Answer the Question Or Statement in Great Detail (Unless Otherwise Noted)

Frankenstein Reading Logs

Answer the question or statement in great detail (unless otherwise noted):

Chapters 1 and 2:

1. Victor’s parents. Include physical and personal characteristics of the two including (but not limited to) age, appearance, background, profession. 2. How his parents met. (Location, circumstances, etc.) 3. How Elizabeth came into the family. (What was the significance of Caroline’s way of preparing Victor? How did he interpret what she told him, and how might that affect his future?) 4. Victor’s Childhood friend. (How were they similar/different with likes and dislikes?) 5. Cornelius Agrippa (Why was Victor attracted to his ideas?)

Chapters 3 and 4:

1. Victor’s mother’s death 2. Henry’s not being able to attend college 3. Victor’s feelings towards Professor Krempe 4. Prof. Waldeman’s take about ancient science vs. the modern masters 5. The branch of science Victor decides to study most 6. How long has Victor been away from home at this point in the novel? 7. The questions he hopes to answer with his scientific experiments 8. Describe his laboratory. 9. What and where he studies (what does he spend months observing?) 10. His capabilities that no other scientist has done before. 11. The design of his creature.

Chapter 5:

1. What does the 1st line of chapter 5 mean? 2. Describe the significance of his candle almost burning out. 3. What word/words does he use to describe his emotions when his experiment works? 4. Describe the creature and the contrast of Victor’s original belief in its appearance and intellect. 5. How long had Victor worked on the creature? 6. Describe Victor’s dream. 7. What did he see when he awoke? 8. What was his reaction? 9. Who rode up in the carriage when Victor was wandering aimlessly? 10. Describe Victor’s physical appearance. 11. Describe Victor’s concerns when he led his guest up to his apartment. Were they unfounded? 12. What was Victor’s response to this? 13. Describe his guest’s reaction. 14. Describe the length of time and the process for Victor to get better. 15. What did his guest ask him to do when he returned to health? Chapter 6:

1. Who was the letter from that Victor read first? 2. What does the writer say (they) have persuaded Victor’s father not to do? 3. What does the letter say that Victor’s brother wants to do? 4. Explain the story of Justine Moritz. 5. What did her mother accuse her of? 6. Who did Victor introduce Clerval to? 7. What did Clerval want to study? 8. Why does Victor say he doesn’t want to leave Ingolstadt? 9. How long after Henry came does it take for Victor to finally make it home?

Chapter 7 and 8:

1. What news does Alphonse Frankenstein tell Victor in a letter? 2. Describe why Elizabeth blames herself. 3. How long has it been since Victor left home 4. Why does Victor pass the night outside in a lightning storm? 5. Who does he see? 6. Why doesn’t Victor tell his family and the police what he knows of the murder? 7. Why has Justine been accused of the murder? 8. How could Victor have saved her life at the trial? 9. What is the evidence against her? 10. Explain who Victor feel sorry for the most and why? 11. Why does Justine confess?

Chapter 9 and 10:

1. What makes Alphonse think Victor is depressed? 2. Describe Victor’s nightly actions. 3. How has Elizabeth’s outlook on life changed? 4. Where does Victor travel to? 5. Where does he go the next morning? 6. After encountering the creature, what does he first demand of Victor? 7. If Victor refuses, what threat does the creature make? 8. What does the creature say Victor owes him and why?

Chapter 11 and 12:

1. Who takes over narration of the chapters at this point? 2. Describe the creature’s suffering in the forest near Ingolstadt. 3. Why was he forced to leave his fire? 4. What occurs when he enters a village? 5. Where does he at last find shelter? 6. Describe the occupants of the cottage (age, gender, etc.) 7. Describe their interaction and moods. 8. Explain the old man’s disability 9. Why does the creature stop stealing food from them? 10. How and why does he help the family? 11. Describe the obvious and intrinsic qualities and abilities the creature learns from them.

Chapters 13 and 14: 1. Who arrives at the cottage? 2. Why is this good news for the creature? 3. What indicates that the creature has above average intelligence? 4. Describe the paradox of mankind that the creature discovers by reading The Ruins of Empires. 5. Describe the creature’s self-realization about his identity. 6. What else does the creature discover he’s been deprived of that every human has in one form or another? 7. Describe the DeLacey’s background (including social status and national origin). 8. Describe in detail the circumstances, which led to Felix and Safie’s meeting. 9. Explain why Safie is so eager to remain in Western Europe and not return to Turkey. 10. Describe Safie’s father and how he lies to both Felix and Safie. 11. Explain why Felix rushes back to Paris without Safie. 12. Describe the reason for the trial and the end result.

