Volume I: Letter Notes
Summary of Letter 1
December 11th, 17--: Robert Walton writes to his
sister, Mrs. Margaret Saville, about his excitement at the prospect of his
upcoming voyage to the North Pole. Knowledge and glory are the goals of his
expedition. He outlines his plan to leave St. Petersburg, Russia for Archangel.
Once there, he will hire a ship
and crew and leave for the north in June.
Summary of Letter 2
March 28th, 17--: In Archangel, Walton finds a
ship and gathers men to sail
with him. While he is close to starting out for his dream, he realizes that he
is missing something. He writes to his sister:
"I have no friend, Margaret: when I am glowing
with the enthusiasm of success, there will be none to participate my joy; if I
am assailed by disappointment, no one will endeavour to sustain me in
dejection."
Although Walton is lonely, he is still passionate
about his voyage.
Summary of Letter 3
July 7th, 17--: Walton sails out and feels optimistic about the success of his journey because all incidents up to that point had been handled with relative ease. In his mind, success seems definite.
Summary of Letter 4
August 5th, 17--: Walton explains that his letters
will become a record of his conversations with Victor Frankenstein, the
Swiss man Walton's crew rescued from the frozen Arctic waters a week prior.
When the ship became iced in, the crew witnessed a large man in the distance
riding a dogsled across the frozen ocean. Some time later, Frankenstein
appeared and they brought him aboard the ship. Frankenstein, sick and weakened
by the cold, stayed on the ship while Walton nursed him. Walton writes that
Frankenstein seems broken by grief and interested only in the giant man who
traveled past the ship. Walton is curious about Frankenstein and believes that
if the men had met before Frankenstein was broken down, they would have been
great friends, the kind of friend Walton longs for in his earlier letter.
August 13th, 17--: Walton talks to Frankenstein
about his voyage to the North Pole. He explains his desire to see and explore
the North Pole at any cost, even the cost of human life. Frankenstein seems
dismayed to hear of Walton's reckless ambition and it upsets him so much that
Walton drops the subject. After a while, Frankenstein asks Walton about his
life, and Walton mentions the lack of any close friend to share his ups and
downs. In agreement, Frankenstein says, "'we are unfashioned creatures,
but half made up, if one wiser, better, dearer than ourselves -- such a friend
ought to be -- do not lend
his aid to perfect our weak and faulty natures'" (Letter 4). Although he
agrees that friendship
is an important part of life and happiness, Frankenstein says that he can form
no such ties because he has lost everyone he cares about and can't start over.
Their conversation ends, but Walton finds Frankenstein to be an incredible person
because despite his obvious loss and sadness, Frankenstein still seems to
appreciate the natural beauty
of the world around him.
August 19th, 17--: Frankenstein decides to tell Walton his story in the hopes that he can learn some lesson from the mistakes that have led to Frankenstein's ruin.
Letter Questions
1. Why might Mary Shelley have chosen to preface her tale of Frankenstein using a series of letters? What effect does framing her story through a series of letters have upon the narration of the story? (Paragraph form please)
2.
You are either Robert Walton OR Margaret Saville. Using the business letter
format, write a letter for the following purpose:
i. As Ms. Saville, ask that Robert return home
immediately.
ii. As M. Walton, persuade Margaret not to fret or
worry about you in your absence.
Summary of Chapter One
Frankenstein tells Walton about his Genevese
origins. Frankenstein describes how his father, Alphonse Frankenstein, was a
wealthy, respected and benevolent man who rescued his mother, Caroline from
poverty before marrying her. She was the daughter of Beaufort, Alphonse's
friend who lost his fortune and relocated to escape the shame of his poverty.
Alphonse traveled to Beaufort and his daughter with the intention of offering
assistance, but when he arrived at their home, Beaufort was dead and Caroline
was left impoverished and alone. Alphonse took her back to Geneva with him and
married her two years later. Although much younger than her husband, Caroline
loved him dearly and he doted on her, so their relationship was a happy, loving
one. Victor, their first son, was born as they traveled through Italy, and
although Caroline wanted a daughter, she had not conceived again by the time
that Victor was five. On a walk through the Italian countryside where Caroline
visited the poor, she found a beautiful orphan girl being raised by a peasant
family. Elizabeth Lavenza, the fair-haired, lovely orphan child, was adopted by
the Frankenstein family, and Victor considered it his job
to care for Elizabeth. The two became inseparable from that moment.
Chapter One Tasks
I.
Vocabulary: Look up the following words in the dictionary that appear in this
chapter. Offer a definition of each, and use each in a sentence of your own
creation.
(i)
caprice
definition:
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sentence:
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(ii)
inclemency
definition:
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sentence:
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(iii)
chimerical
definition:
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sentence:
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II.
Write a paragraph that describes Victor Frankenstein’s childhood.
Summary of Chapter Two
Frankenstein describes the perfect serenity of his childhood with his family, which
grew to include two younger brothers as time passed. Elizabeth was his perfect
complement and constant companion. Frankenstein
was the kind of person who attached himself intensely to only a few people, and
Elizabeth and Henry Clerval, a schoolmate, were his closest friends.
At 13 Frankenstein became interested in the spark
of life and studied theories of the creation of human life that, unbeknownst to
him, were outdated. He explains that,
"The world was to
[him] a secret which [he] desired to divine. Curiosity, earnest research to
learn the hidden laws of nature, gladness akin to rapture, as they were
unfolded to [him], are among the earliest sensations [he] can remember....It
was the secrets of heaven and earth that [he] desired to learn; and whether it
was the outward substance of things or the inner spirit of nature and the
mysterious soul of man that occupied [him], still [his] inquiries were directed
to the metaphysical, or in it highest sense, the physical secrets of the
world." (Chapter 2)
He became absorbed in these studies until he saw
lightning completely decimate a tree, and then he learned theories of
electricity and galvanization (using electricity to give life to inanimate
matter) from a guest at their home. Frankenstein abandoned his earlier, intense
line of study and became a happier person. Destiny, however, had other plans
for him.
Chapter Two Tasks
I.
Vocabulary: Look up the following words in the dictionary that appear in this
chapter. Offer a definition of each, and use each in a sentence of your own
creation.
(i)
ardour
definition:
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sentence:
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(ii)
sublime
definition:
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sentence:
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(iii)
immutable
definition:
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sentence:
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II.
What distinguishes the interests and desires of Victor from both Henry and
Elizabeth? (Sentence form please)
III.
Write a paragraph on the manner in which Victor’s early exposure to ancient
alchemists affects his desires and his ambitions.
IV.
What significant event occurs when Victor is fifteen years old? Why is this
event significant? (sentence form please)
Summary of Chapter Three
When he was 17, Frankenstein
was scheduled to leave for Ingolstadt for college when Elizabeth got scarlet
fever. As she was recovering, Caroline, who had been nursing
Elizabeth, fell ill. On her deathbed, Caroline told Frankenstein and Elizabeth
that she wanted them to marry. After a grieving period, during which Elizabeth
was a great comfort despite her own sadness, Frankenstein left for Ingolstadt.
Henry wanted to go with him, but his father wouldn't allow it. Frankenstein was
nervous about being alone and away from everyone he knew and loved, but once
there, he found his niche within the science department. A chemistry professor,
M. Waldman, befriended him, and Frankenstein became devoted to the study of
human creation and the spark of life that he had abandoned earlier. Waldman
assured him that, "'The labours of men of genius, however erroneously
directed, scarcely ever fail in ultimately turning to the solid advantage of
mankind.'" (Chapter 3) M. Waldman was horribly wrong.
