s “Paradise Lost,” Goethe’s “The Sorrow of Young Werther,”, Plutarch’s “Lives,” Which all deal with the issue of morality. The creature has learned to love virtue and to despise vise. We see the creature struggling between right and wrong. He knows what he should do, but his life has been so difficult for him that he feels he has no choice. The only hope he had left was in the cottagers. He just wanted and needed to be loved by them. Now that that hope is gone; he is left empty and full of hatred.

Chapter Review Now he vows revenge upon humanity – especially his creator. He curses his creator for ever giving him life. To add insult to injury, when the creature saves a little girl from drowning, he is shot by the father. Does the creature have a choice, but to exact revenge on all human kind? In chapter 16, the description of the fire that engulfs the cottage is described as “lick[ing]… with forked and destroying tongues” Like the tongue of Satan, the creature is now consumed with hate Fire is an important symbol in the novel. It is one of the reasons Shelley originally called her manuscript ”The Modern Prometheus”. Frankenstein hears these pivotal words: “On you it rests, whether I quit forever the neighborhood of man and lead a harmless life, or become the scourge of your fellow creatures and the author of your own speedy ruin”. It gives his creator an account of his life since their last meeting

Chapter Review In accounting for the change in his own temperament from innocence and hunger for love to an overwhelming desire to destroy, he places a burden of moral responsibility on his creator’s shoulders. Frankenstein is to have one more chance to help the creature he has rejected.

Chapter Review Where did Victor next see the creature and why didn’t he destroy it? What did the creature want of Frankenstein? What is the creature’s account of his first moments of life? Where did the creature go after he was abandoned by Frankenstein? Describe the creature’s first encounter with humans. How does the creature learn to communicate properly (how does he learn to read and write)? What is the creature’s goal at this point in the story? Describe what happened when the creature introduced himself to the old, blind man in the cottage. Chapters 10-15 Where did Victor next see the creature and why didn’t he destroy it? Victor met his creature after he has ascended to the summit of Montranvert. He was full of range and horror, but when he tried to attack him, the creature easily eluded him. What did the creature want of Frankenstein? He convinces Frankenstein to listen to his story – the account of his life so far. What is the creature’s account of his first moments of life? The creature explains that he felt confused and disorientated because of the assimilation of stimuli on his senses. Where did the creature go after he was abandoned by Frankenstein? He wandered through the woods, frightened, hungry, and cold. Then he took refuge in a hovel near a cottage. Describe the creature’s first encounter with humans. When he encountered humans they would shriek, throw rocks and drive him from the villages. Describe the cottagers living next to the creature’s hovel? The cottagers consist of an old, blind man, his two children, and a foreigner. He saw that they very much cared for each other and treated one another with respect. How does the creature learn to communicate properly (how does he learn to read and write)? He learns to speak and then to read by observing and listening to the cottagers, the Delaceys. What is the creature’s goal at this point in the story? The creature’s goal is to befriend the cottagers. They are his family and he loves them – even though they don’t know of his existence. Describe what happened when the creature introduced himself to the old, blind man in the cottage. Because the elder man was blind, the creature decided to introduce himself to him first. Unfortunately, the children entered and upon seeing the creature, Agatha fainted, Safie fled, and Felix hit the creature with a stick.

Chapters XI and XII– Guided Reading Questions
What technique does Shelley employ to provide the reader with the creature’s story? Shelley creates a story-within-a-story-within-a-story. 2. Trace the levels of narration Shelley has established to tell this story. The creature is telling his story to Victor, who is telling the story to Walton, who is writing the story in a letter to his sister. 3. How does the creature describe his first days of life? He says his early days, which are confused and indistinct, are filled with a multiplicity of sensations. 4. How does the creature respond to fire? He is surprised that the fire can produce such opposite effects—it warms him but also burns him. The positive and negative consequences of the fire relate to Prometheus and the positive and negative consequences of knowledge. 5. How are the creature’s early days different from Victor’s early days? The creature was alone, unloved, and unsure where he came from while Victor was loved and was raised with parents who taught him.

6. What effect does the creature’s speech (vocabulary and grammar) have on the reader? Why did Shelley write it for that purpose? His speech makes him civilized, even human. Shelley made him speak like that to increase reader sympathy for the creature. 7. Why is the creature confused to see his cottagers crying? He thinks that since they have a nice, warm house, handsome clothes and loving company, they should not be sad. 8. Why does the creature work so hard to learn their language? What does that reveal about his character? He hopes that his ability to speak, will enable the cottagers to look past his appearance. It shows that he greatly wants a human connection. 9. What does the creature say he discovers about himself? What feelings does this discovery cause? In a pool of water the creature sees that he is a deformed monster. This discover makes him despondent.

11. What evidence does Shelley provide of the creature’s innate goodness? The creature instinctively likes the cottagers and is moved by their shows of apparent sorrow. Once he recognizes that their lives are a struggle, he performs tasks for them to make their lives a little easier. 12. What is typically Romantic in the final paragraph of Chapter XII? The fact that his spirits were uplifted by the beautiful spring is very Romantic. 13. How are the creature’s first words similar to the typical first words of human babies? A baby’s first words are nouns names of concrete things. 14. Based on what you’ve read so far, do you anticipate the cottagers will accept the creature? Why or why not? A few of the more optimistic students may want to predict that the creature will find friends here in the cottage, but all of the creature’s experiences—including Victor’s own reaction to him, and the fact that the creature is now alone telling his story—clearly indicate that they do not. 15. Why does Shelley end chapter 13 on an apparently optimistic note? In terms of the structure of the narrative, Shelley wants to end on a positive note to build suspense and allow for the reversal in a later chapter.

