Character & Motivation
Volume I excerpt (Ch. 4): Who is the narrator describing when he says, “His yellow skin scarcely covered the work of muscles and arteries beneath…”?
The Creature
In one sentence, state a central theme suggested by both excerpts (Volume I, Ch. 4 and Volume II, Ch. 2)
Example: Isolation and consequences of playing God / responsibility of the creator.
What type of words does Mary Shelley (as adapted in the graphic novel) use to show Victor’s horror in the Volume I excerpt? Give one example from the text.
Strong, descriptive adjectives and sensory detail (e.g., “yellow skin,” “watery eyes”).
What is the narrative point of view in the provided excerpts (who is telling the story)? Provide the correct term.
First-person narrator (Victor Frankenstein narrating parts; creature speaks directly in quoted dialogue).
In Volume II the creature calls himself “thy Adam” and “the fallen angel.” To which two older texts or traditions is he alluding? (Name briefly.)
Allusions to the Bible (Adam) and Milton’s Paradise Lost (Satan / fallen angel); also Prometheus myth. 200
What immediate emotion does Victor Frankenstein describe feeling after the creature awakens in Volume I, Chapter 4? Cite a short phrase from the excerpt that supports your answer.
Horror/disgust (e.g., “breathless horror and disgust filled my heart”).
How does the imagery in Volume I (e.g., “dreary night of November,” “rain pattered dismally”) help develop the mood that supports the theme you named? Provide a brief textual citation.
Textual citation example: “dreary night of November” / “rain pattered dismally” sets bleak mood.
Identify an instance of repetition in the Volume I excerpt and explain its effect on tone
Repetition of “Beautiful!—Great God!” emphasizes shock and the collapse of expectation.
How does the narrator’s perspective create sympathy for Victor in Volume I? Give one piece of textual evidence that shows his internal feeling.
Victor’s internal language (“breathless horror and disgust filled my heart”) shows wounded emotions that can generate sympathy.
How does the creature’s “fallen angel” reference reframe our understanding of his role compared to Milton’s Satan? Provide one sentence connecting the allusion to the creature’s speech.
The “fallen angel” line complicates the creature’s role: he sees himself both cast out like Satan and wronged like Adam, drawing pity and blame.
In Volume II, Chapter 2, the creature says, “I was benevolent; my soul glowed with love and humanity.” Based on this and nearby lines, what motivates the creature’s behavior toward humans? Provide one line of textual evidence.
Motivated by loneliness and desire for acceptance (e.g., “I was benevolent; my soul glowed with love and humanity” and “I am alone, miserably alone”).
Using the Volume II excerpt, explain how the creature’s speech about loneliness builds the theme of isolation. Include a short quoted phrase in your answer.
Quotation: “I am alone, miserably alone.” Shows isolation.
In Volume II, Chapter 2, the creature uses direct address to Frankenstein (“You, my creator…”). How does that line of dialogue propel the action or change the tone of the scene? Give a short explanation with citation.
Direct address escalates confrontation and forces Frankenstein to listen; cite “You, my creator, detest and spurn me, thy creature…”
Identify one line where dramatic irony might exist between what the narrator believes and what the reader may infer. Quote the line and explain briefly.
Example of potential dramatic irony: Victor thinks he achieved a “beautiful” creation, yet the reader sees horror — quote “I had selected his features as beautiful. Beautiful!—Great God!”
Identify one theme or character type in Frankenstein that echoes classical myths or religious stories (e.g., Prometheus, Adam). Use a line from the excerpt to support the connection.
Theme/character type: the outcast/Promethean creator; support with “I was benevolent...but am I not alone, miserably alone?”
How does Victor’s physical reaction (actions he takes) after seeing the creature reveal his psychological state? Cite the excerpt (Volume I) to support your analysis.
He flees the room and can’t face the creature; e.g., “Unable to endure the aspect ... I rushed out of the room” shows panic/avoidance.
Describe how the theme of creator/creation responsibility develops between the two excerpts. Give one example from each excerpt to show progression.
Volume I shows immediate abandonment (Victor flees); Volume II shows creature’s plea and demand for responsibility — cite “I had worked hard...infusing life” and “Hear my tale...On you it rests.”
Find an example of figurative language or a strong connotative word in either excerpt (e.g., “demoniacal corpse,” “wretchedly,” “hell”) and analyze how it affects tone or meaning.
Example: “demoniacal corpse” (connotative, evokes horror) or “hell” (figurative) — increases moral intensity and condemnation.
Explain how differences in point of view between Victor and the creature (as shown in the excerpts) create tension. Use one short quotation from each perspective.
Victor: “Unable to endure...I rushed out”; Creature: “I was benevolent...my soul glowed with love” — opposing viewpoints create tension.
The creature says humans “would ... arm themselves for my destruction.” Which mythic or traditional pattern does this reaction reflect (hint: scapegoat, exile, or monstrous outcast)? Explain in one sentence with textual support.
Pattern: exile/ scapegoat / monstrous outcast — text: “your fellow-creatures spurn and hate me.”
Compare Victor’s stated intentions before creating the creature (as implied in Volume I) with his reaction after creation. What does this contrast reveal about his character and responsibility? Use at least two brief textual references from the provided excerpts.
Intended scientific glory vs. immediate revulsion; cite “beauty of the dream vanished” and “breathless horror and disgust.”
Provide an objective summary (2–3 sentences) of the presented scenes that shows how character, setting, and plot advance the central theme(s). (Be sure your summary is factual and not interpretive.)
Summary cue: Victor creates a being and recoils in horror; the creature, rejected and isolated, confronts Victor demanding to be heard; both scenes develop themes of responsibility, isolation, and consequences.
The Volume I excerpt contains a short scene break in action (creation, then Victor leaving). Analyze how the structure of these sentences (short sentences vs. longer sentences) impacts pacing and emotional buildup. Provide two brief textual examples.
Short, punchy sentences (“Beautiful!—Great God!”; “I passed the night wretchedly.”) speed up emotion; longer descriptive sentences slow and build dread.
Mary Shelley often frames Victor’s account within other narrators in the novel. Considering only these excerpts, how might layering point of view change a reader’s understanding of events? Give one specific effect (e.g., reliability, bias).
Layering point of view can make events seem less reliable and emphasize bias — it can make readers question Victor’s self-portrayal and sympathize with the creature.
Analyze how the modern retelling (graphic novel adaptation) might render these traditional allusions “new” for contemporary readers based on the tone and detail in the excerpts. Give two brief points with evidence from the text.
Two points: (1) Graphic novel imagery intensifies sensory horror making classical allusions visceral (cite “yellow skin…watery eyes”), (2) Direct, modern-sounding pleas make the creature’s appeals immediate and relatable (“Listen to me, Frankenstein”).