The Creature’s Evolution
Upon first opening his eyes, the Creature’s initial motivation is simply to satisfy these basic biological needs.
What are food, light, and warmth?
Victor’s "Total Eclipse" moment: the sight of this destroying an oak tree sparks his interest in electricity/galvanism.
What is a lightning bolt?
This theme explores whether a person is born "evil" or made evil by society.
What is Nature vs. Nurture?
The Creature’s kills his first victim________ because_____________.
William, both rejection by william and rage at his creator ("Ill accept 1)
This element represents both life-giving power and destructive force throughout the novel.
What is Fire?
This is the specific location where the Creature first observes human language and kindness, shaping his desire for companionship.
What is the De Lacey cottage/the hovel?
Victor’s primary motivation for creating life was to "banish disease from the human frame" and render man this.
What is invulnerable/immortal?
The novel suggests that this "natural" state is the only place where Victor can find peace, yet it is also where the Creature is strongest.
What is the Sublime/Nature? (Romanticism)
This innocent servant is executed for William’s murder.
Who is Justine Moritz?
This object, found in William’s pocket, becomes the "evidence" that condemns Justine.
What is a locket/miniature portrait?
The Creature’s reading of this Miltonic epic leads him to compare himself to both Adam and Satan.
hat is Paradise Lost?
Upon the Creature’s animation, Victor’s immediate reaction is not joy, but this specific physical sensation.
What is horror/disgust/breathless horror?
This theme is represented by Victor’s failure to "parent" his creation.
What is Duty and Responsibility?
The Creature burns this down after the De Laceys flee.
What is the cottage?
This color is frequently used to describe the Creature’s "lustrous" skin and eyes.
Yellow
This specific physical "scene" marks the turning point where the Creature declares "everlasting war" against mankind.
Victor falls into this state for several months immediately following the Creature's birth.
What is a nervous fever/illness?
The Creature’s transition from "good" to "evil" is a direct result of this social theme.
What is Prejudice or Social Rejection?
Walton travels to the North Pole for this reason
To discover a new country
The "Ship" in the frame story symbolizes this human desire.
What is Exploration/The pursuit of knowledge?
After being shot for saving a drowning girl, the Creature’s motivation shifts from seeking love to this.
What is revenge/vengeance?
Victor destroys the female creature because he fears this "biological" outcome.
What is the creation of a "race of devils" or reproduction?
This theme suggests that seeking revenge ultimately destroys both the victim and the seeker.
What is the Destructive Nature of Revenge?)
This is the "Promise" the Creature makes to Victor after the female is destroyed.
What is "I shall be with you on your wedding-night"?
The Creature finds a "leathern portmanteau" containing these, which symbolize his intellectual birth
Books
The Creature demands Victor create this for him as a final condition for his disappearance.
What is a female companion/mate?
This character's death is the final straw that turns Victor from a man of science into a hunter of vengeance.
Who is Elizabeth Lavenza?
By the end of the novel, the Creature’s primary motivation for leading Victor to the North Pole is this.
What is to prolong Victor's suffering/misery?
Victor’s motivation for keeping the Creature a secret even after William’s death is primarily this.
What is fear of being seen as a madman/shame?