1/29/2019 Frankenstein Overview; Notes - Google Docs
Preface/ Summary:
Letters ● Begins with a series of letters from explorer Robert Walton to his
sister Margaret Saville
● Walton wants to accomplish a “great purpose”
● A self-identifying romanticist, he yearns for another intellectual to
share his dreams with
● When they are stuck in an ice flow, the crew catch sight of an
enormous man on a sled and a fragile, emaciated man in chase
● They rescue the man, Victor Frankenstein, and the story begins
1-2 Summary:
● Alphonse: Frankenstein’s father
● Caroline: Frankenstein’s mother
● Elizabeth: Frankenstein’s “cousin”
○ Discovered on a family trip, Caroline decides upon adoption
that she will marry Victor
○ Grow up as best friends
● Henry Clerval: Frankenstein’s close friend
● He begins to study occult sciences, reading the outdated of
alchemists such as Agrippa
3-5 Summary:
● As Victor prepares to depart for Ingolstadt University, his mother
falls ill from Scarlet Fever (transmitted from Elizabeth)
● Hey drying wish is to see Victor and Elizabeth wed
● At the University, M. Krempe, the professor of natural philosophy,
criticizes his study of the occult sciences
● Victor zealously tackles his studies and after many years of studies,
come close to discovering the secret of life
● Frankenstein begins the construction of an animate creature,
neglecting his social life, family, friends, and studies
● One stormy night, his creation comes to life, but Victor is horrified
by it’s grotesque appearance
● He is troubled by nightmares of Elizabeth and his mother’s corpse
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1rg4XTv7G3Fjf1dXdArJw9zXkx3nPKUxp-OF73vBGUb0/edit
Analysis:
● Frankenstein is a science fiction that captures the “truth of the
elementary principles of human nature”
● Walton’s letter serve a few purposes:
○ Set the scene for the telling of a stranger’s narrative
○ Introducing the idea of loss and loneliness
○ Parallels between man and monster, and Walton is
foreshadowed through the letters
● Knowledge can be destructive
○ Theme of destructive knowledge [see 11-12]
Analysis:
● Women in Frankenstein fit into a few roles;
○ The loving, sacrificial mother
○ The innocent, sensitive child
○ The concerned, confused, abandoned lover
● Universally passive throughout the novel; only during key moments
do they take initiative and demand action from the men around
them
● Frankenstein’s retelling of his idyllic childhood provides a sharp
contrast to the imminent doom in one of many foreshadows
Analysis:
● The first 2 chapters give a feeling of impending doom while the
following chapters depict Victor’s downward spiral to tragedy
● Walton and Frankenstein parallel each other as they both push the
boundaries of their passions into the tantalizing, dark unknown
● [The symbol of light]
● [Theme of secrecy]
○ Linked to Victor’s shame and failure in creating an ideal
specimen
● Victor’s creation of the monster initiates a haunting theme that the
monster is ever-present and liable to appear at any moment and
wreak havoc
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1/29/2019 Frankenstein Overview; Notes - Google Docs
6-8 Summary:
● Justine Moritz returns to the Frankenstein family
● Victor receives news that his brother William has been murdered
○ Frankenstein spots the monster lurking in the outskirts of
Geneva, and comes to the conclusion that he is the
perpetrator
● Justine Moritz is accused, tried and executed
● Victor is consumed with guilt knowing that the monster he created
has killed 2 members of his family
9-10 Summary:
● Following Justine’s execution, the Frankenstein family takes a trip to
the mountains
● Frankenstein engages on a solo trek and encounters the monster,
who eloquently persuades him to listen to his story
Paradise Lost Reference!
● The monster demonstrates his eloquence in an allusion to Paradise
Lost
○ “Remember that I am thy creature: I ought to be thy Adam:
but I rather the Fallen Angel”
● By comparing Frankenstein to god, he shifts the blame of his
wickedness onto Victor
○ It is Victor’s fault for abandoning the monster
○ Victor has failed to provide a nourishing environment for the
monster; in doing so, he has unleashed a being into his life to
forever torment him
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1rg4XTv7G3Fjf1dXdArJw9zXkx3nPKUxp-OF73vBGUb0/edit
Analysis:
● The incorporation of written letters allow Elizabeth and Alphonse to
participate directly in the narrative, bypassing Victor to speak
directly to Walton and the reader
○ Allow the reader to hear the character’s voices
○ Make the overall narrative less plausible
○ Unlikely Frankenstein remembers the letters exactly
○ Frankenstein might be biased; filter parts out
● Once again, the women are passive;
○ Elizabeth, despite standing up for Justine, is still completely
powerless to stop the execution
○ Only Victor, who possesses crucial knowledge of the truth, is
capable of shedding light on the situation
● Henry plays the foil to Victor:
○ Embodies clarity, openness, concern, and good health
○ Contrasts with Victor’s secrecy, self-absorption, ill health
○ Serves as a line of communication between Victor and his
family
Analysis:
● The theme of Sublime Nature is presented prominently in these
chapters, where readers can observe the effects that nature has on
Victor’s mood
● Formerly a mysterious, grotesque, purely physical being, the monster
has transformed into a verbal, emotional, sensitive being not unlike a
human being
○ This transformation brings a greater burden upon
Frankenstein by allowing him to realize the weight of his
creation; now, it is the intellect of the monster that must be
feared, not only the physical aspect
● The monster has a clear understanding of his position in the world
● He understands his tragedy, and cruel existence which arose from
his abandonment; he is ready to seek revenge
● Victor finally realizes his creation is not a simple product of his
experiments, but rather, an actual living being with needs and
desires
● Although Victor spurns the demons story, the eloquent and moving
words of the monster illustrate his delicate nature
● For the reader, it is easy to sympathize with the monster’s plight
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1/29/2019 Frankenstein Overview; Notes - Google Docs
11-12 Summary:
● The monster describes his creation upon his conception into the real
world...
