Frankenstein

The monster explains how this happened in chapter 16 as he reflects upon how those events transpired. Initially, he did not seek to harm the young William, whom he describes as a "beautiful child"...

Robert Walton is an explorer. On the particular voyage that forms the basis of the story's frame narrative, he is heading off to the icy wastes of the North Pole in search of uncharted lands and...

The frame story serves to highlight the contrast between Frankenstein, the mad scientist, and normal, decent society, as represented by Robert Walton. Though Walton has much in common with...

In this particular quotation, Frankenstein shows that he's understood the error of his ways. He's come to realize that there are limits to what humans can do and that it's best for everyone if we...

In chapter three, Victor recounts losing his mother. Despite being advised to stay away, his mother helps nurse Elizabeth, who is suffering from scarlet fever. As a result, his mother catches the...

One important moral lesson that Mary Shelley conveys is that it is dangerous to interfere with natural processes or “play God.” Closely connected to this lesson is the danger of pride. Victor’s...

By reading some specific titles, the creature that Frankenstein created learns all he needs to learn about humanity, including the fact that he has no place in it. This eventually generates an...

As a child, Victor was very interested in science and exploration, while Henry Clerval was a child of "singular talent and fancy," according to Victor. Little Henry was extremely creative and...

In some ways, Victor describes his childhood as idyllic. In chapter one, he says, "My parents were indulgent, and my companions amiable." There really was no disciplinary figure in the home, but...

In Mary Shelley's novel Frankenstein, housekeeper Justine Moritz is wrongly accused of the murder of William, Victor's younger brother. We know that it was the creature that killed William, and it...

In chapter 5 of Frankenstein, by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, Victor Frankenstein has a dream about Elizabeth that touches upon a former tragedy and foreshadows a greater tragedy to come. Before he...

In Frankenstein, the monster does not have a given name. Its creator, Victor Frankenstein, however, does use a number of negative terms to describe the monster throughout the novel, including...

Most of our understanding of Victor's appearance comes from Walton. When his sailors first rescue Victor from the iceberg, Walton writes to his sister that: His limbs were nearly frozen, and his...

The creature longs to connect with humanity, and this feeling is amplified when he discovers the cottagers. He admires them not only for the warm relationships they share with each other but also...

The De Lacey family is shocked and horrified to see Frankenstein's creature holding old Mr. De Lacey's hand. Fearing for his father's safety, the old man's son, Felix, lunges at the creature and...

In chapter 7, Victor, contemplating the death of William as probably the work of his creature, wonders if the creature is: the light of my own vampire, my own spirit let loose from the grave, and...

When the creature encounters Victor, he is met with disgust and rejection. The creature is miserable in his utter isolation and longs for human connection, particularly from the one who created...

Frankenstein fails his creature in a number of different ways. First and foremost, he unleashes the monster upon a world that his creation doesn't really understand and in which he struggles to...

When Victor awakens and finds his creation standing over him, he is horrified and flees his room. In Chapter 5, Victor Frankenstein continues to relate his history to Walton. Although he assembled...

At first glance, Victor and Walton seem to have a great deal in common. Both men have a seemingly insatiable thirst for adventure, and they both are willing to sacrifice personal relationships in...

One of the salient traits of Victor Frankenstein, the scientist, is his capacity to connect the observations that he makes of the world around him to his own personal ideas of how the world...

Victor's character traits are: Ambitious, daring, challenging, God complex, intelligent. He questions nature the way that he questions authority, and everything surrounding him. He is highly...

The quotation reveals the creature to have an awareness of itself and its role in society. It also shows the creature's mix of human emotions. The monster, who struggles to be taken seriously as a...

This quotation is commonly misattributed to the monster in Mary Shelley's novel, but it is actually stated by this same character in director Kenneth Branagh's movie adaptation of the book. The...

To answer this question, take a look at chapter five of the novel. Early in this chapter, Victor states that he has spent close to two years creating his creature: I had worked hard for nearly two...

In addition to the previous educator's response, it is important to note that Walton lends credibility to Victor Frankenstein's tale. If Victor himself had narrated this story, describing how he...

Society causes the creature to become a monster because of the reactions to his physical appearance, for he is rejected by his maker, excluded from society, and misjudged. When people see Victor...

The strongest evidence against Justine was William’s locket that was found in her possession. She also had no alibi to corroborate her whereabouts on the day and at the time of the murder. Victor...

Robert Walton and Victor Frankenstein are similar in that they are both refined and educated men from the same social class who have the financial means to pursue their great ambitions. Walton, as...

Justine, in Mary Shelley's novel Frankenstein, initially sates that she is innocent of the murder of William. “God knows,” she said, “how entirely I am innocent." Later, in the same chapter...

There are many ways to interpret Frankenstein's dream. One way is to understand it as a kind of foreshadowing, not just of Elizabeth's death, but of how the creature will persecute Frankenstein for...

Once Victor finds out that Walton is willing to sacrifice everything -- even his own life -- in his pursuit of knowledge and discovery, Victor desperately wants to prevent his new friend from...

The first way that Shelley builds suspense is by delaying resolution to the conflict. The monster wants Victor to make him a companion. Victor at first refuses, but finally agrees. They part...

The monster learned how to read from a family that lived in a cottage close to where he lived. He always made a point to listen in on their conversations, which enabled him to learn their language....

As the creature speaks to DeLacey, he begins to hope that he might yet win over the old man's sympathies, but when Felix, Agatha, and Safie return to the cottage sooner than expected, the creature...

Mary Shelley makes several allusions to "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" in her novel. This excerpt from the poem appears after Victor creates the Monster in Chapter 5, abandons him, and wanders...

The monster anticipated that this is how Victor would greet him because this is how he has been received by every other person he's ever encountered. He knows that he, and his existence, are...

The Monster identifies with Milton's Adam because he, too, is utterly unique. Just as there's no one quite like Adam (not even Eve) anywhere on earth, there's no one on the face of the planet who...

Both Victor and Elizabeth blame themselves for William's murder. Victor suspects, but doesn't openly admit, that it was his hideous creation, the Monster, who killed his brother. As for Elizabeth,...

When Victor and the creature have their dramatic mountaintop meeting, the creature makes an eloquent case for a mate. He appeals to the emotions of pity and fear. He describes how, with a natural...

Mary Shelley's Frankenstein is written in a complex and often challenging style. Shelley uses elevated, emotional language and creates an embedded narrative told through multiple perspectives....

Victor's creature speaks these words to his maker, Victor. He is trying to impress upon Victor how miserable he is because he is so hopelessly hated and alone, and he hopes to compel Victor to...

Alphonse Frankenstein, Victor's father, comes across as a gentle, responsible, and good-hearted man who is loving and indulgent towards his son and entire family. The family is wealthy, and...

The most transformative thing the creature learns from the De Lacey family is the sense of belonging that arises from being part of a family. As he spies on the family from a distance, he watches...

This is a great question! The monster is a far more complex character in Mary Shelley's novel than he is often presented in popular culture. He is well-rounded, even sympathetic, with many...

The creature is symbolic of the human being born as a blank slate, Voltaire's "tabula rasa," ready to receive input from the society in which it is born. The creature was "born...