V5 Frankenstein

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• Middelbare school
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• Leerjaar 5,6

VWO 5

Frankenstein

Frankenstein

Frankenstein

Historical/literary context:

Key features of the Romantic period:

- Emphasis on emotion & imagination

- Love of nature

- Rebellion against science & industrialization

Gothic features:

- Mystery, horror, supernatural

- Dark setting, isolation

- Psychological terror

The subtitle “The Modern Prometheus” suggests the myth of Prometheus (who stole fire for humankind) and links to themes of creation, overreaching ambition, punishment.

Epistolary novel

Frankenstein is an epistolary novel because its story is told through a series of letters, primarily those written by Robert Walton to his sister. This frame narrative also includes other documents, such as the creature's journal, to present the story through a collection of writings. 

Epistolary novel: a genre where the story is told through documents like letters, diary entries, or other records.

How Walton’s story embeds Victor Frankenstein’s

Walton is the outermost narrator: he writes the letters to his sister. Inside that, Victor Frankenstein tells his own story to Walton. Then inside that, the -monster- tells his story to Victor. The novel uses a frame narrative (story within story) which adds complexity and questions about reliability, perspective, and the act of storytelling. 

Overview letters 1-4

The novel opens with four letters from the explorer Robert Walton to his sister Margaret Saville. 

In Letter 1 Walton expresses his ambition: he is captaining a ship bound for the North Pole, eager to discover new lands or new magnetic truths. 

Letter 2 shows Walton’s loneliness and his search for a “friend” who shares his zeal and ambition.

Letter 3 reports the rescue of Victor Frankenstein on the ice, and Walton’s decision to bring him aboard.

Letter 4 has Walton listening to Victor’s story (the first embedding of the main narrative) and includes Walton’s reflections on ambition, risk, and the limits of knowledge.

Chapter 1

1. Describe Victor Frankenstein’s early family life.
   
2. How did Victor’s parents influence his love for knowledge?
   
3. Who is Elizabeth Lavenza and what role does she play in Victor’s life?
   
4. What subjects does Victor become interested in as a child?
   
5. How does Victor describe his childhood overall?
   
6. Explain how Chapter 1 reflects qualities of the Romantic period.
   

Chapter 2

1. What early scientists does Victor admire, and why?

2. How does a lightning storm change Victor’s views on science?

3. What are Victor’s thoughts on natural philosophy?

4. What personal tragedy occurs in this chapter?

5. How does Victor’s fascination with science deepen?

E6. xplain how Chapter 2 demonstrates Gothic elements.

