Topics for Discussion
1. What is the significance of the novel's subtitle, The Modern Prometheus?
2. Why does Frankenstein create a large, unattractive creature instead of a normal-sized, handsome man?
3. Why does Frankenstein choose not to create a companion for the monster?
4. What causes Frankenstein to initially despise his creation?
5. What is the purpose of the De Lacey episode, and how does it connect to the overall story?
6. After listening to Volney's "Ruins of Empires" and reading works by Goethe, Plutarch, and Milton, what conclusions does the monster draw about humanity?
7. Why do we commonly refer to the monster as Frankenstein, despite the fact that he remains unnamed in the novel?
8. What motivates the monster to kill Elizabeth?
9. In what ways does Frankenstein become the "brother" to Walton's "heart"?
10. According to George Levine, "one of the novel's themes is the danger of knowledge." How is the pursuit of knowledge portrayed as dangerous in Frankenstein?
11. Why does the monster continue to leave clues for Frankenstein to track him?
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