Chapter Three
Tasks
I. Vocabulary: Look up the following words in the dictionary that appear in this chapter. Offer a definition of each, and use each in a sentence of your own creation.
(i)
prognosticated
definition:
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sentence:
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(ii)
countenance
definition:
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sentence:
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(iii)
repugnance
definition:
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sentence:
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II.
Read the following excerpt from Chapter Three, and explain why Victor Frankenstein
did not like modern science in contrast to ancient alchemy:
|
I
had a contempt for the uses of modern natural philosophy. It was very
different when the masters of the science sought immortality and power; such
views, although futile, were grand: but now the scene was changed. The
ambition of the inquirer seemed to limit itself to the annihilation of those
visions on which my interest in science was chiefly founded. I was required
to exchange chimeras of boundless grandeur for realities of little worth. |
III. What is Victor’s mother’s dying wish, and why is this peculiar?
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Summary of Chapter Four
Frankenstein became an ardent student of chemistry
and anatomy in his quest
to determine what gives life. After two years of study at Ingolstadt, he
considered returning home because his studies were so advanced that he couldn't
progress any further at the college. But before he planned his trip home,
Frankenstein discovered the essence of life, which he refuses to reveal to
Walton because he doesn't want Walton to follow his poor example. He said,
"Learn from me, if
not by my precepts, at least by my example, how dangerous is the acquirement of
knowledge and how much happier that man is who believes his native town to be
the world, than he who aspires to become greater than his nature will
allow." (Chapter 4)
After Frankenstein figured out what gives life, he
experimented with creating a human being. He constructed a giant man, 8 feet
tall with superhuman strength and endurance, from harvested body parts that he
took from corpses. He worked secretly and without rest for almost a year,
during which time his correspondence with his family and friends stopped. His health began to decline from the constant labour,
little rest, poor diet,
and lack of exercise, but he refused to stop working until his project was
finished.
Chapter Four Tasks
I.
Vocabulary: Look up the following words in the dictionary that appear in this
chapter. Offer a definition of each, and use each in a sentence of your own
creation.
(i)
physiognomy
definition:
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___________________________________________________________________________
sentence:
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(ii)
infallibly
definition:
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sentence:
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II. Victor Frankenstein says: “None but those who have experienced them can conceive of the enticements of science. In other studies you go as far as others have gone before you, and there is nothing more to know; but in a scientific pursuit there is continual food for discovery and wonder. “ Why does science fascinate and attract Victor? What does he imply about other pursuits, such as philosophy? Is he correct? What do YOU think about Victor’s evaluation of science versus other forms of inquiry? (Write in paragraph form please)
III.
Explain the following quote from Chapter Four in paragraph form:
A human being in perfection ought always to
preserve a calm and peaceful mind, and never to allow passion or a transitory
desire to disturb his tranquillity. I do not think that the pursuit of
knowledge is an exception to this rule. If the study to which you apply
yourself has a tendency to weaken your affections, and to destroy your taste
for those simple pleasures in which no alloy can possibly mix, then that study
is certainly unlawful, that is to say, not befitting the human mind. If this
rule were always observed; if no man allowed any pursuit whatsoever to
interfere with the tranquillity of his domestic affections, Greece had not been
enslaved; Caesar would have spared his country; America would have been
discovered more gradually; and the empires of Mexico and Peru had not been
destroyed.
Summary of Chapter Five
One rainy, autumn night, Frankenstein
brought his creation to life and all his illusions of grandeur were dashed by
the hideousness of the beast. He had constructed the monster in perfect
proportion with parts he considered beautiful, but the end result was horrific.
His perfect creation was a frightening disaster. "For this I had deprived
myself of rest and health. I had desired it with an ardour that far exceeded
moderation; but now that I had finished, the beauty of the dream vanished, and
breathless horror and disgust filled my heart." (Chapter 5) Frankenstein fled his laboratory and
collapsed in his room. He woke from a nightmare to see the monster standing
over him, smiling with his hideous, black lips. Frankenstein ran away out into
the city and walked until dawn. He ran into Henry in the city and was so
excited to see his friend that he forgot about the monster that he had created
until they returned to his apartment.
The creature was gone, and Frankenstein was relieved, but as he and Henry
talked, Frankenstein's fatigue and poor health prompted hallucinations of the
monster. Frankenstein collapsed into a fever that left him bedridden for
several months, during which Henry cared for him. In the throes of his illness,
Frankenstein rambled on about the monster, but Henry chalked it up to the
fever. He never asked Frankenstein what had happened, and he covered up the
severity of Frankenstein's illness when he wrote to the Frankenstein family.
When Frankenstein began to recover, Henry gave him a letter from Elizabeth.
Chapter Five Tasks
I.
Vocabulary: Look up the following words in the dictionary that appear in this
chapter. Offer a definition of each, and use each in a sentence of your own
creation.
(i)
endeavouring
definition:
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sentence:
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(ii)
languor
definition:
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sentence:
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(iii)
endued
definition:
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sentence:
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(iv)
entreating
definition:
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sentence:
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II.
The word monster is derived from the Latin verb monstrare meaning “to
warn.” If Victor has created a monster, for what does the monster serve as a
warning? Explain your answer in a full paragraph.
III.
Why does “the wretch” reach out for Victor?
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Summary of Chapter Six
In
her letter, Elizabeth begged for a letter from Frankenstein himself to assure
his family that he was well. Her letter also provided a long description of the
hardships of Justine Moritz, a servant who had become very close to Caroline
and Elizabeth in her time with the Frankenstein family. Justine had come to
live with the Frankenstein family years before when Caroline saw how Justine's
mother mistreated her. She grew close to Caroline and nursed her during her
illness. After Caroline's death, Justine went home to her mother, but rejoined
the Frankenstein household as a beloved part of the family after her own mother
died. Frankenstein wrote to his family to reassure them of his health and then
spent some time introducing Henry to professors at the college because he was
going to begin studying there. Frankenstein avoided his scientific studies
because it reminded him of his disastrous experiment. He planned to go home,
but his trip was postponed several months, so to pass the time before he left,
Frankenstein and Henry went on a tour of Ingolstadt.
Chapter Six Tasks
I.
Vocabulary: Look up the following words in the dictionary that appear in this
chapter. Offer a definition of each, and use each in a sentence of your own
creation.
(i)
vacillating
definition:
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sentence:
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(ii)
convalescence
definition:
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sentence:
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(iii)
antipathy
definition:
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sentence:
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(iv)
approbation
definition:
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sentence:
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II. Recount the story of Justine Moritz as it is rendered in this chapter of the novel (paragraph form).
III.
Explore the relationship that is suggested between friendship and health in
this chapter. Why might this relationship be significant later in the novel?
(paragraph form)
Summary
of Chapter Seven
When
Frankenstein and his friend, Henry Clerval, returned from their tour of the
woodlands around Ingolstadt, there was a letter for Frankenstein from his
father. In the letter, Alphonse explained to Frankenstein the circumstances of
his five-year-old brother, William's, murder. The family was walking in the
woods near their Geneva home when William disappeared. After a night spent
searching for him, Alphonse found his strangled body. Elizabeth was distressed
because she had loaned the boy a miniature, or locket of Caroline, William's
dead mother, and it was no longer around his neck. The locket seemed the motive
for the boy's murder, and Elizabeth felt responsible.
