Short Essay Questions
1. Why is Robert Walton in Russia, and what does he plan to do there?
2. Which of the novel’s main themes does Robert Walton introduce in his letters to his sister?
3. Why is Robert Walton pleased when Victor Frankenstein is brought aboard ship?
4. Where was Victor Frankenstein found? What reason does he give for being there?
5. What does Robert Walton claim the crew of his ship saw the day before picking up Victor?
What is unusual about this sighting?
6. Why does Robert Walton decide to write down Victor’s story for his sister?
7. Why does Victor’s father pursue his old family friend? How does this situation end?
8. Where does Caroline first meet Elizabeth? Why does Caroline offer to take the child in?
9. How did Caroline present Elizabeth to young Victor in Chapter 1? How does Victor respond?
10. What influenced Victor to begin reading philosophy as a teen?
11. Why is Caroline warned against nursing Elizabeth as she suffers scarlet fever?
12. Who encourages Victor to continue in his study of philosophy? To what does this lead?
13. What aspect of the creature did Victor forget to take into consideration while planning and
executing his project?
14. Why does Victor flee his rooms in Chapter 5?
15. Who finds Victor after he flees his rooms? Why is this person concerned about Victor?
16. Where is the creature when Victor takes his friend back to his rooms in Chapter 5? How
does Victor feel about this?
17. Who sends Victor a letter in Chapter 6 that soothes him from his exhaustion and obsession?
18. When Victor recovers from his illness and visits the school to make introductions, how does
he feel about his familiar classrooms and his beloved philosophy studies?
19. Why does Victor rush his journey home at the beginning of Chapter 7? What changes to
cause him to delay his trip for a few days?
20. What does Victor see when he views the place where his brother’s body was found?
21. What is thought to be the motive for William’s murder? Why?
22. Who confesses to William’s murder? What significant discovery is made about this
confession?
23. Why does Victor fall into a depression in Chapter 9?
24. Why does Victor decide to take a trip to the Chamounix Valley?
25. How does Victor treat the creature when it approaches him in Chapter 10?
26. Why has the creature sought out Victor in Chapter 10?
27. What does the creature remember of the first few hours of his life?
28. Aside from the first few moments with Victor, what was the creature’s first experience with
humans?
29. What happened the first time the creature came into a village full of people?
30. When the creature came to live in a hovel attached to a cottage, what did he do with his
days and nights?
31. What changes in the lives of the cottagers in Chapter 13?
32. What barrier is there initially between the new arrival and the cottagers?
33. Why were the cottagers exiled to Germany?
34. Why did Safie’s father offer Felix her hand in marriage and then take her to Turkey?
35. Why did Safie come in search of Felix, as described in Chapter 14?
36. What happened to Safie’s traveling companion when they were just a short distance from
the cottagers?
37. What caused the creature to begin to wonder about his own origins?
38. What does the creature find in the clothing he took from Frankenstein that alerts him to the
way in which he came to life? How does this make him feel?
39. Why does the creature think he might have a good chance of winning the affection of the
cottagers if he approaches the father first?
40. How do Agatha and Safie respond to the creature when they find him speaking with Mr.
DeLacey?
41. Why does the creature attempt to kidnap William in Chapter 16?
42. How does the creature respond when he learns that the cottagers plan to move because of
their encounter with him?
43. Who or what does the creature say he initially blamed for his unhappiness? What does the
creature finally realize is the true cause of his unhappiness?
44. What does the creature ask Victor to give to him in Chapter 17?
45. Why does Victor’s father encourage him to set a date for his wedding to Elizabeth?
46. Why does Victor travel to England in Chapter 18? Who travels with him?
47. Why does Victor leave his travel companion in Scotland to take a small cottage on a remote
island?
48. How does Victor feel about the companion creature he is creating?
49. What does Victor see at the beginning of Chapter 20 that frightens him and determines him
not to finish creating the creature’s companion?
50. In Chapter 20, what threat does the creature make against Victor?
51. Who does Victor learn he has been accused of killing? Who does Victor think is the real
murderer?
52. In Chapter 22, Victor is given a letter from Elizabeth that expresses her doubts in their
relationship. What is the nature of these doubts and where do they come from?
53. What fear remains with Victor as his wedding day draws closer?
54. Why does Elizabeth console Victor as they travel to the inn at Evian on their wedding night?
55. Why does Victor send Elizabeth to their room alone on their wedding night?
56. Who does Victor see in his honeymoon suite when he returns after searching for his wife’s
killer?
57. Who does Victor try to enlist to help him find and exact his revenge on the creature?
58. How does Victor explain his appearance on an ice flow in the middle of the Artic Sea?
59. Why is Victor’s rescue ship forced to turn south? How does Victor react to this decision?
60. Why has the creature come to grieve his creator? What does the creature plan to do now
that Victor is dead?