Chapters XIII and XIV– Guided Reading Questions
1. Explain the second sentence of this chapter: “I shall relate events that impressed me with feelings which...have made me what I am.” We learn that the creature is capable of changing as a result of his experiences. He is also isolated by society due to his appearance. 2. What practical purpose does the beautiful stranger serve? She is a tool for the creature to be able to refine his understanding of language, especially reading. 3. Why does the creature calls the cottagers his “protectors?” Students should mention that they are “teaching” him to be a member of society, and their home is sheltering him until he can face the world. 4. What paradox does the creature see in humankind through his study of human history? He sees that man can be so “powerful, so virtuous, and magnificent” while being so “vicious and base.” 5. In what way does his study of human society make him what he eventually becomes? He learns a lot about murder and evil by studying society; otherwise he never would have known how to “murder.”

Chapters XIII and XIV– Guided Reading Questions
6. What is the primary disadvantage of the creature’s “education”? The more he learns, the more he wants the companionship of the cottagers, and the more acutely he feels pain that he can’t join them. 7. In view of the trial of Safie’s father in Chapter XIV, and Justine’s trial earlier, what is Shelley’s opinion of the courts in that era? Shelley thought that they were corrupt and convicted people on very circumstantial evidence. 8. How is Safie a feminist character? She defies her father by going to Germany instead of going home. She is independent. By marrying a Christian, she escapes life in a harem. 9. What plot exposition is revealed in Chapter XIV? The plot exposition is the story of how Safie came to be with the cottagers, as well as how they came to Germany. 10. What is the character of Safie’s father? How is he a foil to Safie, and to Victor’s own father? Safie’s father is an opportunistic and old-fashioned Muslim who has not respect for women. Safie is an enlightened female, and Victor’s father values women as people and truly loves his wife and adopted daughter.

Chapters XV and XVI– Guided Reading Questions
1. What is revealed about the creature’s character very early in Chapter XV? We learn that though he knew about crime through study, it still seemed like a “distant evil.” It was not a part of his reality yet. 2. How does the creature feel about the Sorrows of Werter? In what ways is he different from the characters in the book? He thinks that the characters are very noble. They remind him very much of the cottagers. He, however, is dependent on no one, and related to no one. 3. What is the creature’s reaction to Paradise Lost? According to the creature, how is he both similar to and dissimilar from Adam? Like Adam, he has disappointed his creator. Unlike Adam, he was not created by God, has no partner, and is unhappy with his existence. 4. Why couldn’t the creature fully sympathize with the characters in Milton’s book? He couldn’t sympathize because he was uninformed, and he was so different. He didn’t know where he came from, who he was, or what he was meant to do. 5. What does the creature find in his pocket? How does it make him feel? He finds the diary of his creation. He is angry that his creator made him so ugly and alone. It made him very, very sad.

6. What happens when the creature introduces himself to the cottagers? When the creature first appears in the cottage, the blind old man is kind and understanding. However, when the sighted people return, they force him away. 7. Why doesn’t the creature kill itself after this incident? He does not kill himself because despair has not yet gripped him. He believes he may have another chance. Though he is angry, he is not ready to give up altogether. 8. What evidence is there that the creature is still essentially good despite this momentous disappointment? He admits that his anger was so great he could have burned down the cottage and killed the inhabitants, enjoying their screams of anguish, but he does not. Instead, he devises a new plan to befriend them. 9. What does the creature decide to do? What is his new plan? He resolves to try and make human contact again. This time, however, he won’t let the family see him until the old man speaks to them on his behalf. 10. What happens that makes the creature finally despair? When he tries to return to the cottage to make contact again, he sees that they have fled. He goes into a rage and burns down the cottage. (How is the symbol of fire symbolic to the creature? – see notes) How is the symbol of fire symbolic to the creature? The idea of fire is pivotal to Chapter 16. When the creature sets the cottage on fire, it is as though he were giving vent to "the hell he [bears] within [himself]" ― a hell that hearkens back to that described by Milton in Paradise Lost, as we saw in the previous chapter. The fire consumes the cottage with its "forked and destroying tongues"; this image alludes to both the fires of hell and the forked tongue of Satan, who took the form of a snake when he appeared to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Éden.

11. Why does the creature decide to go to Geneva? How have these horrible circumstances changed him? As a result of his rejection and isolation, he feels intense suffering and bitterness. He decides to go to Geneva to find his creator. 12. Why does the creature ask for a mate? Like Walton in the beginning of the book, he has no equal companion. This companionship might “redeem” him from being the evil creature he has become.

