Frankenstein 6
Frankenstein 6FRANKENSTEIN
The novel begins in a frame narrative: Robert Walton, the captain of a ship, recounts his adventures through a series of letters to his sister back in England. Walton encounters Victor Frankenstein in the seas near the North Pole and is told his story, and the major part of the novel consists of Frankenstein's narration of his strange adventures.
Victor tells Walton of his early life in Geneva and his close relationships with his cousin, Elizabeth Lavenza, who had come to live with his family when her mother died, and his friend Henry Clerval. Victor eventually goes to the university at Ingolstadt and begins to study natural philosophy and chemistry. During this time, he becomes consumed by the desire to discover the secret of life and finally succeeds. He fashions a creature out of old body parts and animates it one night. However, the creature appears so horrible that he runs away, allowing the creature to escape.
Shortly afterwards, Victor is preparing to return to Geneva when he receives a letter from his father telling him that his youngest brother, William, has been murdered. Victor hurries home and, on the way, sees the monster in the woods and becomes convinced that the creature murdered William. He arrives home to find that Justine Moritz, a girl who had lived for some time in the Frankenstein household, has been accused of the murder. She is tried, condemned, and executed, despite her assertions of innocence, and Victor becomes despondent and guilty knowing that the creature he created was responsible for the deaths of these two innocent people.
Victor's father hopes to take Victor's mind off of his grief by taking the family on a trip. One day while Victor is alone in the mountains, the monster appears to him, tells his story, and begs his creator to make him another creature as a mate. Victor refuses at first, but finally gives in, convinced by the monster's persuasive pleas. After his family returns home, Victor departs on a journey for England to gather information for his creation. He secludes himself on an island and works. One night, the monster appears at his window. Struck by the horrific consequences of his work, Victor destroys the new creation. The monster is enraged and vows that he will be with Victor on his wedding night.
Later that night, Victor goes out onto the lake in a boat and dumps the remains of the second creature in the lake. The wind picks up, preventing him from returning, but in the morning he comes ashore near a town. Upon landing, he is informed that he will be tried for a murder that happened the previous night. He is led to see the body and is shocked to behold his friend Henry Clerval, with the mark of the monster's fingers on his neck. He falls ill and stays in prison until his recovery, after which he is acquitted of the crime and returns to Geneva with his father.
Shortly after his return, Victor and Elizabeth marry. Victor is fearful of the monster's warning, and suspects that he will be murdered on his wedding night; to be cautious, he sends Elizabeth away to wait for him. While he awaits the monster, he hears Elizabeth scream and realizes that the monster's threat targeted his wife. After her death, Victor returns home to his father, who dies of grief a short time later. Victor vows to devote the rest of his life to finding the monster and exacting his revenge; he departs soon to begin his quest.
At this point in Victor's story he encounters Walton. Walton tells the remainder of the story in a series of letters to his sister. Victor, already ill when the two men met, worsens and shortly dies. Walton returns to the room where Victor's body lies and is startled to see the monster, who describes to Walton his immense suffering and tells him that, now that his creator has died, he can also end his suffering--he departs for the mountains to die
List of Characters For Frankenstein
Robert Walton - The narrator of the first narrative of the story. He tells of his meeting with Dr. Frankenstein at sea through four letters to his sister, Margaret Saville, in England. He also narrates the final portion of the story.
Victor Frankenstein - The narrator and protagonist of the main portion of the story, which is presented as his narration of his story to Walton. He creates a monster as a result of his study of natural philosophy, and this monster eventually destroys everyone he loves.
Monster - The creature that Victor creates. He also acts as one of the narrators of the story as he tells his story to Victor.
Alphonse Frankenstein - Victor's father.
Elizabeth Lavenza - Victor's cousin who is brought up in his home after her mother dies. Victor's mother always wants Victor and Elizabeth to be married, but Elizabeth is murdered by the monster on their wedding night.
Henry Clerval - Victor's intimate boyhood friend, who becomes another victim of the monster.
William - Victor's youngest brother, brutally murdered by the monster.
Justine Moritz - A girl who lives in the Frankenstein household while Victor is growing up. She is later wrongfully accused and condemned for William's murder.
Beaufort - A merchant and friend of Victor's father.