Chapters 15 and 16:

1. What does the creature find that occupies him for several months? 2. Describe what the contents of this teach him to admire and hate. 3. Paradise Lost is the story of God’s creation of Adam and Satan’s rebellion and exile from Heaven. Describe similarities between Adam and the creature. 4. Describe the differences between the creature and Adam. Do you feel he is more like Satan? Why? 5. What did the creature find that explained how he came to be? 6. What does the creature fantasize about? What is his fondest hope? 7. How much time has passed since he came to life? 8. Explain why the creature introduced himself to the Elder De Lacey first without his children present. 9. What happened when the three young people return? 10. Explain how you would rewrite this scenario to the creature’s advantage. 11. What does the creature declare on mankind? 12. What does he do to the cottage and why? 13. Where does he resolve to go? 14. Describe the incident where the creature saved a young girl’s life, and her father’s reaction. How does this effect the creature? 15. Describe the interaction between the creature and William Frankenstein. 16. Why does he plant the locket on Justine to intentionally frame her for William’s death? 17. What does he demand of Victor?

Chapter 17 and 18:

1. What argument of the creature’s convinces Victor to agree to make a female creature? 2. Where does the creature promise to go with his mate? 3. What does the creature immediately do after Victor agrees to make her? 4. Why won’t Victor begin to make her right away? 5. What does Victor’s father ask him, which shows he was concerned about Victor’s desire for a future? 6. When does he decide he would be free to marry Elizabeth? 7. Why is Victor sure his family will be fairly safe while he travels with Clerval? 8. Whose death does Victor foretell? 9. What country do he and Clerval travel through on the way to England? 10. How is Clerval’s mood different from Victor’s?

Chapter 19 and 20: 1. How does the 1st sentence of Chapter 19 prove Victor is a procrastinator and hopelessly morally irresponsible? 2. Why do Henry and Victor find Oxford so interesting? 3. Why is Victor so anxious to get letters from home? What does he fear from delays? 4. Why does he now shadow Henry, rarely letting him out of his sight? 5. Where does Victor finally commence work on the female creature? 6. Describe Victor’s reasoning for destroying the female creature just as he was nearly finished. 7. Who observes the destruction and what is his reaction? 8. What does he call both Victor and himself? 9. What warning about the future does the creature give Victor? 10. Describe Victor’s reaction. Who does he believe is in danger? What does that reveal about his character? 11. Why must he speak to the magistrate?

Chapter 21-22:

1. What do the witnesses report that links Victor to the murder? 2. Who is the victim? 3. Reflect on what happens to Victor for the next 2 months, and how and when this has happened before. 4. Who comes to visit him in prison? 5. What is the court verdict and why? 6. What does Victor now tell his father? Describe how this couldn’t be construed as a confession. 7. Why does Victor bother to take responsibility for the deaths? 8. What question does Elizabeth ask in the letter? 9. Why does Victor consider postponing the wedding? 10. Describe two possible reasons for waiting to tell Elizabeth of his secret after their marriage. 11. What bothers Elizabeth on her wedding day?

Chapter 23-24:

1. Why does Victor ask Elizabeth to go to bed without him on their wedding night? 2. Describes what happens to Elizabeth. 3. Why does Victor fire his weapon? 4. What is your opinion about Victor’s claim that “…no creature had ever been as miserable as I was.” 5. Describe the circumstances of Alphonse Frankenstein death. 6. What does Victor ask the magistrate to do? 7. Why is the creature now satisfied? 8. Name 2 ways in which the creature helps Victor ‘track him.’ 9. Where do they end up when Victor is rescued by the ship? 10. Captain Walton begins to narrate the story, referring to Victor as ‘he.’ What does Walton think of Victor Frankenstein? 11. Describe the danger the ship is in. Why is Walton to blame? 12. What do the sailors demand of Walton? 13. What is Victor’s advice to the sailors? 14. What is Victor’s dying request of Captain Walton? 15. What are the creature’s plans now that Victor is dead? 16. Who is the only remaining Frankenstein?