Review Questions Why is Shelley’s Novel considered a gothic novel?
How did the creature help the family? Why did the monster do this for the family? After reading Victor’s journal the creature is even more miserable than before. With this in mind, if the creature was this miserable and even contemplated suicide at one point, why did he not follow through with his suicidal thoughts? Why does the monster put the locket in Justine’s pocket? 6. How did the creature’s feelings change when he learned that the cottagers were gone? 7. In chapter 11, from which point of view is the story told? 8. How does the point of view in chapters 11 – 18 affect Shelley’s story? 9. In chapter 12, the monster sees his own reflection in a pool of water and… 10. The creature learns how to speak and learns to read by: 11. Through the cottagers and by reading books written by Milton, Plutarch, and Goeth, the monster learns? Why does the monster kill William? It has romantic writing which highlights isolated an ominous (giving the impression something bad is going to happen) locals. It contains instances of implied danger and vulnerable characters. It contains supernatural elements and unexplained events. The characters within are often in distress and are victims of terror and distress. He gathered wood, he shoveled snow, he gathered food, and he stopped stealing their food. Because he was moved when he saw the young couple five up their food for the old man. Because he wants to live in order to get revenge on Victor. To make her suffer. He presumed that she would scream and be frightened by him if she saw him. He was afraid that she would react in disgust if she saw him. He went from having a little hope to being in complete despair. The monster’s It humanizes the creature. It reveals that the creature has surprising depth and sensitivity. It allows the readers and Victor to become familiar with the creature’s sufferings. It also highlights the fact that, upon his creation, the creature was as innocent and defenseless as a human infant. He finds his face to be monstrous. He realizes that he is only capable of inspiring fear and disgust. He is even more certain that he will never know happiness. Watching the cottagers teach Safie how to read and write. To admire virtue (high moral standards) and despise vice (wickedness). Because he is a relative of Victor’s and it will hurt Victor.

Symbolism See the answer key on website

Why is it important to be loved and to feel accepted?

Chapter Review The creature’s desire for a companion seems almost noble. You can’t blame him for wanting someone in his life with whom he can share his misery. On the other hand, is it fair to the companion to be created ugly and horrifying to all only to be a companion? Frankenstein is truly conflicted between saving those he loves (and saving the rest of humanity) and knowing that creating another creature might not solve the problem, but compound it. Frankenstein reflects upon the “blasted tree” that once sparked imagination and scientific thirst for knowledge. Now, he feels himself to be a “blasted tree”, an example of wrecked and forsaken humanity. The tree is an important symbol because it is a living thing. And, because it was “blasted”, now the tree is split down the middle, severed from its roots, unable to register sensations. In fact, Frankenstein says that a “bolt” (as of lightning) entered his soul. Now, the meaning of the lightening has changed. It now symbolizes both the potential of knowledge as well as the dangers of it.

Chapter Review The creature’s demand for a mate now forces Victor into a choice. Either he refuses the demand and risks a terrible retribution – “I will work at your destruction, nor finish until I desolate your heart…” or he fulfills the demand with extended agony and risking the safety of the human race. Although it is not at all clear that Victor realizes it, his two earlier abandonments have supplied the foundation for the creature’s loneliness and consequent act – “I am malicious because I am miserable.” Now Frankenstein is asked to deny his own fear – “You will then have a companion to aid you in the task of destruction” He must undertake the work of creating another companion being. The existing creature will also endure a risk; he must trust that Frankenstein will complete the work. The creature promises to watch the “progress with unutterable anxiety.”

Chapter 17 - 24 – Class Discussion
Now that you have heard the creature’s story, do you think he is justified in declaring an “ever-lasting war” against the human species and his creator? What have the creature’s interactions with humans been like? What acts of revenge does the creature take? Are these acts justified? Is revenge ever justified? How has the creature grown intellectually and emotionally since his “birth”? How does he justify his actions? Does the creature bear responsibility for the suffering he causes, or is Frankenstein ultimately responsible?

Chapter Review Victor plunges again into a maelstrom of creative activity. This time, no idealism obscures the passing of the days. Now he knows the reality of the consequences of the first creation. To gather courage for his horrific task, he travels with his dear friend, Henry Clerval, gaining spiritual sustenance from companionship. Later, alone on one of the Orkney Islands, he begins his work, which becomes irksome. His fear that he may be cursed by future generations for the danger he is now creating intensifies. Overcome with anguish, he is unable to remember the creature’s reason for requesting a companion; in spite of the threat from the creature that, “I will be with you on your wedding night,” he risks the creature’s rage by destroying the beginnings of this new creation. After he has buried the remains in the waters of the sea, when he returns to shore he becomes under suspicion of the murder of a young man whose body which has just been discovered.

Chapter Review Two months after the dreadful landing in Ireland, Victor awakens in a prison room, full of sorrow at the memory of Henry Clerval’s death. Guilt overwhelms him, but Mr. Kirwin, the old magistrate, reassures him of his innocence. News of Victor’s illness has brought his father from Switzerland. Still insisting that he is guilty now of three deaths, Henry’s, Justine’s, and William’s, Victor refuses to be consoled. He receives a letter from Elizabeth, however, which does comfort him. She insists that he need not keep his promise to marry her, but her concern fro him awakens his desire to go through with the marriage despite the monster’s threat. He returns to Geneva, happy to be reunited with her, an promises to reveal his “dreadful secret” to her the day after their marriage. With some apprehension he enters into the plans for the wedding. At the party after the ceremony he feels his “last moment…of…happiness”.

Chapter Review After the wedding, the bride and groom stop for the night at Evian, thinking to continue their wedding trip on the morrow. True to his promise, “I will be with you on your wedding night,” the monster appears and kills Elizabeth.