Caroline Beaufort - Beaufort's daughter who is taken in by, and later marries, Victor's father after Beaufort dies. She dies when Victor is seventeen, just before he leaves for the university.
M. Waldman - The professor of chemistry who sparks Victor's interest in the sciences.
Peasants - The family of peasants including De Lacey, Felix, Agatha, and Safie, observed by the monster and from whom he learns language. They leave their cottage in fear when the monster reveals himself to them.
Mr. Kirwin - The magistrate who accuses Victor of Henry's murder.
Frankenstein - Volume I: Chapters I - III
Summary
The stranger, who we soon learn is Victor Frankenstein, begins his narration. He tells Walton about his father, Alphonse, and his mother, Caroline Beaufort. Alphonse became Caroline's protector when her father, a longtime friend of Alphonse's, died in poverty, and the two married two years later.
When Victor is four years old, his father's mother dies, and her daughter Elizabeth (Victor's cousin) comes to live with the family. Victor's mother decides that Victor and Elizabeth should marry someday, and the two children grow up together. In describing his family, Victor also includes Henry Clerval, his schoolmate and friend. (Henry is constantly with Victor's family, since he is himself an only child.) Victor's childhood is spent happily surrounded by his close domestic circle.
The young Victor becomes interested in natural philosophy when he chances upon a book by Cornelius Agrippa, a sixteenth-century scholar of the occult sciences. He studies the outdated findings of Agrippa, Paracelsus, and Albertus Magnus with great enthusiasm until a demonstration of electricity by his father convinces him of their inaccuracy.
When Victor is seventeen, his parents decide that he should go away to the university at Ingolstadt. However, when he is about to leave, his mother catches scarlet fever from the recovering Elizabeth and dies. Victor's departure is delayed several weeks, but he eventually departs for Ingolstadt.
When he arrives, Victor meets a professor who tells him that all the time he has spent studying Albertus Magnus and Paracelsus has been wasted. This sours Victor on the study of natural philosophy. However, he attends a lecture in chemistry by M. Waldman, and this lecture, along with a subsequent meeting with the professor, convince Victor to pursue his studies in the sciences.
Victor continues his studies with a great deal of enthusiasm and, as a result, makes great progress. He begins to pursue the question of the origin of life, and as a result begins to study both anatomy and the decay of the human body. He finally discovers the origin of life and how to give life to lifeless matter. He decides to begin the construction of an animate creature, envisioning the creation of a new race of wonderful beings. Victor devotes himself to this labor zealously for months, neglecting almost everything else.
Frankenstein - Volume I: Chapters IV - VII
Summary
One stormy night, Victor completes his creation. However, when he brings it to life, its awful appearance horrifies him. He rushes to the next room and tries to sleep, but is troubled by nightmares about Elizabeth and his mother's corpse. He awakens to discover the monster next to his bed and rushes out of the house. He spends the night pacing in his courtyard, and the next morning he goes walking in the town of Ingolstadt.
As he walks by the town inn, Victor comes across Henry Clerval, who has just arrived in town to begin study at the university. He is delighted to see Henry and brings him back to his apartment. Victor enters first, and finds no sign of the monster. He brings Henry into his apartment, but falls ill with a nervous fever that lasts several months. Henry nurses him back to health and, when he recovers, gives him a letter from Elizabeth that had arrived during his illness.
Elizabeth's letter expresses her concern about Victor's illness and entreats him to write to them as soon as he can. She also tells him that Justine Moritz, a girl who used to live at their house, has returned to live with them following her mother's death.
After Victor has recovered completely, he introduces Henry to the professors at the university. He finds, however, that the sight of any chemical instrument worsens his symptoms, and merely speaking to his professors torments him. He decides therefore to return to Geneva and awaits a letter from his father specifying the date of his departure. Meanwhile, he and Henry go on an uplifting pedestrian tour through the country.
On their return to the college, Victor finds a letter from his father telling him that his youngest brother William has been murdered. Victor is greatly saddened and departs immediately for Geneva. When he arrives, night has fallen and the gates of Geneva are shut, so he spends some time walking around the outskirts of the town. As he walks through the woods near the spot where his brother was found, he sees the monster lurking about and becomes convinced that it is the murderer. However, when he returns home, he is dismayed to hear that Justine has been accused of the murder because of her possession of a trinket that William wore before his death.
