Frankenstein INTER

Frankenstein
Very Brief
Plot Summary
Letters 1-4:
Letters from Robert Walton to his sister – he is an explorer and

has found Victor Frankenstein in poor health on the ice of the
Arctic. He takes him on board his ship and Victor tells his story.
Chapters 1-5:
Victor tells of his early life with his family and how he left them
for Ingolstadt to study at university. There Victor embarks on
creating a man from body parts and eventually succeeds but
immediately regrets his actions.
Chapters 7-8:
Victor hears his younger brother has been killed, knows it is the
Creature. He meets the Creature in Chamonix and the Creature
begins to tell his tale.
Chapters 11-16:
The Creature tells of how he hid and observed a family for months.
He learned how to speak and how to read. He realises his looks
isolate him from society. He tries to approach the blind old man of
the poor family, but is discovered and driven away. He then swears
revenge. He accidentally meets Victor’s brother and strangles him to
get at Victor.
Chapters 17-19:
The Creature asks Victor to make him a companion. Eventually

Victor agrees. Henry and Victor begin a 2-year tour of Europe.
They go to England and Scotland first.
Chapters 19-21:
Victor arranges to be in the Orkneys so he can begin work alone. He
changes his mind about the second creature and decides to meet up
with Henry. He sets out in a boat but there is a storm and he ends up
washing up on a shore. Victor is immediately accused of murder.
When he realises it is Henry who is dead, Victor falls ill. His father
comes out to see him. In court Victor is found innocent of the crime.
Chapters 22-24:
Victor marries Elizabeth. The Creature kills Elizabeth and
Victor’s father dies soon after from shock. Victor swears
revenge and follows the Creature as far as the Arctic where he
meets Walton. Victor dies and the Creature is found crying
over the body. The Creature regrets his actions and goes off
into the ice to die.
Context
Mary Shelley:
Born in 1797 to radical parents, Shelley was brought up to question
society’s norms. She was encouraged to read and think and met lots of
intellectual thinkers of the time, such as Wordsworth and Coleridge.
Shelley was extremely interested in science.
Scientific influences:
A lot of scientists were experimenting with electricity during Shelley’s
life. Notably, Aldini toured the country reanimating corpses using
electricity. Shelley would also have known two leading scientists of the
day, Nicholson and Davy, who both experimented with electrolysis to
break down compounds.
Religion:
The Church of England was the accepted religion in England. Many
clergy were also scientists as it was believed that science would
validate religious truths. As science progressed, many people became
concerned that scientific discoveries were undermining the teachings of
the church.
Characters
Victor Frankenstein: A brilliant scientist and
scholar. One of the main characters.
The Creature: This is the ‘man’ created by Victor, he
is not named.
Robert Walton: An explorer who opens and closes
the novel with his letters.
Alphonse Frankenstein: Victor’s father who is very
supportive and understanding.
William Frankenstein: Younger brother of Victor.
Justine Moritz: Adopted by the Frankenstein family
but wrongfully hanged for murder.
Elizabeth Lavenza: The adopted daughter of
Victor’s parents. In love with Victor.
Caroline Beaufort: Victor’s mother. Dies of scarlet
fever.
Henry Clerval: Victor’s best friend who is his
opposite in temperament.
De Lacey Family: A poor family who are observed
by the Creature.
Mr Waldman: Professor of chemistry who
encourages Victor’s love of science.
Mr Krempe: Professor of natural philosophy. He
makes Victor start his studies again.
Mr Kirwin: An Irish town magistrate who accuses
Victor of the murder of Henry.
Key Quotations
‘Learn from me, if not by my precepts, at least by my example, how dangerous is the
acquirement of knowledge.’ Frankenstein, Chapter 4
‘… but now that I had finished, the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and
disgust filled my heart.’ Frankenstein, Chapter 5
‘All men hate the wretched; how then, must I be hated, who am miserable beyond all living
things!’ The Creature, Chapter 10
‘Was I, a monster, a blot upon the earth from which all men fled and whom all men disowned?’
The Creature, Chapter 13
‘I admired virtue and good feelings and loved the gentle manners and amiable qualities of my
cottagers…’ The Creature, Chapter 14
‘Accursed creator! Why did you form a monster so hideous that even you turned from me in
disgust?’ The Creature, Chapter 15
‘My companion must be of the same species and have the same defects. This being
you must create.’ The Creature, Chapter 16
‘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.’ The Creature, Chapter 17
‘Had I right, for my own benefit, to inflict this curse upon everlasting generations?’
Frankenstein, Chapter 20
‘You can blast my other passions, but revenge remains - revenge, henceforth dearer
than light or food!’ The Creature, Chapter 20
‘To me the walls of a dungeon or a palace were alike hateful. The cup of life was
poisoned forever…’ Frankenstein, Chapter 21
Themes
Dangerous Knowledge:
Both Victor and Robert Walton push human knowledge
beyond its current boundaries.
This turns out badly for them both.
Life, Existence, and Friendship:
If Victor can create life from nothing, what does this say
about the role of parents?
The Creature seems to be a ‘blank slate’ and his
personality develops according to his treatment by
society. Is this how it is when humans are born?
Secrecy and Lies:
Victor covers up his creation and ends up losing
everyone he loves.
His own health also suffers with the secret he keeps
inside.
Appearances and Prejudice:
The Creature is rejected by everybody purely on the
basis of his looks. • Victor is possibly more monstrous
than the Creature.
Nature:
The natural world is seen as a place where people can be renewed
spiritually.
Victor often uses the natural world to try to ease his guilt.
However, at the end of the novel, the frozen wastes represent Victor’s
emotional state and the end of his life.
Revenge:
The Creature takes revenge on Victor for abandoning him.
Victor then tries to take revenge on the Creature.
Symbolism/Motifs:
Light and dark; weather; nature; passive women.
Frankenstein
Questions
Questions:
1. Who is Victor Frankenstein, and what does he do in the story?

2. What does Victor Frankenstein create, and why does he regret it?
3. Who is the Creature, and how is he connected to Victor?
4. Why does the Creature feel lonely and sad?
5. What happens to Victor’s younger brother, and who is
responsible?
6. What does the Creature want Victor to create for him?
7. How does Victor react when the Creature kills Elizabeth?
8. Explore the theme of dangerous knowledge in Frankenstein. How
do both Victor and Walton suffer from their pursuit of knowledge?

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Frankenstein

Letters from Robert Walton to his sister – he is an explorer and

The Creature asks Victor to make him a companion. Eventually

1. Who is Victor Frankenstein, and what does he do in the story?

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