Letters & Lab
What is Walton’s main goal in his Arctic voyage?
To reach the North Pole / explore uncharted territory.
What event first sparks Victor’s fascination with electricity?
Watching a tree struck by lightning.
How is Elizabeth brought into the Frankenstein family?
She is adopted from poor peasants.
What are the three books that shape the Creature’s worldview?
Paradise Lost, Plutarch’s Lives, The Sorrows of Werter.
Who is the first victim after Victor abandons the female creature?
Henry Clerval.
How does Walton’s ambition mirror Victor’s?
Both seek glory through discovery but risk moral and physical destruction.
Which professor encourages Victor’s scientific pursuits?
M. Waldman.
Which two deaths most clearly expose Victor’s moral failure?
William’s and Justine’s.
What does the Creature learn from observing the De Laceys?
Language, human emotion, and social rejection.
What does the Creature promise Victor after the lab scene in Scotland?
“I shall be with you on your wedding night.”
What literary structure frames the novel’s events?
An epistolary frame narrative (letters within a story).
What “gift” becomes Victor’s burden?
His intellect and ambition to create life.
What does Justine’s false confession reveal?
Her innocence vs. society’s corruption and Victor’s cowardice.
“Was I then a monster…?” — What realization is Shelley dramatizing?
The moment the Creature recognizes he is hideous.
What request do Walton’s crew make after being trapped in ice?
To turn back if they are freed.
Why does Shelley omit the scene of reanimation?
To emphasize moral, not scientific, consequences and maintain mystery.
Why does Victor destroy the female creature?
He fears they’ll reproduce and spread evil / defy his control.
How does Victor’s friendship with Henry Clerval contrast his scientific obsession?
Henry values humanism and creativity, grounding what Victor loses.
After the De Laceys flee, what does the Creature do?
Burns the cottage out of rage and grief.
“Seek happiness in tranquility and avoid ambition…” — What moral does this quote express?
The destructive cost of ambition and the virtue of contentment.
“I desire the company of a man who could sympathize with me.” — What does this line foreshadow?
Victor’s arrival and the theme of isolation/loneliness.
“I am a blasted tree; the bolt has entered my soul.” — Explain the metaphor.
Victor’s guilt and ruin mirror the lightning-struck tree that inspired him.
“Excessive sorrow prevents improvement or enjoyment.” — What lesson is this quote teaching?
Dwelling in grief halts growth and redemption.
How does the Creature’s relationship with Victor evolve from childlike to vengeful?
From seeking love to demanding justice through revenge.
Why does the Creature choose to end his life?
Out of guilt, grief, and recognition of his irredeemable nature.