Frankenstein left for Geneva immediately to comfort and grieve with his family. Returning to his hometown after six years made him nervous and afraid of the changes that had taken place there, so he stopped for a few days before he got to Geneva and let the landscape of his native country soothe his fears. He reached Geneva just after the city gates were closed, so he was forced to spend the night in a small town nearby. Unable to sleep, Frankenstein walked to the spot where William was murdered and watched a storm approach over the mountains. In the fury of the storm,
"A flash of
lightning illuminated the object and discovered its shape plainly to me; its
gigantic stature, and the deformity of its aspect, more hideous than belongs to
humanity, instantly informed me that it was the wretch, the filthy demon to
whom [he] had given life." (Chapter 7)
The monster ran away and climbed the sheer rock
face of a mountain with incredible speed and agility before Frankenstein could
stop him. Frankenstein knew that the monster was William's murderer and
realized with horror the evil he had released into the world. Frankenstein
himself was William's murderer because he created the fiend that killed him.
Frankenstein realized that he couldn't tell anyone that the monster murdered
William because no one would believe him. And even if they did believe him, who
would be able to catch the monster? He decided to keep quiet about what he
knew, but when he got home, he learned that Justine, their servant and friend,
had been accused of the murder because another servant had found the missing
locket in Justine's dress. Elizabeth believed Justine was innocent, but the
rest of the family wasn't sure what to think. Frankenstein was the only one who
knew the truth, and he was distraught.
Chapter Seven Tasks
I.
Vocabulary: Look up the following words in the dictionary that appear in this
chapter. Offer a definition of each, and use each in a sentence of your own
creation.
(i)
unremitted
definition:
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___________________________________________________________________________
sentence:
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(ii)
promontory
definition:
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sentence:
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(iii)
candour
definition:
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sentence:
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II.
Read the following admission by Victor Frankenstein in this chapter: “I
considered the being whom I had cast among mankind, and endowed with the will
and power to effect purposes of horror, such as the deed which he had now done,
nearly in the light of my own vampire, my own spirit let loose from the grave,
and forced to destroy all that was dear to me.” In paragraph form, explain what is the literal meaning of his
words. Next, consider what might be the figurative or metaphoric sense of his
words. (i.e.: What is the deeper meaning of his words that has significance for
us today and beyond his own individual/fictional situation?)
Summary
of Chapter Eight
At her trial, Justine could explain away all the
evidence against her except for the locket. Frankenstein
knew the monster planted it on her to frame her for William's death. Elizabeth,
convinced of her friend's
innocence, pleaded to the jury. Frankenstein also made an appeal, but Justine
was convicted and executed. Frankenstein had two deaths on his conscience and
Elizabeth was inconsolable. Frankenstein knew then that it was only the
beginning of their sorrow and he was responsible for all of it but unaware of
how to prevent it. "[He] beheld those [he] loved spend vain sorrow upon
the graves of William and Justine, the first hapless victims to [his]
unhallowed arts." (Chapter 8)
Chapter Eight Tasks
I.
Vocabulary: Look up the following words in the dictionary that appear in this
chapter. Offer a definition of each, and use each in a sentence of your own
creation.
(i)
ignominious
definition:
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___________________________________________________________________________
sentence:
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(ii)
obliterated
definition:
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sentence:
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(iii) conjecture
definition:
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sentence:
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(iv)
wantonly
definition:
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sentence:
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(v)
timorous
definition:
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sentence:
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(vi)
approbation
definition:
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___________________________________________________________________________
sentence:
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(vii)
obdurate
definition:
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sentence:
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(viii)
ignominy
definition:
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sentence:
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(ix)
perdition
definition:
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sentence:
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II. Explain why Justine confesses to a murder
that she has not committed.
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III. Discuss the
figurative significance of Justine being called a “monster” in light of other
monsters in this novel (paragraph form).
Summary of Volume II: Chapter Nine
Frankenstein's agitation over his role in the
deaths of William and Justine impaired his mental state and became obvious in
his haggard appearance and antisocial tendencies. He spent much time alone on
the lake after his family had gone to bed
and contemplated drowning himself. His father believed the distraction to be
grief, but Frankenstein couldn't get over his melancholy because he felt
responsible not only for the deaths of William and Justine, but also for the
grief that weakened his father's health
and the drastic alteration in Elizabeth's nature. She was somber and dark,
where before she was radiant and bright. Elizabeth also noted despair and
vengeance in Frankenstein's manner, and she tried to comfort him with her
friendship, but sometimes his anguish and fear concerning the monster was so
strong that he had to leave his home to escape. His family and friends couldn't
ease his mind because they didn't know the source of his trouble. They had no
idea about the monster, and he couldn't tell them, so he had to handle his
anguish alone. He embarked on a trip to Chamounix to escape again.
Chapter Nine Tasks
I.
Vocabulary: Look up the following words in the dictionary that appear in this
chapter. Offer a definition of each, and use each in a sentence of your own
creation.
(i) fortitude
definition:
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___________________________________________________________________________
sentence:
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___________________________________________________________________________
(ii)
abhorrence
definition:
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___________________________________________________________________________
sentence:
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___________________________________________________________________________
(iii)
desponding
definition:
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___________________________________________________________________________
sentence:
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___________________________________________________________________________
(iv) pallid
definition:
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sentence:
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II. Write a paragraph that details what you suppose Victor Frankenstein’s state of mind must be at this point in the story.
Summary of Chapter Ten
While on a day
trip to the top of a mountain, the monster approached Frankenstein. Ready to fight to the
death, Frankenstein cursed the monster, but the monster asked Frankenstein to
hear him out. He claimed to be a virtuous creature until the scorn of humans
made him miserable and lonely. The monster said:
"'All men hate the
wretched; how then, must I be hated, who am miserable beyond all living things!
Yet you, my creator, detest and spurn me, thy creature, to whom thou art bound
by ties only dissoluble by the annihilation of one of us.'" (Chapter 10)
Frankenstein still refused to listen, and the
monster told him that as his creator, Frankenstein owed it to him to hear his
story and meet his demands. If Frankenstein would meet the demands, the monster
vowed to withdraw from humanity and leave Frankenstein in peace. If he refused
the monster's offer, however, the monster vowed to destroy Frankenstein's
family. Out of a small sense of compassion and even greater curiosity,
Frankenstein agreed to listen and accompanied the monster to his ice cave in
the mountains.
Chapter Ten Tasks
I.
Vocabulary: Look up the following words in the dictionary that appear in this
chapter. Offer a definition of each, and use each in a sentence of your own
creation.
(i)
solemn
definition:
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___________________________________________________________________________
sentence:
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(ii)
melancholy
definition:
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___________________________________________________________________________
sentence:
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(iii)
glut
definition:
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___________________________________________________________________________
sentence:
____________________________________________________________________
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(iv) commiserate
definition:
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
sentence:
____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
II. Read the following passage from this chapter: “I remembered the effect that the view of the tremendous and ever-moving glacier had produced upon my mind when I first saw it. It had then filled me with a sublime ecstasy that gave wings to the soul, and allowed it to soar from the obscure world to light and joy. 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. I determined to go without a guide, for I was well acquainted with the path, and the presence of another would destroy the solitary grandeur of the scene.” What kind of experience is Victor Frankenstein describing here? Write about a similar experience that you have had (paragraph form).
