Characters
The person the creature demands as a companion
A female creature
Victor agrees to make a second creature under this condition
The creature promises to leave humanity forever
“Shall each man… find a wife for his bosom, and each beast have his mate, and I be alone?”
The Creature
Why the creature wants a companion
He longs for connection and relief from isolation
Value of companionship
Emphasizes emotional and social bonds
Victor’s closest male friend who travels with him
Henry Clerval
Where Victor goes to create the second creature
A remote island in Scotland
“I am satisfied: miserable wretch! you have determined to live, and I am satisfied.”
The Creature
Why Victor destroys the second creature
Victor fears creating more destruction
Fear of consequences
Anxiety about unchecked ambition
Victor’s fiancée
Elizabeth Lavenza
What Victor does after destroying the second creature
After he tears it apart he disposes the ruins in the water.
“I will be with you on your wedding night.”
The Creature
The meaning of the creature’s threat
The threat foreshadows Elizabeth’s death
Power of emotion over logic
Emotion (fear, dread) drives interpretation
The magistrate Victor speaks to
Mr. Kirwin
Who is murdered in Ireland
Henry Clerval
“Have my murderous machinations deprived you also…?”
Victor Frankenstein
Why Victor becomes increasingly isolated
Victor withdraws due to guilt and trauma
Individual vs. society
Tension between individual suffering and society
The Arctic explorer who rescues Victor
Robert Walton
Where Victor pursues the creature at the end
The Arctic
“Seek happiness in tranquility…”
Victor Frankenstein
Victor’s final warning to Walton
Victor warns against dangerous ambition
Sublime and human limits
Nature’s vastness shows human limits