Frankenstein Questions and Answers
Frankenstein
Who Dies In Frankenstein
The novel mentions the death of ten people. They die in the following order: The first one to die is Caroline Beaufort's father. After the death of her father, Caroline marries Victor's father....
Frankenstein
What happens to Frankenstein and the creature at the end of the book? What are some differences and similarities...
At the end of Frankenstein, Victor and the monster both come to death. Victor dies on Captain Walton's ship while running from the monster. Right before he dies, however, he has just agreed to go...
Frankenstein
Where did Victor Frankenstein get the body parts for his monster?
Victor Frankenstein got the human body parts to make his creature by stealing them from the graves of the recently deceased. He tells Captain Walton that he "dabbled among the unhallowed damps of...
Frankenstein
What is Victor's reason for not telling others about the monster in Frankenstein by Mary Shelley? Why did he keep it...
It seems that, initially, Victor is so caught up in pushing the limits of scientific boundaries that he is quite blind to the reality of the creature he is creating. In order to accomplish this...
Frankenstein
What reason does the monster give for killing William and framing Justine in Mary Shelley's 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"...
Frankenstein
In Frankenstein, why does Walton want to take the journey to the north?
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...
Frankenstein
Why does Shelley use a frame story for Frankenstein, and what is the connection between Victor and Walton?
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...
Frankenstein
What does Victor mean when he says, "Learn from me, if not by my precepts, at least by my example, how dangerous is...
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...
Frankenstein
How does Victor cope with the death of his mother in Shelley's Frankenstein?
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...
Frankenstein
What is the moral lesson of Frankenstein?
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...
Frankenstein
What is the significance of the books the creature reads?
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...
Frankenstein
How is Victor's friend Henry Clerval different from Victor in terms of their study and interests in Frankenstein?
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...
Frankenstein
How does Victor describe his early childhood? How does he describe himself as a child?
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...
Frankenstein
Who is accused of committing the murder of William in Frankenstein, and why?
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...
Frankenstein
What do you think is the significance of Frankenstein's dream about Elizabeth in chapter 5 of Frankenstein?
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...
Frankenstein
What is the monster's name in the novel Frankenstein?
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...
Frankenstein
In Frankenstein, how is Victor Frankenstein's appearance defined?
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...
Frankenstein
In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, what is the monster's reaction when he sees himself reflected in a pool of water?
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...
Frankenstein
How does the De Lacey family react when they see the Creature holding the elder De Lacey's hand?
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...
Frankenstein
What statement in chapter 7 of Frankenstein suggests that Victor views the creature as part of himself?
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...
Frankenstein
At the end of chapter 10, what motivates Victor Frankenstein to listen to the creature's story?
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
When, how, and why did Victor Frankenstein fail his creature in the novel Frankenstein?
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...
Frankenstein
What is Victor's reaction when he awakens and sees his creature standing before him in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein?
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...
Frankenstein
What are the differences between Walton and Victor Frankenstein in Frankenstein?
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...
Frankenstein
In Frankenstein, describe the incident with the oak tree that Victor explerienced at the age of 15. How did this...
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...
Frankenstein
What are some character traits for both Victor Frankenstein and the monster in the novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley?
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...
Frankenstein
"'I expected this reception,' said the daemon. "All men hate the wretched; how then must I be hated, who am miserable...
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...
Frankenstein
In what chapter of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein is the following quote found? "I have love in me the likes of which...
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...
Frankenstein
As seen in Frankenstein, how long does Victor take to create his creature?
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...
Frankenstein
Why does Mary Shelley start Frankenstein off with Walton's letters to his sister as opposed to beginning with...
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...
Frankenstein
In Frankenstein, how does society turn the creature into a monster?
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...
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In Frankenstein, what is Justine's one piece of evidence against her for which she has no answer?
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...
Frankenstein
How are Robert Walton and Frankenstein similar?
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...
Frankenstein
Explain why Justine confesses to the crime, even though she is innocent in Frankenstein.
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...
Frankenstein
In chapter 5 of Frankenstein, what does Victor's dream comment on? Is that means Taboo? When he kisses Elizabeth and...
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...
Frankenstein
What were Victor Frankenstein's warnings to Robert Walton in the book Frankenstein?
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...
Frankenstein
How does Shelley create a feeling of suspense in chapters 17 through 21 of Frankenstein?
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...
Frankenstein
In Chapter 15 of Frankenstein the creature reads Victor's journal. What is Victor's perspective in the journal about...
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....
Frankenstein
What actually happens when the monster speaks to De Lacey in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein?
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...
Frankenstein
Why does this Coleridge passage appear in Frankenstein? "Like one who, on a lonely road, / Doth walk in fear and...
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...
Frankenstein
Quote: "I expected this reception...All men hate the wretched.....to whom thou art bound by ties only dissoluble by...
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...
Frankenstein
After reading Paradise Lost, why does the creature think he is like Adam in the book (as defined in Mary Shelley's...
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...
Frankenstein
In chapter seven, why does Elizabeth blame herself for the murder of William?
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,...
Frankenstein
In Frankenstein, how does the creature convince Victor to make him a mate?
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...
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What is Mary Shelley's writing style in Frankenstein?
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....
Frankenstein
What does this quote mean: "I was benevolent and good; misery made me a fiend"?
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...
Frankenstein
Describe Victor's relationship with his father in the novel Frankenstein. Do they have a healthy relationship? Why or...
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...
Frankenstein
In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, what does the monster learn by observing the DeLacey family?
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...
Frankenstein
What are some of the strengths and weaknesses of the monster in Frankenstein?
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...
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What does the monster symbolize?
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...
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