III. Frankenstein frequently
uses the term “daemon” to refer to his creature. This word is most commonly
used synonymously with the word “devil”; it designates an evil spirit that
brings human beings to their ruin, and that creates misfortune and havoc in the
world. Given that Frankenstein’s daemon is a destructive force, explore the
underlying reasons why this daemon comes into existence. What motivated Victor
to create his “monster”? Also consider what similar sorts of daemonic forces
can be found in the world today for which Victor’s monster serves as a
“warning” (Latin: monstrare) (paragraph form).
III. When the fiend says, “Do your duty towards me, and I will do mine towards you and the rest of mankind,” what does he mean? ______________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
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IV.
Discuss the various meanings implied by Shelley’s description of the fiend as
Victor’s “creation” and of Victor himself as a “creator” (paragraph form).
Summary
of Chapter Eleven
The monster told Frankenstein
about the development of his senses after he awoke
in the laboratory. He was unable to differentiate between the five senses or
determine the sources of light and darkness when he blinked. His vision took
several days to come into focus, the way it takes time for infants' eyes to adjust. When he escaped from the
laboratory, he wandered around the forest near Ingolstadt living on raw berries
and nuts until he discovered the flickering remnants of some traveler's fire.
He learned of the warmth and utility of fire as well as the danger of it (which
he figured out when he stuck his hand in the flames and burned it), but the
source of the fire eluded him. Because he was uncertain how to start a fire, he
kept it burning continuously so that he could use it to keep warm and to cook
the nuts he found. The sound of his own voice when he imitated the birds around
him frightened him. The monster was forced to relocate when the food supply
dwindled. As he wandered, snow fell and he sought shelter in a shepherd's
cottage. When he entered the cottage, the man ran away screaming in fear at the
hideousness of the monster. The monster, having never seen himself, didn't
understand the reaction. He stayed in the cottage, which fascinated him because
it was the first shelter he'd ever been in. After he ate the food and rested, he
wandered away again and came upon a village. He sought shelter there and was
chased away by the frightened villagers who threw rocks at him. This hostile
reception made him afraid of people, so when he found another cottage off in
the forest, he just hid in a shed near the house and watched the De Lacey
family -- Agatha, Felix, and their blind father -- through a small hole in a
covered window. He heard music
for the first time when the father played his guitar.
The monster even experienced the sympathetic emotions of sadness and joy while
he watched them, but he didn't know what those feelings were. Watching them
made him happy, but the monster didn't want the family to know he was there.
Chapter Eleven Tasks
I.
Vocabulary: Look up the following words in the dictionary that appear in this
chapter. Offer a definition of each, and use each in a sentence of your own
creation.
(i)
assuage
definition:
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
sentence:
____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
(ii)
purloined
definition:
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
sentence:
____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
(iii)
demeanour
definition:
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
sentence:
____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
(iv)
despondency
definition:
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
sentence:
____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
II.
Recount in your own words the story of the monster’s early life and upbringing.
What does the monster’s story tell us about his nature (paragraph form)?
Summary of Chapter Twelve
Over time, as the monster watched the De Lacey
family, he learned that they were sad because they were poor, and although all
seemed a little disheartened, Felix, the boy, seemed the saddest for some
unknown reason. The monster began chopping wood and shovelling the snow from
the path while they slept so that they could use the daylight hours for the garden and other, more productive, work. The
family considered the anonymous favours
the work of a good spirit. Studying them, the monster learned to recognize
words like "milk," "cheese," and "bread," as well
as learning the cottagers' names. He realized that when Felix read aloud in the
evenings, he was really looking at symbols that stood for words. The monster
wanted to be able to understand and communicate. He wanted to master language
before he revealed himself to the De Lacey family because he had discovered his
ugliness in the reflection of a stream, and he knew it would scare them if he
couldn't talk to them. After seeing their beauty and his hideousness, the
monster was saddened, but he believed that if he could talk to them, they
wouldn't hate and fear him as other humans had. He expected to be able to win
their love.
Chapter Twelve Tasks
I.
Vocabulary: Look up the following words in the dictionary that appear in this
chapter. Offer a definition of each, and use each in a sentence of your own
creation.
(i)
contemplation
definition:
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
sentence:
____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
(ii)
poignantly
definition:
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
sentence:
____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
(iii)
appropriated
definition:
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
sentence:
____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
(iv)
exhortations
definition:
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
sentence:
____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
(v)
venerable
definition:
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
sentence:
____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
(vi)
arbiters
definition:
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
sentence:
____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
II.
Write a paragraph about what the fiend learns from the De Lacey family.
Summary of Chapter Thirteen
Spring blossomed around the monster and the De
Lacey family's cottage, but Felix, the son, seemed sadder than before until a
dark and beautiful woman came to the cottage. Safie, the Arabian woman, spoke
no French, their language,
but was as in love with Felix, and he was in love with her. The family welcomed
her and taught her to speak French,
and the monster learned along with her. He became able to understand their
conversations and the nightly readings of history so that he grew more educated
concerning humanity and the world. In learning about humanity, he noted his
separation from them. "'When I looked around I saw and heard of none like
me. Was I, then, a monster, a blot upon the earth, from which all men fled and
whom all men disowned?'" (Chapter 13) The more he learned, the worse he
felt. He had no idea where he came from or how he came into existence. These
unanswered questions made the monster increasingly more lonely.
Chapter Thirteen Tasks
I.
Vocabulary: Look up the following words in the dictionary that appear in this
chapter. Offer a definition of each, and use each in a sentence of your own
creation.
(i)
nocturnal
definition:
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
sentence:
____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
(ii)
cursory
definition:
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
sentence:
____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
(iii)
amiable
definition:
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
sentence:
____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
(iv)
doted
definition:
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
sentence:
____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
II.
What similarity is there between Felix’s love for a foreigner who does not
speak his language and the monster’s love for the DeLacey family?
___________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
III.
Reflect on the significance of the monster’s reflection: “Was man, indeed, at
once so powerful, so virtuous and magnificent, yet so vicious and base? He
appeared at one time a mere scion of the evil principle, and at another as all
that can be conceived of noble and godlike. To be a great and virtuous man
appeared the highest honour that can befall a sensitive being; to be base and
vicious, as many on record have been, appeared the lowest degradation, a
condition more abject than that of the blind mole or harmless worm. For a long
time I could not conceive how one man could go forth to murder his fellow, or
even why there were laws and governments; but when I heard details of vice and
bloodshed, my wonder ceased, and I turned away with disgust and loathing”
(paragraph form).
Summary
of Chapter Fourteen
Having gained the ability to understand language
and even read, the monster learned the history
of the cottagers and the Arabian woman. He offered Frankenstein copies of the
letters of Felix and Safie as proof of his honesty. At one time, De Lacey, the
old man, was a wealthy Parisian, until Felix learned of the unjust imprisonment
of Muhammadan, Safie's father. Felix set out to free the man condemned for his
religion and wealth, and that's how
he met Safie and fell in love with her. Muhammadan, uncertain of Felix's
loyalty to his cause, promised Safie's hand in marriage upon his escape from
prison to ensure that Felix wouldn't forget about him. Felix, expecting to
marry Safie, waited with Muhammadan in Italy until the escaped prisoner could
get to Turkey safely. Safie did not want to return to Turkey because of the
restrictions on the religion and society of women there. Her late mother, a
Christian Arab freed from slavery by marriage to Muhammadan, had taught Safie
independence and she wanted to stay in France with Felix, but her father had
other plans. Muhammadan wanted Safie to return with him, but he kept his plans
a secret so that Felix wouldn't turn him over to the French government.
