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Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

 

 


 
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Symbols


 

Light and Fire:

  • Symbolizes the knowledge and discovery of the Creature's senses

    • Creature creates fire and by touching it, learns the sense of touch

 

 

Themes

Revenge:

  • The Creature seeks revenge due to being abandoned by his "father" and being rejected by the DeLacey family

  • The Creature also seeks revenge as a result of humanity not being able to look beyond his physical appearance

  • Victor seeks revenge as a result of the Creature killing Victor's loved ones

 

Ambition and Fallibility:

  • Victor has ambition to create a new species that can avoid illnesses and disease

  • Walton has ambition to find a route to the North Pole and test the North Pole compass theory

  • The Creature has ambition to learn and find someone who will love him

Major Conflicts

  • Victor creates the Creature and abandons it after the Creature opens his eyes

  • William dies due to the Creature strangling him

    • Justine is blamed for the murder

  • The Creature finds Victor and tells him to create a female companion

    • Victor destroys his early work of the female companion

      • As a result, the Creature found Victor once again and killed Elizabeth by strangling her

  • The Creature and Victor spend period of time chasing after one another seeking revenge

Motifs

  • The saving of women

    • Alphonse saves his wife, Caroline,  and takes her into his care

    • Alfanso and Caroline save Elizabeth and raise her as their own

    • Women are seen as people who men save from difficult circumstances

Setting

  • 18th century

  • Geneva, Swiss Alps, and Igolstadt

    • England and Scotland


 

Author's Purpose

  • To show readers that the pursuit of knowledge can be dangerous

    • Be ambitious, but not over ambitious


 

Characters


 

Victor Frankenstein:

  • Highly intelligent

    • In the beginning, thinks he is almost a God like figure when creating life

  • Creates a new life form

    • Abandons his creation

  • Wants to prevent the Creature from evil actions by neglecting it

    • Causes his loved ones to die

  • Represents the gothic elements in the novel

 

 

The Creature:

  • Is hideous

    • Has long dark hair, translucent skin, black lips, yellow eyes, and body is proportional

  • Is very intelligent and sensitive

    • Learns the ways of life on his own and speaks beautifully

  • Looks for love and acception from anyone

 

 

Robert Walton:

  • Is an Arctic seafarer

  • Picks the Victor up off the ice and cares for him on his ship

  • Hears Victor's story

  • Is close with his sister Margret and writes her letters

Alphonse Frankenstein:

  • Is Victor's father

  • Sympathetic and caring

  • Encourages Victor to always remember the importance of family

  • Consoles Victor


 

Elizabeth Lavenza:

  • Was an orphan until taken in by Victor's parents

  • Is Victor's wife

Henry Clerval:

  • Is Victor's best friend

  • Is very intelligent

  • Nurses Victor whenever he becomes sick

  • Represents the romantic elements in the novel

William Frankenstein:

  • Is Victor's younger brother

  • Is strangled by the Creature and is killed

  • His death saddens Victor and his family


 

Justine Mortiz:

  • Is a young girl whp is adopted into the Frankenstein household

  • Is blamed for the murder of William

The DeLacey Family:

  • Consists of an older son ,blind father, and a younger daughter

  • The Creature finds where the family lives and stays in the woods studying the family

    • Tries to secretly help them as much as he can in order to win over their love one day

      • Everyone besides the father is afraid of the Creature when they see him talking with the father of the family

 

Caroline Beaufort:

  • Is saved and taken in by Alphonse

    • Marries him

  • Dies of scarlet fever

Mr.Waldman and Mr. Krempe:

  • Are Victor's teachers

  • Waldman is the professor of chemistry who sparks Victor’s interest in science

  • Krempe is the professor of natural philosophy

    • Tells Victor to start new studies

Significant Quotes

"Learn from my miseries, and do not seek to increase your own." ~Victor

 

"What may not be expected in a country of eternal light?" ~Walton

 

"I, the miserable and the abandoned, am an abortion, to be spurned at, and kicked, and trampled on." ~The Creature

 

"You are my creator, but I am your master; Obey!" ~The Creature

 

"Acursed creator! Why did you form a monster so hideous that even you turned from me in disgust?" ~The Creature

 

"Do you share my maddness? Have you drunk also of the intoxicating draught? Hear me; let me reveal my tale, and you will dash the cup from your lips!" ~Victor

 

"I am malicious because I am miserable." ~The Creature

 

"I will be with you on your wedding night." ~The Creature

 

 

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