Chapter Review What was the creature’s reaction upon learning that the cottagers left? How did the creature exact his revenge when he arrived in Geneva? Why did the creature frame Justine for William’s murder? What did the creature ask of Frankenstein in order to settle the “debt” he owed him? What is Frankenstein’s answer to the creature’s request and what is his reasoning? When Frankenstein destroyed the work he had begun on the female, what threat did the creature leave with his master? What happened to Frankenstein when he returned to shore with his boat? What was the creature’s reaction upon learning that the cottagers left? When the creature discovered that the cottagers left he became enraged and set fire to the cottage. The cottagers were the creature’s last hope for happiness, and now that they were gone, so was his hope for happiness. How did the creature exact his revenge when he arrived in Geneva? He met William and strangled him after the boy screamed, cursed him, and revealed that he was a Frankenstein. Why did the creature frame Justine for William’s murder? The creature wanted Justine to suffer because he knew that she would be horrified and scream upon seeing him. Instead of giving her the chance to make him feel bad, he framed her so she would suffer. What did the creature ask of Frankenstein in order to settle the “debt” he owed him? The creature wanted Victor to make him a female partner who was equally as hideous as him. In exchange, the creature would isolate himself and leave humanity (and Frankenstein’s loved ones) alone. What is Frankenstein’s answer to the creature’s request and what is his reasoning? At first Victor refused explaining that he was afraid that another monster would contribute to more havoc on the human race, or they might breed another race of “monster babies”. However, his compassion for the creature’s story gave way and he agreed to create the female. When Frankenstein destroyed the work he had begun on the female, what threat did the creature leave with his master? The creature promised that he would be with him on his wedding night. What happened to Frankenstein when he returned to shore with his boat? Victor was accused of murder.

Chapter 17 - 24 - Review Who was Victor accused of murdering?
What happened at Frankenstein’s trial? What happened to Clerval? What happened on Victor’s and Elizabeth’s wedding night? What happened to Victor’s father, Alphonse, as a result of this tragedy? What request did Victor make of Robert Walton? What happened to Frankenstein at the end of the novel? What happened to the creature at the end of the novel? Who was Victor accused of murdering? Victor was accused of murdering his good friend Henry Clerval. What happened at Frankenstein’s trial? Evidence to convict Frankenstein was insufficient. Witnesses saw him on Orkney Islands at the time of Clerval’s murder. What happened to Clerval? Clerval was murdered by the creature. What happened on Victor’s and Elizabeth’s wedding night? Victor and Elizabeth married as planned, but the creature broke into Elizabeth’s room and murdered her. What happened to Victor’s father, Alphonse, as a result of this tragedy? Alphonse died of grief. What request did Victor make of Robert Walton? Frankenstein asked Robert to destroy the creature if ever he came into contact with him. What happened to Frankenstein at the end of the novel? Frankenstein died of natural causes. What happened to the creature at the end of the novel? When he realized that Frankenstein was dead, he howled in grief. He told Walton that he was going to kill himself and then he escapes on an ice raft.

Chapters XVII and XVIII– Guided Reading Questions
1. What, according to the creature, is the cause of his wickedness and what will be the remedy? The creature’s loneliness and isolation are the causes of its wickedness. When it has the mate, it will be happy, good, and together they will leave humankind alone. 2. What does Victor suggest is a creator’s obligation to his creation? At the very least, the creator must make it possible for the creation to be happy. 3. Follow Victor’s and the creature’s lines of reasoning in their debate over the creation of the companion. Whose reasoning is most sound? Victor’s line of reasoning is that the creature has already shown itself to be evil, and he therefore does not trust it to keep its word. The creature insists that it is good by nature and that the hatred and misery to which it has been subjected have made it evil. When given the chance for happiness, its good nature will once again surface. Shelley wants the reader’s sympathy to lie with the creature. 4. Why does Victor refuse to make a female monster? Do you feel he is justified in his refusal? He refuses to make a female because he is afraid that the two creatures (and potentially their offspring) would destroy the world. Answers will vary in regard to his justification.

Chapters XVII and XVIII– Guided Reading Questions
5. What is the “sympathy” that the creature long for? Sympathy is the ability of one person to fully understand the thoughts and feelings of another. Because the creature is not human, he asserts that no human can fully know how it feels. Another word for what the creature is describing might be affinity. 6. What is different about his solitude at the beginning of Chapter XVIII from his solitude while first creating the monster? The solitude he seeks now is calming and natural. When he was creating the monster, his solitude was in his attic with his instruments. This time he is postponing his task, while before he was working fanatically at it. This time he is sadder and more fearful. 7. What does Victor’s father think is the cause of Victor’s present anxiety? He believes that Victor has met someone else to marry and is worried about disappointing both Mr. Frankenstein and Elizabeth by not wedding Elizabeth. 8. What are some of the reasons Victor feels he must go to England to complete his task? Not only are the philosophers who have the information he needs in England, but he also wishes to protect his family from having to see him in the throes of anxiety while creating another monster.

Chapters XIX and XX– Guided Reading Questions
1. Describe Victor’s feelings as he journeys through England. He does not feel that he is good company because there is a bothersome barrier between him and his fellow men. 2. What does Victor say about his childhood in Chapter XIX? He says he was formed for peace and happiness. He used to love nature; now he can’t get the same enjoyment out of it. 3. What is Victor’s big fear in delaying his trip? He is afraid that the monster might get angry that he is taking so long and take it out on one of his loved ones. 4. Why would the Romantic Mary Shelley call the English Civil War “the most animating epoch of English history”? As a “liberal,” Shelley would have been excited by the thought of common subjects and their elected Parliament rising up against a tyrannical king, deposing him, and abolishing the monarchy. 5. What style of literature describes the place where Victor begins to work in Scotland? Why? Gothic. It is deolate and forbidding landscape to mirror the horrible task he must complete.