● Abandoned at birth, he is gradually acclimated to the world through
the discovery of light, dark, hunger, thirst, and cold
● He finds that humans are terrified of him and he is rudely shunned
in every encounter with civilization
● Eventually he finds the hut of Felix, Agatha, and the old man (de
Lacey)
○ The monster observes the inhabitants for a winter and in the
time, he grows endearingly close to the unwitting residents
○ He does whatever he can to combat their poverty
13-14 Summary:
● Safie, a beautiful Turkish woman and lover of Felix, arrives at the hut
● Felix teaches her French and unknowingly teaches French to the
eavesdropping monster
● As Felix teaches Safie about world history, languages, and society,
the monster expands his understanding of the world
● Reflecting on his own situation, he realizes he is deformed and alone,
deepening the agony of his isolation
[see book for the story of Felix, Agatha, De Lacey, and Safie; irrelevant]
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1rg4XTv7G3Fjf1dXdArJw9zXkx3nPKUxp-OF73vBGUb0/edit
Analysis:
● The inhabitants of the cottage contrast greatly with Victor’s
treatment of the monster
○ Victor abandoned the monster completely
○ The residents are very devoted to each other
● Through observing the residents, the monster realizes how utterly
alone he is in his world devoid of compassion, kindness, and love
● Sublime Nature Theme:
○ The connection between human moods and the natural
world is emphasized in the monster’s reaction to springtime
○ The monster takes glory in nature’s creation, when ironically,
he cannot rejoice in his own
○ For a moment he can forget his own ugliness and revel in the
beauty of nature
● Knowledge is Dangerous:
○ Like Frankenstein, the monster comes to realize that
knowledge is dangerous
○ Knowledge is permanent and irreversible; once gained, it
cannot be shed
○ The monster realizes just how horribly different he is from
humans; setting a heavy burden upon his former innocence
Analysis:
● More Frame Narrative
○ Subplot of Safie and the cottagers add yet another story into
the many layers present
○ Layering of stories allows for the reworking of ideas in new
contexts
○ The monster and Frankenstein parallel each other;
■ Monster can survive extreme conditions, is
grotesquely ugly; really the ultimate loner
■ Frankenstein hides an awful secret that distinguishes
him from his friends, family, and society
■ Safie, fearing oppression in Islamic gender roles,
escapes to Christian values, to continue her pursuit
of knowledge and independence
● Passive Woman:
○ A gentle creature that submits to the active, powerful men
○ Safie is opposite, by taking initiative and fleeing her father
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1/29/2019 Frankenstein Overview; Notes - Google Docs
15-17 Summary:
● The monster discovers a bag full of books;
○ Sorrows of Werter
○ Plutarch’s Lives
○ Paradise Lost
● Unaware that Paradise Lost is a work of fiction, the monster
interprets it literally, finding parallels with himself in the story
● He discovers journal entries from Frankenstein describing the
process of his creation and detailing the disgust of his creator
● Dismayed by these discoveries, the monster decides to reveal himself
to the residents
○ He hopes they will see past his outward appearance, and
value for his real, inward self
● Unfortunately, he is chased off just as he begins to speak to De Lacey
…… monster burns hut and runs off
● In his travels, the monster rescues a young girl that is drowning, but
is shot at by a man who thought he was attacking her
● Nearing Geneva, the monster encounters a young boy, William
Frankenstein
○ When William mentions his father’s name, the monster
strangles him out of anger and vengeance
○ He takes a picture of Caroline Frankenstein in William’s
pockets and slips it onto Justine Moritz
● Concluding his story, he asks for a female companion to be created
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1rg4XTv7G3Fjf1dXdArJw9zXkx3nPKUxp-OF73vBGUb0/edit
Analysis:
● The monster makes several compelling arguments to persuade
Victor in creating the female companion;
○ Victor has a responsibility as a creator
○ The monster’s actions thus far are due to loneliness
○ He will take his mate to South America to hide from humans
○ With a fellow monster, he will no longer kill
● Significance of Paradise Lost:
○ Compares himself to Adam and Satan
○ Scolded like Adam and cursed like Satan, the monster is
painfully aware of his creator’s disdain for him
● Narrative Frames:
○ The monster addresses Victor directly; “...cold heartless
creator!” in an attempt to elicit an acknowledgement of his
creator’s fault in placing him in the cruel world
● Sublime Nature:
○ Victor seeks the high, hard, and cold world of the Alps as if
to freeze his guilt about the murder