Victor declares Justine's innocence, but the evidence against her seems irrevocable and she is convicted. She confesses to the crime, believing that it will give her salvation, but tells Elizabeth and Victor that she is still miserable. They remain convinced of her innocence, but she dies. Victor is consumed with guilt, knowing that the monster he created has now caused the deaths of two people he loved.
Frankenstein - Volume II: Chapters I - III
Summary
Victor is consumed with guilt after Justine's execution and becomes more and more melancholy. He considers suicide, but restrains himself by thinking of Elizabeth and his father. Victor's father, hoping to cheer up his son, takes the family on an excursion to the valley of Chamounix. The beautiful scenery cheers Victor somewhat, but this respite from his grief does not last. One morning he awakes to rain and his old feelings of despair return. He decides to go alone to the summit of Montanvert, hoping that the spectacular view will cheer him up.
When Victor reaches the top, he is momentarily consoled by the beautiful views. However, he soon beholds the monster approaching him. He threatens the monster and tries to attack him, but the monster eludes Victor and entreats him to listen to his story. Victor curses the monster and tells him to go away, but the monster finally convinces him to listen and leads Victor to a fire where he begins his tale.
The monster tells Victor of the confusion he experienced upon first being created. He describes his gradual acclimation to the world through his discovery of the sensations of light, darkness, hunger, thirst, and cold. One day he finds a fire and is pleased at the warmth it creates, however, he is dismayed when he burns himself on the hot embers. He realizes that he can keep the fire going by adding more wood, and also discovers that the fire can be used to cook food.
One day, when the monster is in search of food, he finds a hut and enters it, but the old man inside shrieks and runs away in fear. He arrives at a village and the same thing happens, and he decides therefore to stay away from humans. He takes refuge in a small hovel adjacent to a cottage. The next morning, he discovers that he can see into the cottage through a crack in the wall of his hovel and observes that the occupants are a young man, a young woman, and an old man.
Frankenstein - Volume II: Chapters IV - VI
Summary
The monster continues to observe the occupants of the cottage from his hiding place. He notices that they are sometimes unhappy, especially the young man, but cannot understand the source of their unhappiness. He eventually realizes that their despair results from poverty and immediately he stops stealing food from the cottagers. He also begins gathering wood at night and leaving it for the family, much to their surprise and delight.
The monster realizes that the family communicates with each other through sounds and vows to learn this language. He slowly learns some words, and he also learns the names of the young man and woman-- Felix and Agatha. Throughout the winter the monster continues to inhabit the hovel next to the cottage and to learn from the cottagers.
One day a strange lady appears at the door of the cottage, and Felix is overjoyed when he sees her. The monster realizes that she speaks a different language and that Felix is beginning to teach him their language, and he decides to take advantage of this opportunity to learn the language himself. The cottagers' mood has been completely changed by the girl's arrival, who the monster soon learns is named Safie; their previous sorrow has been replaced by joy.
As Safie learns to read, so does the monster. He learns some history in the process, as the book Felix uses to instruct Safie is Volney's Ruins of Empires. He also learns the history of the cottagers and discovers that their poverty stemmed from Safie's father's treachery.
Frankenstein - Volume II: Chapters VI - IX
Summary
One night, while collecting food, the monster finds some books that he eagerly brings back to his hovel to read. These include Goethe's The Sorrows of Young Werther, a volume of Plutarch's Lives, and Milton's Paradise Lost. Of these three, Paradise Lost affects the monster the most deeply. He reads it as truth and finds much similarity between this story and his own situation. The monster also finds some papers in the pocket of the clothing he is wearing, which he had taken from Victor's room before leaving. He discovers that these papers are from Victor's journal; they describe his creation and contribute to his feelings of isolation and rejection.
The monster begins to plan for when he will reveal himself to the cottagers, hoping that they will befriend him in spite of his hideous appearance. He decides that he will first approach De Lacey, the blind old man. He hopes to win over the old man before Felix, Agatha, and Safie return and then to let the old man convince the others of his gentle nature. One day when the three young cottagers depart for a long walk, he enters the cottage and speaks to the old man. However, the other three return sooner than he expects and drive the monster away, ruining his chance for acceptance.