6. How is his creation of this monster different from the first? Before he had worked day and night with passion to complete it. Now he can’t even bear to enter his laboratory some days. 7. Give four reasons why Victor changes his mind about making the second creature. Use evidence from the book to refute each of Victor’s reasons. The female creature might be more evil than the first She has made no promise to live an isolated life. She might reject the first creature and then there would be two wild creatures D. Worse yet, they might propagate a new race. Evidence: A. The romantics believed in the concept of Tabula Rasa –that a person was born a “blank” slate with no innate personality. Personality as formed by a person’s upbringing, education, and experiences. This is evident in the creature’s account of its own “growing up.” B and C. The creature “awoke” to no one—no companion, no teacher; mentor, or guide to help him form his opinions and values. The female would have the creature to help her form her thoughts and feelings. D. They might, but there is no reason to believe that their offspring won’t be born with the same nature as the parents. Also, if Victor is truly afraid of this, he could take some responsibility as a creator.

8. What opinion does Victor have of his creation? Do you agree with his assessment of it? He believes his creature is a wicked demon. Opinions may vary about his evaluation. One possibility is that the creature has been made wicked by society. The creature was made an outcast because of his appearance and only sought after friendship. 9. What is your reaction to the creature’s speech? Do you agree with him at all? Do you think Victor has treated him fairly? Again, it is most likely Shelley’s intention that the reader sympathize more with the creature. 10. What does the creature threaten when Victor destroys the mate? “I will be with you on your wedding night.” 11. What is the “calmness” Victor finds after the monster storms away? The calmness he feels is his rage sinking into despair.

Chapters XXI and XXII– Guided Reading Questions
1. What is familiar about the method of the murder discovered in this chapter? The victim has been strangled, the finger marks of the murderer clearly visible on the victim’s neck. This is very similar to William’s murder. 2. Who has been murdered, and why is Victor accused of the murder? Henry Clerval has been murdered, and Victor is accused because witnesses saw a single man in a boat leaving the scene. The boat resembles the one in which Victor has come ashore. 3. Why does Victor think he survived all that he had been through? How is the fact that he lives ironic? He thinks he is doomed to live. While all of his friends must die, which is usually considered the worst possible thing, he remains alive. In his case, watching everything he loves being destroyed is worse than death. 4. Victor makes several references to his destiny in this chapter. What does he believes his destiny to be? Victor believes the creature means to kill him. 5. What does the word “torpor” mean in the following context?: “But my general state of being was a torpor, in which a prison was as welcome a residence as the divinest scene in nature”? Apathy, listlessness, dullness.

6. Why does Victor feel he can’t be with people? What opinion does Victor express about his creation? Victor feels guilty about being among people because he has unleashed a monster in their midst. He believes the creature finds joy in his crimes. He is unable to see that the creature mourns his isolation and seeks only companionship. 7. What is ironic about the desires of Victor and the creature? Victor can have human companionship, but doesn’t want it. The creature longs for companionship and is forever denied it. 8. Why does Victor decide to marry Elizabeth immediately? He thinks that moving up the wedding time will hasten his destiny. He longs for the battle in which one of them, either he or the creature, will die, thus bringing him freedom. 9. In what way does Elizabeth restore the Romantic Victor? Her voice soothes him, which shows that he can still be calmed by the Romantic ideal of love and female beauty.

10. What do you think will happen on Victor and Elizabeth’s wedding night? Hopefully the students will be able to predict that Elizabeth is going to be killed. The entire issue with the creature has been companionship. So his just revenge would not be to kill Victor as much as to deny Victor companionship. 11. How does Shelley build suspense in these chapters? Shelley delays revealing who the murder victim is while offering clues that the murderer is the creature and the victim might be Clerval. Victor seems to condemn himself in his reaction to seeing Clerval’s body and in his feverish rantings. He continues to misinterpret the creature’s threat to be with him on his wedding night, and actually advances the date of the wedding. 12. What evidence is there to suggest what the creature really means by his threat to be with Frankenstein on his wedding night? The creature desired companionship. That has been his sole issue since the day of his coming to life. Victor has denied him that companionship—even to the extent of destroying the female companion. Therefore, the creature will do all he can to dreprive Victor of companionship—even to the extent of destroying Victor’s “female companion” (i.e. Elizabeth).

Chapters XXIII and XXIV– Guided Reading Questions
When does it finally occur to Victor that he has foolishly misinterpreted the creature’s threat? When Victor hears Elizabeth scream, it occurs to him what the threat must have meant. 2. How does the monster react to his murdering Elizabeth? He is delighted at having finally wrought his revenge. 3. What does the word “acme” mean in the following context: “Mine has been a tale of horrors; I have reached their acme, and what I must now relate can but be tedious to you”? Climax, summit. 4. What is different about Victor’s reaction to Elizabeth’s (and his father’s) death from the rest? Before he sought the monster only to meet his destiny, but now he simply wants revenge. 5. Victor, in his anger, says to the magistrate, “How ignorant art thou in thy pride of wisdom.” What is the irony in this? It is Victor’s pride and wisdom that led him to create the monster. 6. In Chapter XX, Victor says his calmness is brought by despair. At the beginning of Chapter XXIV, he says his calculating revenge brings him calm. What does this change say about his character after the deaths of his wife and father? That change shows that he has reached his breaking point. Before he was sad, but now he has been through so much sadness and is now angry again.