Meanwhile, the French government discovered the De Lacey's connection with
Muhammadan's escape, and De Lacey and Agatha were imprisoned. Felix heard the
news and returned home
immediately expecting that Muhammadan would leave for Turkey as soon as he
could, but that Safie would wait in Italy for Felix to come back for her. When
Felix and his family were exiled to Germany, Muhammadan told Safie to forget
Felix, and then, fearing he would soon be discovered, he left for Turkey. Safie
was to wait in Italy to gather his possessions and then travel to Turkey, but she left for
Germany to find Felix instead.
Chapter Fourteen Tasks
I.
Vocabulary: Look up the following words in the dictionary that appear in this
chapter. Offer a definition of each, and use each in a sentence of your own
creation.
(i)
zeal
definition:
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
sentence:
____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
(ii)
indelibly
definition:
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
sentence:
____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
(iii)
emulation
definition:
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
sentence:
____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
(iv)
expostulate
definition:
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
sentence:
____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
(v)
divulged
definition:
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
sentence:
____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
II.
Look for parallels/contrasts between the story of Felix’s and Safie’s families
& the lives of Victor and/or the fiend. Write a paragraph about what light
the different plots throw upon one another.
Summary of Chapter Fifteen
Shortly after learning the De Lacey's story, the
monster found a bag with books and clothes in the forest. He read The
Sorrows of Werter, Paradise Lost,
and Plutarch's Lives to further his education,
and this reading only seemed to emphasize his wretchedness. He also found
Frankenstein's journal in the pocket of a coat he had stolen from the
laboratory the night he awoke and escaped. He read the catalogue of his
creation and was disgusted with the monstrosity of his own origins. Desperately
lonely, the monster decided to seek out the friendship of the cottagers. He
went into their home when De Lacey, the blind man, was home alone so that he
could win him over before the others returned. De Lacey was kind to him, but
the monster didn't reveal his desire for their companionship until Felix,
Agatha and Safie were almost in the door. Before De Lacey knew what had
happened, the women had fainted and Felix had chased the monster away.
Chapter Fifteen Tasks
I.
Vocabulary: Look up the following words in the dictionary that appear in this
chapter. Offer a definition of each, and use each in a sentence of your own
creation.
(i)
benevolence
definition:
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
sentence:
____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
(ii)
supplication
definition:
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
sentence:
____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
II.
Fill out the following chart by doing some research concerning the relevance of
each of the following books to the creature’s education and personal situation:
|
|
Byron’s
Paradise Lost |
Plutarch’s
Lives |
Goethe’s
Sorrows of Werter |
|
What
is the subject of the book? |
|
|
|
|
Why
would this be significant to the creature? |
|
|
|
III.
Does the creature’s increased knowledge bring him happiness or wretchedness?
Why?
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
IV.
What is “vice” and what is “virtue”? What is the problem with the creature’s
understanding of vice and virtue as being relative solely to pleasure and pain?
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
V.
Examine in paragraph form what the creature says about his similarities and
differences from Adam as one who is created by a Creator. What affectation
arises in the creature that sullies his innocence?
VI. Study the excerpts from The Book of Job (1:8-11) and chapter 15 of Frankenstein. Try to figure out what Shelley is suggesting about the creature in her writing by alluding to the Hebrew Bible, and respond in paragraph form:
|
And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought? Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face. |
|
Sometimes I allowed my thoughts, unchecked by reason, to ramble in the fields of Paradise, and dared to fancy amiable and lovely creatures sympathising with my feelings, and cheering my gloom; their angelic countenances breathed smiles of consolation. But it was all a dream; no Eve soothed my sorrows, nor shared my thoughts; I was alone. I remembered Adam's supplication to his Creator. But where was mine? He had abandoned me: and, in the bitterness of my heart, I cursed him. |
Summary of Chapter 16
The monster spent the night in the woods howling
his disappointment and anger like an animal. He was angry and vengeful, so
"'from that moment [he] declared everlasting war against the species, and
more than all, against [Frankenstein] who had formed [him] and sent [him] forth
to this insupportable misery.'" (Chapter 16) He returned to his hiding
place near the cottage only
to find the cottage empty. Felix returned with the landlord and explained that
the De Lacey family could no longer live there because the blind father's
health was drastically altered by the encounter with the monster and that the
women would never recover from the horror. The monster burned the cottage in a
rage that night and set out for Geneva to find the man who created him and seek
revenge for the injustice of his existence. While he traveled, the beauty of
nature around him eased the monster's fury until he was shot at after he
rescued a girl from a river. The wound received when he was only being kind was
the final straw for the monster. When the monster was near Geneva, he encountered a little boy in the woods.
Thinking that someone so young could be taught to love him, the monster planned
to kidnap the boy and keep him as a companion. But the boy struggled and
threatened that his father, Alphonse Frankenstein would punish the monster, and
he realized the boy's connection to Frankenstein,
his creator. The monster killed the little boy to get back at Frankenstein. The
monster found the miniature on the boy's body and took it because it was of so
lovely a woman. He hid in a barn
and discovered Justine, the Frankensteins' lovely servant, asleep in the loft.
Bitter that a woman as beautiful as she would never care for him, the monster
planted the necklace in her dress so that she would be convicted of his crime.
Having finished relating his story to Frankenstein, the monster then laid out
the terms of his demands. He said, "'I am alone and miserable; man will
not associate with me; but one as deformed and horrible as myself would not
deny herself to me. My companion must be of the same species and have the same
defects. This being you must create.'" (Chapter 16)
Chapter Sixteen Tasks
I.
Vocabulary: Look up the following words in the dictionary that appear in this
chapter. Offer a definition of each, and use each in a sentence of your own
creation.
(i)
myriad
definition:
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
sentence:
____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
(ii)
gesticulation
definition:
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
sentence:
____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
(iii)
hovel
definition:
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
sentence:
____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
(iv)
succour
definition:
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
(v)
sentence: ____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
(vi)
imprecate
definition:
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
sentence:
____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
(vii)
recompense
definition:
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
sentence:
____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
(viii)
imbibed
definition:
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
sentence:
____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
(ix)
malignity
definition:
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
sentence:
____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
(x)
sanguinary
definition:
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
sentence:
____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
(xi)
requisition
definition:
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
sentence:
____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
II.
After the cottage is burned to the ground, what does the creature say happens
to “the mildness” of his nature? Why?
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
III.
Read the following account of the monster’s journeys after having lost the
DeLacey family: "I generally rested during the day, and travelled only
when I was secured by night from the view of man. One morning, however, finding
that my path lay through a deep wood, I ventured to continue my journey after
the sun had risen; the day, which was one of the first of spring, cheered even
me by the loveliness of its sunshine and the balminess of the air. I felt
emotions of gentleness and pleasure, that had long appeared dead, revive within
me. Half surprised by the novelty of these sensations, I allowed myself to be
borne away by them; and, forgetting my solitude and deformity, dared to be
happy. Soft tears again bedewed my cheeks, and I even raised my humid eyes with
thankfulness towards the blessed sun which bestowed such joy upon me.” What do
you notice about the effects of nature on the heart even in the depths of
despair and loneliness? Write about a similar transformative experience that
you yourself have had wherein the beauty and grace of nature has had the effect
of turning you away from bitterness towards thankfulness and acceptance
(paragraph form).
