Victor
What was Victor's upbringing like?
His parents were very affectionate towards him.
What work of literature influences Walton?
The Rime of the Ancient Mariner.
How did Victor's parents present Elizabeth to Victor?
She became "my more than sister" and was considered a gift to Victor. There was an idea of ownership/possession.
Who was Henry Clerval?
He was Victor's best friend. He was talented and loved enterprise, hardship and danger for its own sake. He was well-read in books about chivalry and romance. He composed heroic songs and wrote stories about knights. He was inspired by the King Arthur stories and wrote plays. He "occupied himself...with the moral relations of things.
Who is the author of Frankenstein?
Mary Shelley is the author.
How did Victor's family grow?
Other than adopting Elizabeth, Victor's parents had another son seven years younger than he.
What strange sight did Walton and his crew see?
Dogs pulling a gigantic man on a sled.
What did Elizabeth become ill with?
She suffered from Scarlet Fever.
Walton's crew rescues a man he refers to as a stranger. What reason does the stranger give for traveling so far?
He aims to seek one who fled him.
What allusions have we seen in Frankenstein so far?
"The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" and "Mutability"
Why did Victor initially want to find the "elixir of life"?
He wanted to banish disease from the human body.
What does Walton lack that he wants?
He lacks and wants a friend.
What's the story of how Elizabeth joined the Frankenstein family?
His mother wanted a daughter and they adopted Elizabeth, who was living with some peasants (although they had been richer in the past" She was the blond-haired, blue-eyed daughter of a Milanese nobleman (whereas this family were "dark-eyed, hard little vagrants"), but her mother died in childbirth and she had been placed with this family. Her father was a freedom fighter for Italy and it was unknown whether he had died or "still lingered in the dungeons of Austria."
Who is Walton writing his letters to?
He is writing the letters to his sister, Margaret Saville.
How old was Mary Shelley when she started writing Frankenstein?
She was 18 years old.
How does M. Waldman's attitude towards Victor differ from that of M. Krempe's?
Waldman doesn't make fun of Victor's previous studies like Krempe did and encourage him in his learning.
What was Walton's education?
Walton was self educated; therefore, he had no formal education. He dreamed of one day being a poet.
What was Elizabeth's disposition?
She was calmer and more concentrated. She appreciated the natural beauty of Switzerland.
In the first letter, Walton tells his sister of the preparations leading up to his departure and of the desire burning in him to accomplish “some great purpose”—discovering a northern passage to the Pacific, revealing the source of the Earth’s magnetism, or simply setting foot on undiscovered territory. What is he looking for?
He is looking for The North Pole.
Why did Shelley write Frankenstein?
A ghost-writing contest on a stormy June night in 1816 inspired Frankenstein, often called the first true work of science-fiction.
What does Victor say led him to M. Krempe, the professor of natural philosophy?
He says it was chance-or rather the evil influence, the Angel of Destruction, which swayed over him from the moment he turned his reluctant steps from his father's door.
What warning did the rescued man give Walton?
Make sure that seeking knowledge won't ruin your life like it ruined mine.
The rescued man said, "You seek for knowledge and wisdom, as I once did; and I ardently hope that the gratification of your wishes may not be a serpent to sting you, as mine has done."
What is Elizabeth's role after Victor's mother passes?
She becomes like a mother-figure to Victor and will one day be his wife.