Name: _______________________________________
Period:______
Frankenstein Study Guide
“Did I request thee, Maker, from my clay
To mould me man? Did I solicit thee
From darkness to promote me?”
1. The lines above, from a very well-known piece of literature--John Milton’s Paradise Lost-refer to Adam’s fallen condition after being cast out of the Garden of Eden and are on the
opening page of Frankenstein. Explain why Mary Shelley would have placed these lines on
her title page and what significance they hold in relation to the novel itself.
2. Read the following quote from chapter 5:
“It was already one in the morning; the rain pattered dismally against the panes, and
my candle was nearly burnt out, when, by the glimmer of the half extinguished light, I
saw the dull yellow eye of the creature open; it breathed hard, and a convulsive motion
agitated its limbs.”
a. What is the purpose of writing this as one LONG sentence?
b. Explain why tension and mood would perhaps be lost or weakened if the sentence was
shortened.
c. Point out three specific words that Mary Shelley uses in this sentence to create suspense-and explain how each of them help add to the overall mood.
Word:
How it adds to the overall mood:
3. Why does Victor rush from the laboratory after finishing his creation?
4. Who is the monster’s first victim and why?
5. Why does the monster frame Justine for murder?
6. When the monster comes to Frankenstein in Chapter 10, what reason does the monster
give for “hailing” the “bleak skies” and icy mountain caves in which he has been forced to
dwell?
7. What reason does the monster give for his “malice”?
8. What does the monster threaten to do if Frankenstein refuses to do his “duty” towards
him?
9. Do the monster’s eloquence and persuasiveness make it easier for the reader to
sympathize with him? Why? Why do you think most film versions of the story present the
monster as mute or inarticulate?
10. Why does Frankenstein inevitably decide to destroy his second creation? Give at least
three examples from chapter 17 or 20.
11. In Victor Frankenstein’s last words to Walton, he implores Walton to seek
____________________________ and avoid ______________________ .
Explain why he says this:
12. How does the monster view himself in the final pages of the book? What feelings does the
monster express in his conversation with Robert Walton?
Support your analysis above using specific examples from the text.
Quote:
Page #
Quote:
Page #
Quote:
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13. What does the monster say he is going to do after
he leaves Walton’s ship? Be specific.
14. Victor attributes his tragic fate to his relentless
search for knowledge. Do you think that this is the
true cause of his suffering? Why or Why not?