Summary of Chapter Seventeen
Frankenstein and the monster argued about creating
another creature. Frankenstein believed that if he did, the monster would have
a companion with whom he could destroy humanity. The monster assured
Frankenstein that he and his companion would travel
away from Europe to the wilds of South
America where they would live away from humanity. He
explained that,
"'If I have no ties
and no affections, hatred and vice must be my portion....My vices are the
children of a forced solitude that I abhor, and my virtues will necessarily
arise when I live in communion with an equal.'"
(Chapter 17)
If Frankenstein refused, the monster vowed to
prevent Frankenstein from any peace or happiness. Feeling that he owed his
creation a chance at happiness, Frankenstein agreed to make a female monster
and then returned to Geneva to begin his work. The monster promised to be near
at all times to check on Frankenstein's progress and take his companion when
she was completed.
Chapter Seventeen Tasks
I.
Vocabulary: Look up the following words in the dictionary that appear in this
chapter. Offer a definition of each, and use each in a sentence of your own
creation.
(i)
abject
definition:
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
sentence:
____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
(ii)
undulations
definition:
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
sentence:
____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
(iii)
naught
definition:
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
sentence:
____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
II.
We have already seen how the Book of Job
figures in some of the imagery in Shelley’s novel (cf. chapter 15). The book of
Genesis is also alluded to in the
novel inasmuch as Victor is likened to a Creator God and “the fiend” is his
“creation.” How and why are the allusions to the Book of Job inverted in this chapter when compared with their use
in Chapter 15? Find and explain a quote from this chapter as support for your
analysis (paragraph form).
III.
The creature says: “If I have no ties and no affections, hatred and vice must
be my portion; the love of another will destroy the cause of my crimes, and I
shall become a thing of whose existence every one will be ignorant. My vices
are the children of a forced solitude that I abhor; and my virtues will necessarily
arise when I live in communion with an equal. I shall feel the affections of a
sensitive being, and become linked to the chain of existence and events, from
which I am now excluded.” Explain his understanding of how virtue and vice
arise, and how this view might be applied to understand social behaviour in our
own world. Do you agree? Why or why not? (Paragraph form please)
Volume III: Summary of Chapter Eighteen
Frankenstein couldn't bring himself to start on
the second monster because it repulsed him. His fits of melancholy were less
frequent as he put off working on the monster, but every once in a while he had
to be alone for a few days. His father chalked this moodiness up to the idea
that Frankenstein didn't want to marry Elizabeth despite the expectation that
the two would marry. Frankenstein assured his father that he loved Elizabeth
and wanted to marry only her. But when his father suggested an immediate
marriage, Frankenstein insisted that he needed to travel
to England
first. Frankenstein wanted to finish the creation of the second monster before marrying Elizabeth. He had research to do in England, and he knew he couldn't be near his family while he worked on the second monster, so his trip to England was settled and his marriage to Elizabeth would occur upon his return. Frankenstein worried that when he left for England the monster might harm his family, but then he decided that the monster would follow him to England to watch his progress. Frankenstein met Henry Clerval, his life-long friend, in Strasbourg and they traveled to England together. When they journeyed along the Rhine, Henry was greatly impressed by the beauty of the landscape around them, and the remembrance of his passion for that beauty made Frankenstein pause in relating his story to Walton to lament his friend's death.
Chapter Eighteen Tasks
I.
Vocabulary: Look up the following words in the dictionary that appear in this chapter.
Offer a definition of each, and use each in a sentence of your own creation.
(i) disquisition
definition:
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
sentence:
____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
(ii) poignant
definition:
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
sentence:
____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
(iii) insurmountable
definition:
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
sentence:
____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
(iv) aversion
definition:
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
sentence: ____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
(v) paternal
definition:
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
sentence:
____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
(vi) consolation
definition: ___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
sentence:
____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
(vii) meandering
definition:
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
sentence:
____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
(viii)
chastened
definition:
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
sentence:
____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
II.
Examine the significance of incest in this chapter (paragraph form).
III.
Explore Victor’s sentiments towards the natural world in this chapter. Find a
passage/quotation that supports your exposition. What does nature teach Victor?
(paragraph form)
Summary of Chapter Nineteen
Frankenstein and Henry spent several months in
London before they went on a tour of Scotland. Frankenstein,
still subject to fits of melancholy and fear, set out on his own for the fairly
deserted Orkney Islands. He planned to work there on the monster's companion
and promised to rejoin Henry in a few months. Frankenstein began his task
although he was revolted by the work that excited him so long ago. He was
uncertain of the monster's presence in Scotland, so he worried about his
family's safety. Although he was motivated to work by a desire to protect his
family, he still found it difficult to work on the second monster.
Chapter Nineteen Tasks
I.
Vocabulary: Look up the following words in the dictionary that appear in this
chapter. Offer a definition of each, and use each in a sentence of your own
creation.
(i)
blight
definition:
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
sentence:
____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
(ii)
transitory
definition:
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
sentence:
____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
(iii)
palpitate
definition:
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
sentence:
____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
(iv)
placid
definition:
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
sentence:
____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
(v)
ennui
definition:
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
sentence:
____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
II.
In this chapter, Victor relates: “I was formed for peaceful happiness. During
my youthful days discontent never visited my mind; and if I was ever overcome
by ennui, the sight of what is
beautiful in nature, or the study of what is excellent and sublime in the
productions of man, could always interest my heart, and communicate elasticity
to my spirits. But I am a blasted tree; the bolt has entered my soul; and I
felt then that I should survive to exhibit, what I shall soon cease to be--a
miserable spectacle of wrecked humanity, pitiable to others, and intolerable to
myself.” Write a paragraph that investigates the similarities between Victor
and “the fiend.”
Summary
of Chapter Twenty
Frankenstein was almost finished with the female
monster, but he realized that this second monster, created as a companion for
the first, might not be agreeable to all the conditions Frankenstein and the
monster had constructed before her creation. She would be as independent as the
first monster and might not be held at peace by an agreement made before her
creation. She might be violent. She and the monster might procreate and
introduce a race of monsters to the earth. There were so many horrific possibilities
that Frankenstein didn't want that responsibility. While Frankenstein was
deciding against finishing the second creature, the monster looked in the
window of his laboratory. Seeing the terrifying results of his first creation,
Frankenstein defiantly ripped the second creature apart and left the lab. The
monster came to Frankenstein's apartment,
but Frankenstein wouldn't change his mind no matter what the argument. The
monster vowed revenge. "'You can blast my other passions,
but revenge remains -- revenge, henceforth dearer than light or food! I may
die, but first you, my tyrant and tormentor, shall curse the sun that gazes on
your misery.'" (Chapter 20) The monster vowed to be with Frankenstein on
his wedding
night and then disappeared. Frankenstein believed that he would die on his
wedding night, but he still couldn't make himself construct the second monster.
Henry sent a letter requesting that Frankenstein join him immediately because
Henry was leaving for India soon. Frankenstein took a few days to pack his
instruments and then loaded the hideous and shredded remnants of the second
monster into a basket
weighted down with rocks. He dropped the basket into the ocean at night and was
so relieved by getting rid of the thing that he fell asleep in the boat and
awoke the next day in rough, unfamiliar waters. He spent the day expecting to
die in the boat, but by evening it calmed enough for him to find harbour in a
small town. As he pulled onto shore, a rude and suspicious Irish crowd met him.
