What a Character
The true murderer of Victor's younger brother
Who is the Creature?
The Creature is inspired by this classic English poem, seeing himself in the character of Satan
What is Paradise Lost?
Frankenstein is arguably the first example of this genre
What is science fiction?
"The ancient teachers of [science]...promise impossibilities, and performed nothing. The modern masters promise very little...[and] have indeed performed miracles. They penetrate into the recesses of nature, and show how she works in her hiding-places." (49)
Who is Francis Bacon?
The novel begins with Victor pursuing the Creature in this frosty climate
What is the Arctic?
Victor and Elizabeth are in love with each other despite being related to each other in this way
What are adoptive siblings?
The Creature hunts down Frankenstein in Volume II so he can demand this of his creator
What is a bride?
Mary Shelley wrote the novel after this tragic event in her life
What is a miscarriage?
"Chance -- or, rather, the evil influence, the Angel of Destruction, which asserted omnipotent sway over me from the moment I turned all my reluctant steps from my father's door -- led me first to M. Krempe, professor of natural philosophy." (47)
Who is Machiavelli?
Victor pursues studies in this dangerous, ancient field at the University of Ingolstadt
What is natural philosophy?
An old friend of the Frankenstein family, possibly in love with Victor, who is wrongly executed on charges of having killed Victor's younger brother
Who is Justine?
Who is De Lacey?
Mary Shelley was deeply critical of this intellectual movement within Western society, which celebrated human reason
What is the Scientific Revolution and/or the Enlightenment?
"She instructed her daughter in the tenets of her religion and taught her to aspire to higher powers of intellect and an independence of spirit forbidden to the female followers of [this religion]."
What is Islam?
Victor is convinced of the Creature's innocence when the Creature promises to do this
Frankenstein's childhood friend, who finds helps Frankenstein recover his health after he created the Monster
Who is Clerval?
ACTIVITY: In three minutes, work with your team to identify the Creature's rationale for his evil behavior. [You can use your books.]
Instructor's discretion
What is Romanticism?
"These were men to whose indefatigable zeal modern philosophers were indebted for most of the foundations of their knowledge. ... The labors of men of genius, however erroneously directed, scarcely ever fail in ultimately turning to the solid advantage of mankind." (50)
Who are the ancients?
Who are Cornelius Agrippa, Albertus Magnus, and Paracelsus?
The daughter of a "Turk" and a "Christian Arab," this character's education in French is how the Monster becomes literate
Who is Safie?
Name three of the crimes the Creature commits in Volume II
What is murder of a child?/What is arson?/What is framing an individual for murder?
Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein as part of a friendly writing competition. One of the other participants in this competition wrote the first modern story featuring this supernatural creature.
What is a vampire?
ACTIVITY: In five minutes, work with your groups to compare Shelley's view of the human person to Machiavelli's. Are human beings, for Shelley, by nature evil? Use textual evidence. [You can use your books.]
Instructor's discretion
ACTIVITY: In five minutes, consider: if Victor was a hero in an ancient tragedy, what would be his hamartia? Present your argument to the class. Use textual evidence. [You can use your books.]
Instructor discretion