7. What does the creature want Victor to do now? How does that show a difference in the creature’s character from the point when he wanted a companion? He wants Victor to live. Life without all he once held dear is more painful to Victor than death would be, and the creature wants him to feel that pain. Before, the creature only wanted Victor to make him a companion. Now he wants Victor to suffer, which shows he truly has turned revengeful and possibly evil. 8. Consider Victor’s statement: “When I reflected on the work I had completed, no less a one than the creation of a sensitive and rational animal, I could not rank myself with the herd or common projectors...All my speculations and hopes are as nothing; and, like the archangel who aspired to omnipotence, I am chained to eternal hell” How does this establish Victor as a tragic hero? Victor began his research into the mystery of life with good intentions, and envisioned himself something like a God. Now, however, he realizes that he is much more like the Satan of Paradise Lost—having challenged the omnipotence of God and finding himself cast into Hell. 9. On his deathbed, Victor admits that he had an obligation to make sure his creature had a happy life. What is ironic about the excuse he offers for not doing so? He says that his paramount obligation was to see to the welfare of his fellow humans, which is a concern he should have considered before embarking on his endeavor.

10. How does the end of the novel justify the concentric levels of narration introduced at the beginning? Victor, the first-person character narrator cannot narrate his own death. Therefore Shelley needs to invent a means of including this event in her narrative—hence Captain Walton and his letters to his sister. 11. How does the inclusion of Captain Walton affect the overall meaning of the book? Walton, like Victor, is a man obsessed with a grand aspiration. His story parallels Frankenstein’s except that he is able to learn from Frankenstein. Walton’s decision to abort his mission and return home establishes the theme of the failed Romantic quest. 12. Explain how Victor is similar to a tragic hero. Explain how Victor is similar to a tragic hero. He thinks and feels intensely He has passionate aspirations and exhibits hubris The actions that result in his downfall and death are intended for good, but he does not clearly consider or understand their true consequences. He feels intense suffering during his downfall. Despite his noble character, he has a blind spot that allows him to commit errors in both action and judgement. His errors, and the resultant suffering spread to those around him. He dies as a result of his actions.

13. Explain how Victor is similar to a romantic hero. He is an individual of high birth with stronger-than-normal passions. He has a deep appreciation of the rugged beauty of nature and finds both relief and inspiration in the mountains and lakes of Switzerland. He feels deeply. When he is happy he is intensely, extra-humanly happy. When he grieves, his is an intense, extra-human grief. He has an aspiration considerably beyond the scope of normal human aspiration—striving actually to be Godlike. He ultimately fails in this quest, but dies a “sadder but wiser” man. How does Victor depart from the typical tragic hero? He departs from the form of the typical Romantic Hero in that he discourages other extra-human endeavors, encouraging Walton to return home to a “normal” life and avoid disillusionment and ruin.

Review Mary Shelley was born Mary Wollstonecraft in 1797 to William Godwin and Mary Wollstonecraft – both prominent and liberal writers. Her mother had written A Vindication on the Rights of Woman, which was a very popular feminist work. Mary spent her teen years writing. She met and fell in love with Romantic poet Percy Bysshe Shelley and became pregnant They continues their affair until his estranged wife committed suicide, at which point they married. They lost all three of their children, and in 1822 Percy drowned in the Gulf of Spezia in Italy. At the age of 24, she was an impoverished widow.

Review Frankenstein was published in 1818 when she was only 20 years old. It was considered a huge feminist feat because it was written by the female childe of a world-renowned early feminist. However, there are very few female characters, and other than Safie – they are not particularly strong characters. Historical Events: 1789 the start of the French revolution British liberals were excited that the common people were standing up to their oppressors, but quickly became disillusioned when the revolution became very bloody and its leaders became tyrants themselves.

Review 1793 – 1794 The French Reign of Terror under Robespierre
British liberals lost all hope for true justice and equality in that year 1804 Napoleon is crowned Emperor. During this time, Romantic writers were turning towards nature as an escape from the harsh realities of their world. Nature was someplace where human tyranny did not reign.

Review Romantic Movement: Disheartened liberals
Sought solitude in nature, believing that the key to all emotional healing could be found in nature. Nature imagery is the most predominant feature of Romantic literature. The idea of the disenfranchised man was also very common. Such men, who found themselves unable to live in society, were often revered and /or sympathized with. Frankenstein and his creature are both disenfranchised men – the creature because his form keeps him from any human company, and Frankenstein because he eventually feels that he cannot enjoy the company of his fellow men after unleashing a monster among them.

Review Many Romantics dealt with the supernatural.
One common Romantic trait was making ordinary, everyday things seem wonderful and awe-inspiring. However, some when a step further and dealt with non-natural things. Frankenstein’s creature is not a common thing. It could not possible be a real thing. Up until the Romantic era, writers wrote fiction that read as though it could possible be real – and was often taken for truth. Frankenstein cannot be misconstrued as real. Gothic Literature: An offshoot of Romantic literature Gothic literature was the predecessor to modern horror movies in both theme and style. Gothic literature puts a spin on the Romantic idea of nature worship and nature imagery.