They took him to the local magistrate, M. Kirwin because he was suspected in
the murder of a man the previous night.
Chapter Twenty Tasks
I.
Vocabulary: Look up the following words in the dictionary that appear in this
chapter. Offer a definition of each, and use each in a sentence of your own
creation.
(i)
inexorable
definition:
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
sentence:
____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
(ii)
insuperable
definition:
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
sentence:
____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
II.
The creature says to Victor: "Shall each man… find a wife for his bosom,
and each beast have his mate, and I be alone?” Apart from the unnaturalness of
the creature’s origins, what else is suggested here as being monstrous about
the state in which he finds himself? How might this insight into monstrosity be
pertinent to our understanding of the world in which we live? (paragraph form)
III.
After destroying the creature’s companion, Victor remarks: “The remains of the
half-finished creature, whom I had destroyed, lay scattered on the floor, and I
almost felt as if I had mangled the living flesh of a human being.” He seems to
recognize something sacred in the corpse of his half-finished creature. Write a
paragraph reflection on what you take to be the meaning of the term “sacred”;
what role does the sacred play in your own life? What is the result of the
failure to recognize the sacred nature of life in the story? What does such a
failure lead to in the real world around us?
Summary of Chapter Twenty-One
The magistrate heard witnessed accounts of
fishermen discovering the strangled body that was still warm and then seeing a
man row away in a boat like the one Frankenstein
arrived in. As he listened, Frankenstein heard the
similarity between William's murder and this one. M. Kirwin showed Frankenstein
the body; it was Henry. Frankenstein lapsed into a delirious fever for several
months, ranting and raving about killing the monster. M. Kirwin believed him
innocent of the murder and had a doctor and nurse tend to Frankenstein while he
was imprisoned. M. Kirwin also contacted Frankenstein's father to come care for
his son. Frankenstein was acquitted because of proof that he was on the island
where he worked when the body was found. Although Frankenstein was ecstatic to
see his father, his grief and remorse overwhelmed him and he sometimes tried to
harm himself.
"The cup of life
was poisoned forever, and although the sun shone upon me, as upon the happy and
gay of heart, I saw around me nothing but a dense and frightful darkness,
penetrated by no light but the glimmer of two eyes that glared upon me."
(Chapter 21)
After his acquittal, Frankenstein and his father headed home
to Geneva, but Frankenstein's health was still
frail.
Chapter Twenty-One Tasks
I.
Vocabulary: Look up the following words in the dictionary that appear in this
chapter. Offer a definition of each, and use each in a sentence of your own
creation.
(i)
deposition
definition:
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
sentence:
____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
(ii) magistrate
definition:
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
sentence:
____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
(iii)
assizes
definition:
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
sentence:
____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
(iv)
languishing
definition:
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
sentence:
____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
(v)
paroxysms
definition:
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
sentence:
____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
II.
Examine the manner in which Victor’s travails among the Irish teach him
something about what it feels like to be treated as an outsider and a monster
(paragraph form).
III.
Explain the comment about Victor: “He may be innocent of the murder, but he has
certainly a bad conscience.”
Summary of Chapter Twenty-Two
While resting in France, Frankenstein
got a letter from Elizabeth explaining that although she wanted to marry him,
she didn't want him to feel honour-bound to marry her if there was someone else
he loved. Frankenstein loved no other, but remembered the monster's promise to
be with him on his wedding night. Frankenstein decided to face his death
bravely and wrote to Elizabeth that he would marry her as soon as he returned
and would tell her the secret that had been bothering him for so long on the
day after their wedding. He returned home and was still depressed. The wedding
date was set for ten days later and in the meantime, Frankenstein carried a gun
and dagger in case the monster showed up early. But he wasn't prepared for what
the monster had in store.
"Great God! If for
one instant I had thought what might be the hellish intention of my fiendish
adversary, I would rather have banished myself forever from my native country
and wandered a friendless outcast over the earth than have consented to this
miserable marriage. But, as if possessed of magic powers, the monster had
blinded me to his real intentions; and when I thought that I had prepared only
my own death, I hastened that of a far dearer victim."
(Chapter 22)
Elizabeth seemed melancholy on her wedding day as she and Frankenstein
sailed to Evian for their honeymoon. As they traveled, Elizabeth pointed out
the specific beauties of their trip -- Mont Blanc in the distance, the
clearness of the river on which they sailed, and the general serenity of the world around them. But even the
natural beauty didn't ease her sadness. Frankenstein began getting nervous as
night fell.
Chapter Twenty-Two Tasks
I.
Vocabulary: Look up the following words in the dictionary that appear in this
chapter. Offer a definition of each, and use each in a sentence of your own
creation.
(i) indefatigable
definition:
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___________________________________________________________________________
sentence:
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(ii) convalescence
definition:
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sentence:
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(iii) consternation
definition:
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___________________________________________________________________________
sentence:
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II.
In chapter twenty, the creature warns Victor: “I shall be with you on your
wedding-night.” Victor takes this warning as a threat upon his own life. In
chapter 22, Victor reflects: “I would die to make her [Elizabeth] happy. If the
monster executed his threat, death was inevitable; yet, again, I considered
whether my marriage would hasten my fate.” Of what are we aware as readers that
Victor is not for some reason? Why might Victor be so unaware? Provide other
examples of Victor’s lack of awareness in this chapter (paragraph form).
Summary of Chapter Twenty-Three
A storm blew in that night, and Frankenstein's agitation was scaring
Elizabeth, so he sent her to their room to go to sleep while he checked around
the inn to make sure the monster wasn't there. He heard a scream from their
room. "As I heard it, the whole truth rushed into my mind, my arms
dropped, the motion of every muscle and fibre was suspended; I could feel the
blood trickling in my veins and tingling in the extremities of my limbs."
(Chapter 23) When he got to their room, Elizabeth was strangled, stretched out
across the bed. After fainting,
Frankenstein saw the monster in the window and went out into the night after
him with no success. Grief-stricken and worried about his father and brother,
the only family he had left, Frankenstein set out for home.
Frankenstein's father was so shocked by the news of Elizabeth's death that his
health failed him and he died in Frankenstein's arms a few days later.
Frankenstein spent a short time in an insane asylum before he was released, and
then he went to the magistrate to demand help catching the monster. He told the
magistrate his story and the man, half-believing, refused to send men after the
monster because of the futility of chasing something so superhuman. At that
point, Frankenstein vowed to spend the rest of his life pursuing the monster.
Chapter Twenty-Three Tasks
I.
Vocabulary: Look up the following words in the dictionary that appear in this
chapter. Offer a definition of each, and use each in a sentence of your own
creation.
(i)
bier
definition:
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___________________________________________________________________________
sentence:
____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
(ii)
invective
definition:
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___________________________________________________________________________
sentence:
____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
II.
Look for quotations and evidence in this chapter in which similarities between
Victor and “the fiend” are mentioned. What makes each of them monstrous?