Following this rejection, the monster resolves to lash out against all human beings, targeting his creator first and foremost. He travels for months on the way to Geneva, staying away from people as much as possible. However, once he encounters a young girl who slips into a stream. When he rescues the girl from the water, he is attacked and shot by the girl's father. He becomes more embittered and wants to seek revenge.
When he arrives near Geneva, he runs across a boy in the woods, and the boy mentions that his father is Alphonse Frankenstein. The monster then decides to kill the boy and, afterward, places a picture he has taken from the boy in the folds of the dress of a young girl he sees passing by in the forest. After having thus explained to Victor the circumstances behind William's murder and Justine's conviction for the murder, the monster tells Victor that he is alone and implores him to create another being that he can have as a mate.
Victor refuses at first, but the monster appeals to his sense of responsibility for ensuring the monster's happiness. The monster promises that he and his mate will go to South America and never have any further contact with humans. He argues that he will no longer be compelled to kill because he will have the sympathy of a fellow creature, and Victor finally agrees. The monster tells him that he will monitor his progress and that he will appear when the project is complete.
Frankenstein - Volume III: Chapters I - III
Summary
Victor puts off the creation of his new creature, as he begins to have doubts about his promise to the monster. He realizes that this new project will require him to travel to England to get some new information. His father notices that his spirits are still troubled much of the time and asks if his melancholy is caused by his impending marriage to Elizabeth. He wonders if Victor loves another, but Victor assures him that he does not. His father therefore suggests that they celebrate the marriage immediately, but Victor does not want to marry Elizabeth until he completes his obligation to the monster. He therefore asks his father if he can first travel to England, and his father agrees.
Victor and his father arrange a two-year tour, on which Victor will be accompanied by Henry most of the time. Henry and Victor travel for a while, but Victor becomes impatient to begin his work and to be free of his bond to the monster. He suggests that they move quickly to England. After they visit a friend, Victor leaves Clerval and goes to a remote island in Scotland to complete his project.
Victor devotes many hours to working on his new creature, although he often has trouble continuing his work because of the horror he feels at his task. One night, while working very late, he begins to think about what might happen after he finishes his creation. He imagines that the new creature might not want to seclude herself, as the monster had promised, or that the two creatures might have children, creating "a race of devils . . . on the earth." In the midst of these reflections, Victor looks up to see the face of the monster at his window. Overcome by its hideousness and the possibility of a second creature like it, he destroys his work in progress. The monster is enraged at Victor's broken promise and vows revenge. He departs, telling Victor that he will be with him on his wedding night.
Victor gets a letter from Henry the next morning, entreating him to continue their travels. Before he goes, Victor must pack his chemical instruments and dispose of the remains of his second creature. Late that evening, he goes out onto the lake and throws the remains into the water. He rests in the boat for a while, and when he awakes he finds that the winds will not permit him to return to shore. He panics and fears for his life, but soon the winds change and he is able to make it to shore. However, when he lands near an unnamed town, he is greeted rudely and told that he is under suspicion for a murder that occurred the previous night.
Frankenstein - Volume III: Chapters IV - VI
Summary
Victor is taken to Mr. Kirwin, the town magistrate, and hears the witnesses testify against him. They testify that they found the body of a man along the beach the night before and that, just before finding the body, they saw a boat in the water that resembled Victor's. Mr. Kirwin decides to bring Victor to look at the body to see what effect it has on him. When Victor sees the body, he is horrified to find that it is his friend Henry Clerval, and he falls into convulsions and illness.
Victor is ill for two months and recovers to find himself in prison. Mr. Kirwin comes to visit him and is much more sympathetic, telling Victor he has a visitor. For a moment Victor fears the monster has come "to mock at my misery," but his visitor is actually his father.
Victor is overjoyed to see his father, who stays with him while the court finds him innocent of Henry's murder. Immediately after his release, Victor and his father depart for Geneva. On their way home, they stop in Paris where Victor's father has business. While in Paris, Victor receives a letter from Elizabeth. Elizabeth asks the same question Victor's father had previously asked: whether he loves another, even though he and Elizabeth are engaged. This letter reminds Victor of the monster's promise and he reflects on his threat to be with him on his wedding night. Victor believes that the monster intends to attack him and resolves that he will fight back; one of them will necessarily be destroyed, ending Victor's misery.