Review Gothic Literature:
Nature has the power of healing – it is also an indication of mood through the weather. When bad things are going to happen in a Gothic novel, the reader knows it because there is inevitably a storm outside. “I quitted my seat and walked on, although the darkness and storm increased every minute and the thunder burst with a terrific crash over my head. It was echoed from Saleve, the Juras, and the Alps of Savory; vivid flashes of lightning dazzled my eyes, illuminating the lake, making it appear like a vast sheet of fire…I perceived in the gloom a figure which stole from behind a clump of trees near me; I stood fixed, gazing intently…A flash of lightning illuminated the object, and discovered its shape plainly to me; it’s gigantic stature, and the deformity of its aspect, more hideous than belongs to humanity…” The above quote is when Frankenstein is about to encounter his creature in the mountains.

Review Victor Frankenstein’s “Science”
“Victor’s approach to the “elixir of life” appears to be more about reading books than performing scientific experiments. Prior to the eighteenth century, what we call “science” and what we call “philosophy” were essentially the same disciplines. The study of nature and the desire to know how nature functions eventually came to be called ”natural philosophy,” but the quest for such knowledge was still more what we would consider philosophical than scientific. Mary Shelley indicates that Victor is a student of this “natural philosophy” when she indicates who some of Victor’s early influences were. She admits in the book that many of these men’s theories had been discredited, yet Victor still admits that is was they who largely set him on the course he was eventually to take. (Remember the book Victory read as a child)

Review Victor Frankenstein’s “Science” Cornelius Agrippa
Renaissance philosopher and scientist whose works reflected a strong interest in the occult and ancient , mystical “sciences” of the near East. Paracelsus Renaissance philospher and scientist who introduced a new concept of disease and the use of chemicals rather than herbs to treat diseases. Paracelsus asserted that diseases were caused by external agents attacking the body, contrary to the then-traditional idea of disease as an internal upset of the balance of the body’s humors. To cure the disease one needed to attack the external agent. Paracelsus changed the emphasis of the alchemy from chasing the mythological “Elixir or Life” or “Philosopher’s Stone,” to making medicine.

Review Character Development: Round Characters:
Characters that are fully developed and multi-dimensional. Flat Characters: Characters that are based solely on one trait or characteristic Dynamic Characters: Characters that develop through the course of the story. Static Characters: Characters that do NOT develop through the course of the story. Foil: A character who is the opposite of another character used to shed light upon the character of the latter. Catalyst: A character that starts a chain of events. A catalyst is the first dominion to fall and hit the other dominions.

Review Character Analysis of ”Static Characters”
Frankenstein Family, Elizabeth, and Justine are used as the reason for Victor’s revenge. They exist only to be killed by the monster (or killed by society), thus giving Victor the motivation he needs to rid the world of the monster. Also, Mrs. Frankenstein’s death is what makes Victor wish to create, and ultimately restore, life to inanimate objects. Henry Clerval is used as another reason for Victor’s revenge. He is also a foil for Victor by showing how scientific and, often, un-Romantic Victor is. Henry is Shelley’s way of showing how life could be for Victor if he was not given to his passion for science. Robert Walton is Shelley’s device that allows Victor to tell his story. Just as Victor used him to be the scribe of his story, Shelley uses him to be the reason the story is told.

Review Character Analysis of ”Static Characters”
M. Walmand is purely a catalyst for Victor to return to natural philosophy and continue his creation. The cottagers are the means through which the creature learns how to speak (so he can tell his story) and how to “socialize.” They are the single most important factor in making the creature long for human company, and the for his feeling of utter despair. Character Analysis of “Dynamic Characters”: Frankenstein: has a very complex character change throughout the story, mainly because the story covers his entire life. Because of the inverted time sequence (the bulk of the novel is written in a flashback and a flashback-within-a-flashback), his character in the book is not in the same sequence as in real life. Through the course of his own life, he evolves from being a happy and loving child, to a science-obsessed youth, to a broken and “wiser-for-the-wear” man.

Review Frankenstein Continue:
The various sorrows he endures through his life, and his decade-long sense of guilt for having created such a murderous being, wear on him until he is prematurely aged and sickly. Most important to mention is his change in philosophy over his development. After all the havoc he unintentionally wreaked on himself, he decides that it is better to enjoy life than to go after fame, glory, and knowledge. After all that he learns, he feels that ignorance is bliss. In essence, Victor carries the moral of the story. The Creature Chronologically, he begins life as a tabula rasa (clean slate). He is a grown being, similar to human although horrible deformed. He has no history, no family, nothing to help determine who is would become. He only develops a personality through observation of others and books, he has no ”God-given” tendencies because he was not created by God.

Review The Creature Continued:
He on has the potential for everything. He first loneliness and rejection(first by his own creator, and then by the inhabitants of the town he finds himself in) makes him feel sadness. He eventually observes the goodness in the cottagers, and he becomes good. But when they-and everyone else-spurn him, his rage and sorrow become unchecked. The people he encounters and their meanness toward him teach him meanness (he mentions that he learns about murder in history books.) He literally becomes what society makes him. The creature is Shelley’s warning to the reader.

