Frankenstein Study Guide
 To prepare for this test, you should be able to identify the following characters, and their roles and
purposes in the novel:
 Victor Frankenstein
 William Frankenstein
 the Creature
 Ernest Frankenstein
 Robert Walton
 Justine Moritz
 Alphonse Frankenstein
 Caroline Beaufort Frankenstein
 Elizabeth Lavenza
 The De Laceys: Mr. D, Felix, Agatha, Safi
 Henry Clerval
 M. Waldman
One way to prepare for this section is to make a character card for each (however, this might be difficult for
the main characters because there is so much), with the following ideas:
 Who is s/he?
 Why is s/he important to the novel?
 What are his/her most important moments?
 What role does s/he play in relation to the main character—is s/he a contrast (a foil), a similar
character who chooses a similar/different path, etc?
 What happens to the character in the end of the novel or how does the character exit the story? What
effect does this have on the main character(s) and themes of the novel?
 Know the intricate details of the plot.
 Examine quotations: Identify who said which quotes, and be able to explain why these moments are
significant in how they illustrate one of the dominant motifs. The motifs below are key to understanding
this novel—know how all of these ideas work in the novel, and which events address them.
 Alienation and Loneliness
 Duty and Responsibility
 Nature vs. Nurture (Genetics vs Experience)
 Forbidden Knowledge and Ambition
 Appearance and Reality
 Justice and Injustice
For example, consider this quote: “Life and death appeared to me ideal bounds, which I should first break
through, and pour a torrent of light into our dark world.”
Who says this?
Which motif does this illustrate AND how?
Why is this moment significant? How does this moment illustrate the main concerns of the character?
 Know the elements of Romantic and Gothic Literature, and how they appear in Frankenstein. You
will be asked to examine a passage from the book and to explain the elements at work.
 Know the literary devices the noble savage and the frame narrative, and how they apply to the novel.
You will be asked to examine a passage from the book and to explain the elements at work.
 Be able to make detailed connections between the novel and the myth of Prometheus
The particulars of your exam:
Worth 80 points
Part One: Short answer—56 points
Part Two: Take-home Essay 24 points.
You will receive the essay options on Monday.
Preparing for Frankenstein Essay Exam
(30 points)
You will be asked to write an essay in which you develop the definition of a “monster,” and then apply that
definition to numerous characters. On the exam, I will specify which character(s) to whom you must
apply the definition.
You can prepare for this essay by locating quotes that you think will prove numerous characters to be
“monstrous” or that exonerate characters from this label. You may type out these quotes (with their proper
MLA citations of course) on a separate sheet of paper and use that sheet on the exam. This sheet should only
contain quotations. Failing to bring in quotes would be a pretty big mistake. You may not use your book.
The online version of the text is
http://www.literature.org/authors/shelley-mary/frankenstein/
or
http://etext.virginia.edu/toc/modeng/public/SheFran.html (This one provides
helpful notations about who speaks mostly during the chapter.)
You will be expected to write an essay containing a thesis statement and three well-developed paragraphs.