Why did Mary Shelley write Frankenstein?
She wrote it as a response to a challenge by Lord Byron to think of a ghost story.
What discussions influenced the development of her idea?
She was listening to her husband, Shelley, and Lord Byron talk about the nature of life, and the
possibility of creating a creature.
In the preface, what does the author say she is trying to preserve?
She is trying to "preserve the truth of the elementary principles of human nature."
What is the structure, or form, of the novel?
It is an epistolary novel. This means it is written as a series of letters.
Who was writing the letters?
They were written by Robert Walton.
To whom were the letters written?
They were written to Walton's sister, Mrs. Margaret Saville, in England.
Where was the writer, and why was he there?
He was in the Arctic, exploring unknown regions.
How did he meet Victor Frankenstein?
He and the crew found Frankenstein stuck on a large piece of ice. They rescued him and
brought him aboard their vessel.
How did Robert feel about his guest?
He liked Frankenstein, and hoped they would become friends.
Why was Frankenstein in the Arctic?
He was pursuing the creature.
Who told this part of the story?
Victor Frankenstein told his story to Robert Walton.
How did Elizabeth come to live with the Frankensteins?
Caroline Frankenstein saw her with a peasant family, and offered to raise her in better
circumstances.
Who was Frankenstein's closest friend?
It was Henry Clerval.
What was one of the themes of the writers who influenced Frankenstein?
The authors he liked wrote about raising ghosts or devils. He tried to mimic them.
What natural phenomena influenced Frankenstein?
He watched a tree being hit by lightning during a storm. He became interested in the theories of
electricity and galvanism.
What two major events happened to Frankenstein when he was seventeen?
His mother died and he went to the university at Inglostadt to study.
What goal did Frankenstein decide to pursue?
He wanted to try to renew life in a corpse, to "bestow animation upon lifeless matter."
How did Frankenstein feel when his experiment succeeded, and the creature came to life?
He was horrified and disgusted.
What happened to Frankenstein the day after he completed his creation?
He became ill with a fever and delirium for several months.
Who took care of Frankenstein during his illness?
Henry Clerval did.
What did Clerval give Frankenstein when he was better?
He gave him a letter from Elisabeth.
How did Frankenstein and Clerval spend the next several months?
Frankenstein introduced Clerval to the professors. They studied and went for walks.
What news did the letter from Frankenstein's father bring?
Frankenstein's youngest brother, William, had been murdered.
What did Frankenstein see just outside the gates of Geneva as he was returning home?
He saw the monster he had created.
Who was accused of committing the murder, and why?
Justine, who lived with the family, was accused. She had not been with the family on the night
William was murdered. Several people had seen her the next morning looking confused and
frightened. A servant found the locket that Elizabeth had given to William in Justine's pocket.
What was Frankenstein's reaction to this accusation?
He was sure the creature had committed the murder. He was torn between wanting to save
Justine and not wanting to reveal his horrible secret to anyone. He considered himself the real
murderer.
What did Frankenstein do about his dilemma?
He appealed to the courts to let Justine go free, and told his family that she was innocent, but he
did not tell anyone about the creature.
What happened to the accused person?
She confessed under pressure from her priest. She was convicted and hanged.
What was Frankenstein's state of mind after the trial and its conclusion?
He was filled with remorse for all he had done. He was also fearful that the creature would
commit other crimes.
Where did Frankenstein go to seek relief?
He traveled to the Alpine valley and the village of Chamounix.
What did the creature do to the cottage when he returned and found that the De Laceys had
What did the creature do to the cottage when he returned and found that the De Laceys had
moved out?
He set fire to it in a rage.
What was the reaction of the man whose daughter was saved from drowning by the creature?
He took the girl from the creature's arms, and shot the creature when he pursued the pair.
What discovery did the creature make when he approached another human?
He seized a small boy, and discovered that he was William Frankenstein.
How did the creature feel after his deed?
He was delighted that he was able to create despair for his creator.
What did the creature tell Frankenstein about the locket?
He said he found the locket on the boy, and took it.
What did the creature ask Frankenstein to do, and why?
He asked Frankenstein to create a female for him. He said that he was malicious because he
was unhappy.
was unhappy.
How did Frankenstein react to this request?
At first he refused, but as the creature continued his argument, Frankenstein felt compassion for
him, and finally agreed to create a female.
him, and finally agreed to create a female.
What threat did the creature make when he saw Frankenstein destroy his second creation?
He said, "I will be with you on your wedding night."