Read the following passage carefully before you choose your answers:
The blue lake, the snow-clad mountains—they never change; and I think our placid home and our contented hearts are regulated by the same immutable laws. My trifling occupations take up my time and amuse me, and I am rewarded for any exertions by seeing none but happy, kind faces around me. Since you left me, but one change has taken place in our little household. Do 5 you remember on what occasions Justine Moritz entered our family? Probably you do not; I will relate her history, therefore, in a few words. Madame Moritz, her mother, was a widow with four children, of whom Justine was the third. This girl had always been a favorite of her father; but through a strange perversity, her mother could not endure her, and after the death of M. Moritz, treated her very ill. My aunt observed this, and when Justine was twelve years of age, prevailed 10 on her mother to allow her to live at our house. The republican institutions of our country have produced simpler and happier manners than those which prevail in the great monarchies that surround it. Hence there is less distinction between the several classes of its inhabitants; and the lower orders, being neither so poor nor so despised, their manners are more refined and moral. A servant in Geneva does not mean the same thing as a servant in France or England. Justine, 15 thus received in our family, learned the duties of a servant, a condition which, in our fortunate country, does not include the idea of ignorance, and a sacrifice of the dignity of a human being.

1.What literary term best describes the purpose of this passage?
foreshadowing plot exposition literary allusion climax character development 2. This passage is most likely an excerpt from Walton’s letters to his sister. Frankenstein’s notes. Clerval’s diary. Elizabeth’s letters to Victor. the introduction. 3. What does this passage reveal about the narrator? She supports class distinction. She supports a classless society. She feels threatened by the educated lower class. She is a member of French aristocracy She is British. There is no practical need for Elizabeth to write to Frankenstein the story of Justine’s arrival in the household other than to give the reader this information. Hence, the answer is (B) plot exposition. The letter is clearly from someone who is “home” to someone who is “away,” thus eliminating A, B, and C. E is tempting as the letters might have been introductory to the story, but is a more vague response than the others. Hence, (D) Elizabeth’s letters to Victor is the only satisfactory response. The narrator definitely contrasts her homeland with the “monarchies that surround it,” and later states that servants in Geneva enjoy better status than they do in England and France, thus eliminating D and E. As she states that her “fortunate” country’s “simpler and happier manners” provide “less distinction” between the social classes, A and C are eliminated. Only (B) She supports a classless society remains as a credible choice.

What type of government is endorsed in this passage? A. republic
B. Monarchy C. tyranny D. empire E. anarchy The word “perversity” in line 8 most likely means “unnaturalness” “grotesqueness”. Cruelty Indifference unhappiness. The word “despised” in line 13 most likely means hated. scorned. persecuted. malicious. Segregated. (A) republic. She writes, “The republican institutions of our country have produced simpler and happier manners than those which prevail in the great monarchies that surround it.” As the word is used in the context of a mother’s being unable to endure her own child, (A) “unnaturalness” is the only viable choice. This is essentially a vocabulary-in-context giveaway, as (A) hated is what the word despised means.

Read the following passage carefully before you choose your answers:
I was easily led by the sympathy which he evinced, to use the language of my heart, to give ut-terance to the burning ardour of my soul; and to say, with all the fervour that warmed me, how gladly I would have sacrificed my fortune, my existence, my every hope, to the furtherance of my enterprise. One man’s life or death were but a small price to pay for the acquirement of the 5 knowledge which I sought for the dominion I should acquire and transmit over the elemental foes of our race. As I spoke, a dark gloom spread over my listener’s countenance. At first I perceived that he tried to suppress his emotion; he placed his hands before his eyes, and my voice quivered and failed me as I beheld tears trickle fast from between his fingers,—a groan burst from his heaving breast. I paused;—at length he spoke, in broken accents:—”Unhappy man! 10 Do you share my madness? Have you drunk also of the intoxicating draught? Hear me,—let me reveal my tales, and you will dash the cup from your lips!”

1. The narrator of this passage can best be described as
ambitious. arrogant. insane. intoxicated. unhappy. 2. The word “sympathy” in line 1 most likely means A. Sorrow B. gentility C. Understanding D. Kindness E. Pity 3. This passage reveals that the narrator is entirely passionate about his science. is not dangerously passionate about science. values life above all else. is reflecting on his distant past. feels alienated from his companion. 4. The purpose of this passage in the context of the novel is to set up a sequel to Frankenstein. introduce animosity between Walton and Frankenstein. give Frankenstein the motivation to tell his story. enhance the character of Captain Walton. introduce the creature to the reader. C, D, and E are tempting only to the reader who has read superficially and does not note the metaphor of ambition being a “madness” and an “intoxicating draught.” B is tempting, but is ultimately unsupportable in this passage. Thus (A) ambitious is the best choice. As nothing bad has yet happened to Walton, A and E can be eliminated. B and D are not really related to the concept of sympathy. Hence, (C) understanding is the correct answer. The narrator writes, “One man’s life or death were but a small price to pay for the acquirement of the knowledge which I sought ...” thus eliminating B and C. There is nothing to indicate D, and the fact that he begins by telling that he is moved to confide by his companion’s sympathy eliminates E. Thus (A) is entirely passionate about his science is the best choice. A is a giveaway. There is nothing to suggest B either in this passage or in the context of the book. This is not the reader’s introduction to the creature (E), and there is little in the way of character development in this selection (D). Thus (C) give Frankenstein the motivation to tell his story is the most reasonable choice.

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