Chapter 3

1. Why does Victor leave home for university?

2. How does Victor’s mother’s death affect him?

3. What does Victor study at university?

4. How does Victor’s teacher influence his studies?

5. What goal does Victor secretly begin to pursue?

6. Explain why Chapter 3 is considered Romantic literature.

Chapter 4

1. What does Victor discover about life and death?

2. How does Victor’s obsession with his experiment grow?

3. What moral concerns does Victor ignore?

4. Describe Victor’s emotional state during his work.

5. What is Victor’s attitude toward his family during this time?

6. Describe the Gothic atmosphere in Chapter 4.

Chapter 5

1. What happens when Victor brings the creature to life?

2. How does Victor react to his creation?

3. What physical description is given of the creature?

4. Who does Victor meet after the creation?

5. Why does Victor fall ill?

6. Explain how Chapter 5 shows Gothic horror.

Chapter 6

1. Who writes to Victor, and what do they say?

2. Who is Justine Moritz, and what role does she play?

3. How does Elizabeth feel about Victor?

4. How does Victor describe his health and mindset?

5. What does Victor avoid discussing with his family?

6. How does Chapter 6 reflect Romantic themes?

Chapter 7

1. What tragic news does Victor receive?

2. What suspicions does Victor have about the murderer?

3. How does Victor react when he sees the creature?

4. Why is Justine accused of the crime?

5. How does Victor feel about Justine’s trial?

6. Explain how Chapter 7 shows Gothic tragedy.

Chapter 8

1. What happens during Justine’s trial?

2. How does Elizabeth defend Justine?

3. Why does Justine confess to a crime she didn’t commit?

4. How does this event affect Victor’s guilt?

5. What themes of justice and morality appear?

6. Explain how Chapter 8 reflects Romantic ideals.

Chapter 9

1. How does Victor cope with his guilt?

2. Why does Victor travel to the mountains?

3. How does nature affect Victor’s emotions?

4. What emotions does Victor experience during his trip?

5. What does Victor say about human suffering?

6. How does Chapter 9 illustrate Romanticism?

Chapter 10

1. Who does Victor meet in the mountains?

2. What does the creature want from Victor?

3. How does Victor react to the creature?

4. What argument does the creature make about his actions?

5. Why does Victor agree to listen to the creature?

6. Explain how Chapter 10 contains Gothic elements.

Chapter 11

1. How does the creature describe his early life

2. What challenges does the creature face?

3. How does the creature learn about fire?

4. What does the creature say about loneliness?

5. How does nature treat the creature?

6. Explain how Chapter 11 is Romantic in nature.

Chapter 12

1. Who are the DeLacey family?

2. What does the creature learn from watching them?

3. How does the creature feel about the family?

4. How does the DeLacey family affect the creature’s humanity?

5. What virtues does he observe in them?

6. How does Chapter 12 show Romantic or Gothic traits?

Chapter 13

1. Who arrives at the DeLacey cottage?

2. What does the creature learn from books?

3. What does the creature learn about human history?

4. How does knowledge affect the creature’s emotions?

5. How does the creature describe his identity crisis?

6. Explain how Chapter 13 reflects Romantic themes.

Chapter 14

1. What is the story of the DeLacey family’s past?

2. What injustices did they suffer?

3. How does this story affect the creature?

4. What themes of compassion appear in this chapter?

5. How does the creature relate to their suffering?

6. How does Chapter 14 show Gothic elements?

Chapter 15

1. What books does the creature find?

2. What does he learn from these books?

3. How do these books affect his thoughts about humans?

4. How does he feel about Victor after reading?

5. What does he learn about his creation?

6. Explain how Chapter 15 shows Romantic/Gothic themes.

Chapter 16

1. What happens when the creature approaches the DeLacey family?

2. How does the family react to him?

3. How does this rejection affect the creature?

4. What decision does the creature make?

5. What does the creature’s anger lead to?

6. How does Chapter 16 show Gothic horror?

Chapter 17

1. What does the creature ask Victor to do?

2. How does Victor react to the request?

3. What promise does the creature make?

4. Why does Victor feel conflicted?

5. What does Victor finally agree to do?

6. Explain how Chapter 17 reflects Romantic/Gothic traits.

Chapter 18

1. Where does Victor travel, and why?

2. How does Victor’s father influence his decision?

3. What emotions does Victor experience during his travels?

4. Why does Victor postpone his work?

5. What role does nature play?

6. Explain how Chapter 18 shows Romantic elements.

Chapter 19

1. What is Victor working on in this chapter?

2. How does Victor feel while creating the second creature?

3. Why does Victor travel to Scotland?

4. What fears does Victor have about the new creature?

5. What decision does Victor make at the end?

6. How does Chapter 19 display Gothic features?

Chapter 20

1. What does Victor do to the second creature?

2. How does the monster respond?

3. What warning does the creature give Victor?

4. How does Victor feel after destroying the second creature?

5. What happens to Victor after the confrontation?

6. Explain how Chapter 20 shows Romantic/Gothic elements.

Chapter 21

1. What crime is Victor accused of?

2. Who was the victim?

3. Why does Victor blame himself?

4. How does Victor’s mental state change?

5. Who helps Victor during the accusation?

6. How does Chapter 21 show Gothic tragedy?

Chapter 22

1. Who takes care of Victor?

2. How does Victor feel about returning home?

3. What does Elizabeth worry about?

4. What message does the creature send Victor?

5. What does Victor fear might happen?

6. Explain how Chapter 22 is Gothic in nature.

Chapter 23

1. What happens on Victor’s wedding night?

2. What does Victor realize about the creature’s threat?

3. How does Victor respond to the tragedy?

4. What happens to Victor’s father?

5. What vow does Victor make?

6. Explain how Chapter 23 shows Romantic/Gothic themes.

Chapter 24

1. What happens on Victor’s wedding night?

2. What does Victor realize about the creature’s threat?

3. How does Victor respond to the tragedy?

4. What happens to Victor’s father?

5. What vow does Victor make?

6. Explain how Chapter 23 shows Romantic/Gothic themes.

Themes

Ambition and the danger of knowledge: “Learn from me… how dangerous is the acquirement of knowledge…” (Victor) 

Nature vs. nurture: The creature’s development shows that environment, nurture, rejection shape behaviour.