(paragraph form)
Summary of Chapter Twenty-Four
Uncertain of where to begin his search, Frankenstein went to the cemetery
where William, Elizabeth, and Alphonse were buried. He swore on their graves
that he would avenge their deaths, and he heard the monster laugh at him. The
chase was on. Frankenstein followed the monster across Europe and up toward the
North Pole. When Frankenstein felt weak, he would find stashes of food or
goading notes left by the monster to spur him on, prolonging the torture of
living only for revenge. On the ice-covered ocean, Frankenstein was only a mile
behind the monster until the ice broke, separating them and bringing
Frankenstein toward Robert Walton's ship. Before he came aboard, Frankenstein
had demanded to know what direction the ship was sailing because he would only
go aboard if it were going north so that he could continue his pursuit of the
monster. After ending the story, Frankenstein asks Walton to kill the monster
if given the chance.
Continuation of Letter Four
Journal August 26th 17--: Walton
describes Frankenstein during his storytelling as prey to all the melancholy
and indignant emotions of his story. Although the tale is fantastic, Walton
believes it without doubt. Frankenstein even goes over the notes of Walton's
letters to correct mistakes and elaborate in some parts. Walton thinks
Frankenstein's only comfort is the dreams
he has of his family, which Frankenstein believes are visitations
by their spirits. Walton thinks Frankenstein must have been an incredible man
before this tragedy destroyed him. Frankenstein explains that when he was
younger, he believed himself destined for greatness, and it was that belief
that upheld him at times when others might have been discouraged. He felt he
had to persevere because he didn't want to waste his talent. The creation of
the monster, although hideous, was still remarkable and miraculous. It seemed
in some way that he had reached the greatness he felt destined for, but at a
costly price. "'All my speculations and hopes are as nothing, and like the
archangel who aspired to omnipotence, I am chained in an eternal hell.'"
(Chapter 24) Frankenstein's attempt to play God and create life has caused him
to plummet into destruction at the hands of his own creation. His ambition and
desire for glory fashioned the chain that binds him to the monster and insists
upon destroying the monster or dying in the attempt. Walton is sad to think of
losing this new friend, but Frankenstein is so bent on vengeance that he
refuses any new ties of friendship
and his only desire is to kill the monster and join his family in death.
Journal September 2nd, 17--:
Walton's ship is enclosed by ice. The lives of his crew are in his hands, and
he isn't sure whether to turn back and go home,
or to continue to the North Pole. The men are afraid. Frankenstein's health is
failing, but he still lifts Walton's spirits with his presence.
Journal September 5th, 17--:
Walton's crew demands a promise that as soon as the ice clears, if it clears,
they will go home. Before Walton answers, Frankenstein gives them a lecture on
glory, which seems odd given the devastation that the search for glory has
created in his life. But even though his initial search for glory has destroyed
his life, he pursues the monster with the same ardour and passion with which he created him, determined to
succeed despite the physical impossibilities. Frankenstein tells the crew:
"'Oh! Be men, or be
more than men. Be steady to your purposes and firm as a rock. This ice is not
made of such stuff as your hearts may be; it is mutable and cannot withstand
you if you say that it shall not. Do not return to your families
with the stigma of disgrace marked on your brows. Return as heroes who have
fought and conquered and who know not what it is to turn their backs on the
foe.'" (Chapter 24)
Journal September 7th, 17--: Walton and the men decide to turn back although Walton is bitterly disappointed about not reaching the North Pole.
Journal September 12th, 17--: Several
days before the ice breaks and the path home becomes clear, Frankenstein
insists on leaving the ship to pursue the monster, but his health prevents it.
As death approaches, he summarizes his life in these words:
"'In a fit of
enthusiastic madness I created a rational creature and was bound towards him to
assure, as far as was in my power, his happiness and well-being .... . . I
refused, and I did right in refusing, to create a companion for the first
creature. He showed unparalleled malignity and selfishness in evil; he
destroyed my friends . . ... Miserable himself that he may render no other
wretched, he ought to die. The task of his destruction was mine, but I have
failed.'" (Chapter 24)
Although Frankenstein had a duty to his creation,
he felt his greater duty was to humankind, to protect them from the terror and
destruction that the monster and a companion might create. In fulfilling his
duty to mankind and refusing the monster's request for a companion,
Frankenstein brought the monster's wrath upon himself and his family.
Frankenstein tells Walton to "'[s]eek happiness in tranquility and avoid
ambition, even if it be only the apparently innocent one of distinguishing
yourself in science and discoveries.'" (Chapter 24) Frankenstein dies shortly
after imparting this advice, and as Walton finishes the last of his letter, he
hears cries from Frankenstein's room. The monster stands over Frankenstein
asking the corpse for forgiveness for his destruction. He tries to justify his
crimes to Walton, who can't bring himself to look at the monster's hideous
face. Walton debates killing him as he had assured Frankenstein he would if
given the chance, but the monster prevents his plans by explaining that he is
leaving for the North Pole to burn himself and destroy every trace of his
existence. The monster jumps from the ship and drives
away on his dogsled into the northern distance and
disappears, never to be seen or heard from again.
Chapter Twenty-Four Tasks
I.
Vocabulary: Look up the following words in the dictionary that appear in this
chapter. Offer a definition of each, and use each in a sentence of your own
creation.
(i)
extricate
definition:
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___________________________________________________________________________
sentence:
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(ii)
impassive
definition:
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___________________________________________________________________________
sentence:
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___________________________________________________________________________
(iii)
unabated
definition:
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___________________________________________________________________________
sentence:
____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
(iv)
ominous
definition:
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___________________________________________________________________________
sentence:
____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
(v)
dispositions
definition:
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___________________________________________________________________________
sentence:
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(vi)
imminent
definition:
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___________________________________________________________________________
sentence:
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(vii)
immured
definition:
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___________________________________________________________________________
sentence:
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(viii)
dissipate
definition:
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sentence:
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(ix)
surmounted
definition:
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___________________________________________________________________________
sentence:
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___________________________________________________________________________
(x)
paramount
definition:
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___________________________________________________________________________
sentence:
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(xi)
opprobrium
definition:
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___________________________________________________________________________
sentence:
____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
(xii)
transcendent
definition:
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
sentence:
____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
(xiii)
immaculate
definition:
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
sentence:
____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
(xiv)
irremediable
definition:
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
sentence:
____________________________________________________________________
(xv) conflagration
definition:
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___________________________________________________________________________
sentence:
___________________________________________________________________
II. Who says: “I was hurried away by fury; revenge alone endowed me with strength and composure; it moulded my feelings, and allowed me to be calculating and calm, at periods when otherwise delirium or death would have been my portion.”? Why is the answer to this question not obvious?
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___________________________________________________________________________
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III. Of Victor Frankenstein, Robert Walton remark: “he enjoys one comfort, the offspring of solitude and delirium: he believes that, when in dreams he holds converse with his friends and derives from that communion consolation for his miseries or excitements to his vengeance, they are not the creations of his fancy, but the beings themselves who visit him from the regions of a remote world.” What does this passage suggest about Frankenstein’s state of mind and his awareness of the world around him?
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IV. Analyze the creature’s words upon the death of his Creator: “Oh, Frankenstein! generous and self-devoted being! what does it avail that I now ask thee to pardon me? I, who irretrievably destroyed thee by destroying all thou lovedst.” Explain how the creature in the ensuing paragraphs understands his actions against Victor. What is Walton’s response and his own assessment of the creature’s actions. Which character do you think pinpoints the reasons correctly? Fashion your response to these questions clearly in two or three paragraphs.