Theme/Motif
On her deathbed, Caroline Frankenstein says to her adopted daughter, "Elizabeth, my love, you must supply my place to my younger children."
Mary Shelley includes this general theme in the narrative through its acknowledgment, opposing the popular beliefs of her time.
What is the role of women*?
*feminism, sexism
In Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, the story of Victor Frankenstein is indirectly told by the man himself, using words like "I" and "me." Therefore, this is the perspective of the narrative.
What is first-person point of view?
How does nature and the seasons indicate Victor's mental state?
Victor is always more observant of nature's beauty when he is emotionally stable. For example, during his frantic work in the laboratory, Victor doesn't even notice the seasons passing.
"I see by your eagerness, and the wonder and hope which your eyes express, my friend, that you expect to be informed of the secret with which I am acquainted..." (54)
Shelley uses a fourth-wall break for this purpose.
What is used to remind the reader that this is an oral narration?*
*to address Walton
"... but I did not watch the blossom or the expanding leaves... The leaves of that year had withered before my work drew near to a close... the fall of a leaf startled me" (56).
The Foster technique of season is frequently used throughout the story. Here, it is meant to envoke this response/feeling.
What is foreboding?*
*dread, tension, anxiety
"But I was in reality very ill; and surely nothing but the unbounded and unremitting attentions of my friend could have restored me to life" (62).
These are a major contributing factor in Victor Frankenstein's wellbeing, and how he handles them is thematically a determinant of his story's fortune.
What are relationships*?
*friendships, family, social connections
"She busied herself with following the aerial creations of the poets..."
"Meanwhile, Clerical occupied himself, so to speak, with the moral relations of things."
How does Victor's POV impact his view of his friend's interests?
Victor's infatuation with science leads him to be slightly dismissive of his friend's interests, which he considers to be unimportant when compared to understanding the mechanics of reality.
Explain the symbolism of Victor's laboratory?
Victor's lab is a wretched womb; both places create life, but Victor's is wholly unnatural and therefore corrupt.
“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 daemon, to whom I had given life.”
What is the impact of Shelley's complex syntax in this excerpt?
Shelley builds suspense by slowly describing the monster to the reader before finally revealing the identity of the object.
"'My dear Victor!" cried he, 'what, for God's sake, is the matter..? How ill you are..!' I imagined that the monster seized me; I struggled furiously, and fell down in a fit" (62).
The Foster technique applied to Frankenstein after he creates the monster draws a connection between these two things.
What are illness and emotions?
Victor Frankenstein's emotional and moral conflict; he continually struggles to come to terms with his actions and their impacts. This motif contributes to the broad moral themes and how Frankenstein's character navigates them.
What is responsibility?*
*guilt, honesty, liability
In what cases has Victor Frankenstein's POV blurred the truth?
Victor idolises his parent's relationship, but an outside observer can see that Caroline and Alphonse are more saviour and servant than husband and wife.
Victor always casts his father in a positive light, but he is far from the selfless individual Victor makes him out to be.
How do Ingolstadt and Geneva symbolise competing influences in Victor's life?
Geneva represents a positive and familial influence towards love, normalcy, and society, while Ingolstadt represents Victor's destructive desire for power and superiority.
"But I, the true monster, felt the never dying worm alive in my bosom, which allowed of no hope or consolation."
How does the worm in this excerpt act as a symbol?
The worm alludes to Frankenstein's terrible research in preparation for creating the monster. Here, the worm is preventing him from being happy, just like the repercussions of his experiment keep Victor depressed. He is the victim of his own research.
Caroline (Frankenstein's mother) dies of Scarlet Fever from tending to Elizabeth. Justine (his family's servant) searches for her charge and, consequentially, is found guilty for his murder.
In Foster's perception of stories as reiterations of existing works, Josephine and Caroline can be considered this:
What are Christ figures?