Victor and his father arrive home and begin planning the wedding. Victor tells Elizabeth that he will reveal his terrible secret to her after they are married, and as the wedding approaches, he becomes more and more nervous for his impending confrontation with the monster. The wedding takes place and Victor and Elizabeth depart for a family cottage to spend the night.
They walk around the grounds a little while, but Victor begins to expect the monster's arrival and so sends his wife to wait for him in the house. As he searches for the monster, he hears Elizabeth scream and realizes that it was not his death the monster had been intending for that night. Victor returns home and tells his father of Elizabeth's death, and his father dies a few days later. After his father's death, Victor resolves to devote the rest of his life to finding the monster and enacting his revenge.
Frankenstein - Volume III: Chapter VII and Walton, in continuation
Summary
Victor begins to seek out the monster, and decides to leave Geneva forever because of the painful memories it now holds. He tracks the monster for months, guided by slight clues, and eventually the monster begins to leave taunting messages and hints for him. Angered by these traps, Victor continues his pursuit into the ice and snow of the North. There he meets Walton and wraps up his story, entreating Walton to continue his search for vengeance after he is dead.
Walton continues the story, in the form of further letters to his sister, after Victor's narration ends. He tells his sister that he believes in the truth of Victor's story and laments that he did not know Victor in better days.
Victor remains on the brink of death, and one morning Walton's crew enters his cabin and entreats him to promise that they will return to England if they break out of the ice in which they are currently trapped. However, Victor speaks up and convinces the men that the glory and honor inherent in their quest should be enough motivation for them to continue toward their goal. They are momentarily moved, but several days later they again entreat Walton and he agrees to return.
Just before the ship is set to return, Victor dies. That night, Walton hears a strange sound coming from the room where Victor's body lies and goes to investigate. He is startled to see the monster, who begins to tell him all his sufferings. The monster tells him that he deeply regrets having become an instrument of evil and that, now that his creator is dead, he will now die as well. He departs into the darkness.
Frankenstein - Study Questions
1. Discuss the novel's narrative perspective. The first person narration means that the reader rarely sees anything outside of the narrator's perspective, but how is this changed by having three different narrators at different points during the story? What is the effect of presenting different characters' viewpoints on the story, especially those of Victor and the monster, who are opposed for much of the novel?
2. Another interesting element of the frame narratives of the novel is the role played by letters. Walton's narration is presented mostly through the form of letters, and Victor's narration also includes letters written to him. Letters also play an important role in the plot of the novel, as they often bring news constituting an important plot development. Trace and discuss the role of letters and written communication throughout the novel.
3. Think about the presentation of women in the novel. Victor presents women as passive (look closely at his descriptions of his mother, Elizabeth, Justine), but the monster sees them as equal members of society. However, Victor's failure to create a female equivalent of his creature leads to his downfall. What does this suggest about the monster's view of women? How do you view this presentation of women given that the novel was written by a woman?
4. Discuss the role of sickness in the novel. It seems that Victor falls ill every time an excessively traumatic event occurs; is this an effective means of escape for him? Consider also the illnesses of other characters in the novel.
5. What results from the monster's eloquence and persuasiveness? Does these qualities make it easier for the reader to sympathize with the monster, or do they suggest a narrower gap between the monster and mankind? Why do you think most film versions of the story have changed this aspect of the novel to make the monster mute or inarticulate?
6. Trace the similarities between Victor and the monster. Consider their views of nature, their desire for family, and any other important similarities you find. Do they seem to become more similar as the novel goes on, or can you describe any progression in their relationship?
7. Victor attributes his downfall to his search for knowledge. Do you think this is the true cause of his suffering? If so, does this mean that the novel presents knowledge as dangerous and destructive? Explore the consequences of this kind of view of knowledge and learning.
8. The concept of the outsider is a common theme in Romantic novels. Often, this outsider has a link to nature, like Heathcliff in Bront�'s Wuthering Heights. Think about the monster as an outsider. Victor also seems to have this link with nature--is he another outsider?
9. Examine the role of suspense and foreshadowing throughout the novel. Does Victor's blatant foreshadowing reveal too much of his narrative? Do Walton and the monster's narratives include the same type or degree of foreshadowing? If not, how can you account for this difference?