○ In contrast, the monster finds solace in the springtime
forests, symbolizing his desire to “blossom”/reveal himself to
the world and interact with others
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1/29/2019 Frankenstein Overview; Notes - Google Docs
18-20 Summary:
● After the fateful meeting, Frankenstein is on edge about the creation
of another monster
● As he needs to gather information, Victor arranges for a trip to
England
○ Clerval comes along, but is not aware of Victor’s intentions
● As he must fulfill his obligation, Victor is weighed down by the
burden; he is bonded to the monster in this sense
● One day, as he nears completion he sees the monster grinning at
him; he destroys his 2nd creation upon realizing several things;
○ New creature might not want to seclude herself
○ Might make children “....a race of devils”
● Naturally, the monster is upset and vows revenge, stating that he will
be with Frankenstein on his wedding night
● Upon returning to a nearby town, he is received rudely, as he is
placed under suspicion of committing a murder
21-23 Summary
● Victor is taken to Mr. Kirwin, the town magistrate
● Victor is taken to see the dead body; upon realizing it is Henry, he
falls into madness
● After lying ill for 2 months, his father visits, to his joy!
● On their way home, Victor receives a letter from Elizabeth;
○ Worried by Victor’s illness, she questions his love to her
○ Victor replies that he is her source of joy
● Wedding planning begins, but the looming threat from the Monster
still hangs in the air
● Victor can think of nothing but the Monster’s imminent arrival on
wedding night
● Elizabeth retires to a room, and a few moments later, she is dead
● The monster has strangled her;
○ Victor realizes he was not the monster’s intended victim
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1rg4XTv7G3Fjf1dXdArJw9zXkx3nPKUxp-OF73vBGUb0/edit
Analysis:
Clerval, foil to Victor:
● Inwardly focussed Victor/Outwardly focussed Henry
● Victor is haunted by the knowledge that the monster is tracking him;
ever present in the natural surroundings
● Henry takes joy in the presence of sublime nature during their tour
Crux of the theme of the Passive Woman:
● Though never alive, the female monster is a powerful presence
● To Victor: represents another crime against humanity and nature
● To Monster: last hope for a life not spent alone
● Victor’s decision to destroy her can be seen as an anti-feminist action
● He fears…
○ Her ability to reproduce
○ As a woman, she will refuse to satisfy the male monster
○ He will unleash another uncontrollable power
● Unlike the God of the Genesis, Victor does not have absolute power
over his creations
● His anxiety leads him to project a stereotypically male activeness
over the female creature;
● To destroy her ensures her absolute passivity !!!
Analysis:
● Henry again serves as a link between Victor and society, but this
time in a far more morbid manner;
○ His death brings Alphonse to Victor, finally jostling Victor
awake and raising awareness to the importance of family
● Having failed to create a loving relationship with his creator, the
monster turns to another emotion; pain
● By removing every loved one of Victor, the monster brings Victor
closer and closer to the same state of solitude he experienced
Sublime Nature Again!:
● Victor’s formerly intense connection with nature begins to fade,
providing him no refuge from the horror of the monster
● The raw, barren Arctic wasteland, embodies the deep seated hatred
between man and monster, symbolizing the lonely, raw emotions
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1/29/2019 Frankenstein Overview; Notes - Google Docs

24 Summary Analysis:
Walton ● With his whole family dead, Victor embarks on a journey, tracking ● At this point in the novel, Victor has reached the same level of
the monster and swearing to remove the monster from the face of inhumanity as the monster
the Earth forever ○ Just like the monster felt an uncontrollable hatred to Victor
Walton regains control of the narrative for destroying his mate, Victor takes on a frenzied need to
● Victor is nearing death exact revenge on the monster for murdering his loved ones
● Walton finds the monster mourning his creator; ● Driven by their hatred, the two monsters, Victor and his creation,
○ The monster deeply regrets becoming an instrument of evil, move further away from society and sanity, quite literally, to the
and with his creator dead, he is ready to die Arctic
○ The monster leaves the ship and departs into darkness
Frame Narrative:
● We can note that the frame narrative of the story has worked
exceptionally well to allow the reader to hear ALL the voices of the
main characters
● Provides MULTIPLE views of the central characters

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