Ryan Daines
ENG3U
Mr. Wilson
28-Oct 2013
Frankenstein Study Questions
Chapters 20-24
1. After hearing of Clerval’s murder, Victor once again falls ill. Due to melancholy and agony,
he wonders, “Why did I not die?” Personally, after acknowledging Frankenstein saying this, it
makes him very vain and conceited. Because of his overwhelming thoughts of the present events,
Victor is blinded by what is happening. Just like in “Rime of the Ancient Mariner,” the main
character is followed by a curse. The curses highlighted in both texts are extremely similar, as no
direct pain is inflicted on the main characters. Instead, the people closest to them are affected and
effectively killed. Because of Victor’s creation, the Monster ‘has it out for him,’ and will not
stop at all costs to intentionally make Frankenstein be in the worst possible state of his being.
Because of this, the creature clearly has the intent of making Victor suffer, by taking what he
loves most; his closest emotional connections, one by one.
2. For Victor and his father, a quick marriage to Elizabeth would serve a great purpose. Since the
beginning of Victor’s obsession for science, he has grown apart from his family, and marrying
Elizabeth would mend their relationship and bring the two together again. Victor says,
“Elizabeth alone had the power to draw me from these fits; her gentle voice would soothe me
when transported by passion, and inspire me with human feelings when sunk in torpor” (235).
Elizabeth has always played the role of the healer of the family. It is her which keeps them
together. Because of her death, that role is definitely perpetuated. After she is killed, Alphonse
dies and Victor devotes his life to murder.
3. Victor’s statement to the magistrate is extremely ironic. What he says, is “Man, how ignorant
art thou in thy pride of wisdom?” This single quote and accusation directly pinpoints the reason
why Victor’s life is decreasing in value (according to him, at least). Because of Victor’s
obsession with science, Frankenstein isolated himself from society and spent two years building
and creating what eventually led to his destruction. Had Victor Frankenstein not been so ignorant
in his quest for knowledge, the plot may have been completely different.
4. Victor is motivated to find and destroy his creature, because of one main, prominent reason.
Because the Monster has torn apart his family, Victor has the complete drive necessary to carry
out such an action. The creature has killed William, framed Justine for the murder (which leads
to her death), kills Henry and finally Elizabeth. The latter, being Elizabeth’s death has hurt
Victor the most, ‘putting the last straw on to finally break the camel’s back,’ which is what
finally made Victor make this vow. Overall, Frankenstein has not learned much. The only
valuable skill that Frankenstein has somewhat realized is responsibility. During the
commencement of the narrative, Victor did not take this responsibility for the Monster, allowing
it to roam and discover. This has later turned around, but only because Victor felt threatened and
finally took into account that some of this may, in fact, be his fault. Other than that characteristic,
I cannot see Victor improving much else. His drive, compassion, respect and much more have
not changed a considerable amount.
Daines
2
Final Letters
1. Shelley’s irony symbolizes much more than what is thought at first. When the author writes
how “Walton recognized that he has found the friend he is looking for only to watch him die,” it
truly does mean a lot. Because Victor and Robert are so alike, the irony suggests a warning to
Walton. Victor and his story highlight how Frankenstein was obsessing over science for years, in
an attempt to bring his name to glory. Ironically enough, this is what Walton has set out to do. In
search of knowledge, Robert Walton is looking for something extremely similar. Because of
Victor’s story, Walton is truly able to see how he could end up, should he choose to continue on
his quest.
2. Yes, when Walton turns his ship homeward he is accurate in his statement that he has “lost
hopes for glory.” I say this, because Robert has observed and visualized the outcome of Victor’s
quest for glory. The man telling the story to Walton has seen everything dear to him destroyed,
and in the end it was ultimately Frankenstein’s search for knowledge and quest for glory that
destroyed him. This has likely shown enough evidence to Walton to retreat, and more cautiously
aim for goals.
3. The Monster was created in the search for knowledge, and was destroyed because of the
fragile nature of that subject. The creature’s purpose in life was at first meaningless, as it was
grotesque and of no value to anyone. When Frankenstein, the seemingly only person to even
acknowledge the creature’s feelings, retreats the scene of the creature’s birth, that event sets off
an emotional trigger in the newborn ‘thing.’ Compassion, something the Monster was hard-wired
to feel, was prominent in the being. But when the same unending state of mind was not returned
to the creature, vengeance seemed necessary. For the creator of a life must take responsibility or
many things could go wrong, as seen in the novel. The creature then had a purpose, a drive
which was to make Victor Frankenstein’s life a living hell. It worked, too. When Frankenstein
passed, the Monster no longer had a reason to live. It was more or less Victor’s life which
sparked the same concept in the creature, and when the spark was put out, there was no longer a
meaning. Just as in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, when one lover died the other did as well
because of mutual life. This suggests that, although the Monster wanted nothing but Frankenstein
to do his bidding and if not to suffer eternally, but at the same time the creature dearly loved
Victor Frankenstein. After all, Frankenstein is the Monster’s father.