Isolation and loneliness: Victor isolates himself; the creature is isolated; Walton seeks a friend.

Responsibility + parenthood/creation: Victor creates life but fails as a “parent” figure; responsibility for one’s creation is key.

Monstrosity: What makes someone a monster? The creature’s appearance vs. his mind; society’s horror vs. his pain.

The sublime in nature: Romantic landscapes both comfort and awe; they reflect internal states.

Gothic horror: transgression, secrecy, the unnatural, the uncanny.

Romantic period elements

• Emphasis on individual emotion, imagination, and sensory experience. 
  

• The idealisation of nature, its restorative and awe‐inspiring aspects (Chamounix valley, Mont Blanc, Arctic).
  

• The individual (Victor or the creature) standing against society or nature; internal conflict, emotional turmoil.
  

• The critique of mechanistic science: Romantic writers often emphasised the limits of reason and the importance of feeling.
  

Gothic elements

- Mystery, horror, and the supernatural: creating life from death, the “monster”, the Arctic chase. 

- Settings that evoke isolation: remote mountains, laboratories, the icy polar seas.

- Psychological terror: guilt, obsession, the breakdown of Victor’s mind.

- Transgression of boundaries: science meddling with life/death; creation of unnatural being.

- A sense of doom and fate: the narrative is foreshadowed by the framing device; Victor’s downfall seems destined.

Character analysis

Victor Frankenstein: ambitious, brilliant, naïve, then tormented. His flaw is his hubris and his failure to take responsibility.

The Creature (“Monster”): intelligent, sensitive, initially benevolent; becomes vengeful after repeated rejection. He invites our sympathy and simultaneously our horror.

Robert Walton: a parallel figure to Victor—driven by ambition; he listens to Victor’s story and makes a different choice.

Elizabeth Lavenza: idealised, passive, represents home, domestic tranquillity—but also becomes a victim of the consequences of Victor’s actions.

Henry Clerval: Victor’s friend, social, moral, humanising force; his death marks Victor’s collapse further.

Alphonse Frankenstein: father figure, representative of conventional values; his death symbolizes the collapse of Victor’s old life.

Quotations: how to deal with them

You will need to analyse a number of quotations on your test.

For each quote, you should be able analyse: 

who says it? in what context? what themes does it reflect? how does it relate to character and to the Romantic/Gothic elements?

“I will pioneer a new way, explore unknown powers, and unfold to the world the deepest mysteries of creation.” – Victor (Ch.3) 

“I ought to be thy Adam, but I am rather the fallen angel.” – The Creature (Ch.15)

“Learn from me… how dangerous is the acquirement of knowledge and how much happier that man is who believes his native town to be the world, than he who aspires to become greater than his nature will allow.” – Victor (towards end)

“I, not in deed, but in effect, was the true murderer.” – Victor (Ch.8)

“Nothing is so painful to the human mind as a great and sudden change.” – The Creature (Ch.16-17)

“Farewell, Walton! Seek happiness in tranquillity and avoid ambition…” – Victor (Ch.23)

Things to remember

 This is a story, within a story, within a story. 

With each narrator, we move one step further away:

The creature --tells--> Victor Frankenstein --tells--> Robert Walton --writes--> Walton's sister/us

The story starts and ends roughly at the same point in time.

How is this Romantic?

• The story says they are "uplifting their spirits with the beauties of nature." 
• Frankenstein first became inspired by seeing a lightning bold hit a tree (the force of nature).
• The monster’s experience of coming into the world without any knowledge of social norms and behavioral expectations reflects Romanticism’s curiosity about how innate human nature is gradually shaped by society and culture.
  

How is this Romantic?

• Focuses on an outcast of society (the creature).
• A lot of focus on the emotion of individuals.
• Many of the characters suffer because of scientific advances.