Mary Shelley’s
Frankenstein
NOTES on the novel
Introduction
 Written by Mary Shelley in the early 1800s
 Classified under two genres: Gothicism and science fiction.
 Audio file for Frankenstein
Influences on Frankenstein: Prometheus
 Prometheus, whose name means Forethought, was a titan who had sided with the
Olympian gods in the rebellion against Kronos, the ruler of the titans. And though he
chose the Olympian gods over the titans, he remained aloof, and never had true respect
for them.
 As Zeus, after the revolution, became the almighty ruler, he took his interests in the
celestial, and ignored the human race on Earth. He intended them to be primitives, with
no gift of knowledge, and forbid any god to impart them with enlightenment.
Prometheus looked upon these mortals with pity, and gave them various gifts of
knowledge.
 But of these gifts, the most valuable and the most damning for Prometheus was fire,
which enabled men to overcome ignorance and become enlightened. Once Zeus saw
that men had overcome ignorance through the rebellious act of Prometheus, he had
Prometheus chained to the Caucasus mountains with shackles made by Hephaistos,
and had carnivorous birds swoop down to peck out his liver.
 And because he was immortal, his liver would grow back during the night, and his
torture would continue on every day. But in Ovid's version of the story of Prometheus,
Prometheus is not the savior of men, but creator of men who manipulated them to his
will.
Paradise Lost
 The epic detailing the fall of
Lucifer by Milton was of a great
influence to Frankenstein.
 In Milton's piece, Adam, God's
creation, questions his creator,
"Did I request thee, Maker,
from my clay/ To mould me
Man, did I solicit thee/ From
darkness to promote me...?“
 The lines were even used in the
1818 edition of Frankenstein,
and covers the attitude of
Frankenstein's creation.
Frankenstein the Novel
Written between the Romantic and Victorian periods
Written by Mary Shelley, wife of author Percy Shelley
A number of Shelly’s own viewpoints and opinions
are found in the novel.
Rime of the Ancient Mariner
 A seven part poem written by Samuel Coleridge, a friend of
Mary Shelley's father, it is often alluded to in Frankenstein,
and has much influence over the story. According to
accounts, Mary Shelley would stay up late at night to hear
Coleridge himself recite the poem at her house.
 The poem itself is about a mariner who after killing an an
albatross, a sea bird of good luck, undergoes a torturing
experience that is meant to be reparation for his deeds.
Mary Shelley alludes to the albatross in her story, and the
idea of an outcast scorned and enduring suffering is again
repeated.
Letters 1-4
Allusion to “Rime of the Ancient Mariner”
Structure of the book arranged (epistolary =“letters”)
“Stranger” = general narrator
Walton = substitute for audience
THEME: Quest for Knowledge can lead to selfdestruction
Walton suffers from “hubris” ; believes he is invincible
Walton’s values are questionable; does not honor his
father’s dying request
Letters 1-4
“epic hero” like, Walton is consumed by a need to be
immortal
Jumps from dream to dream, experienced or not and
refuses to let the dream go, no matter what the cost
THEME: Humans have a basic need for
companionship.
Walton has no connection with others; thinks he is “above
them”
Sees Victor as a “kindred spirit”
Chapter 1
THEME: Family and kinship; parenting
Victor speaks in 1st person; everything is in relation to him
Traditional family structure (parents Alphose and Caroline)
Raised in a loving happy home with loving parents; we
assume that Victor would have the same instinct.
For those who have been created and abandoned, it is
required that someone are for them; to do otherwise is
unthinkable. (adoption of Elizabeth)
Chapter 2
THEME: Quest for knowledge leads to destruction
Victor is predisposed to secrecy (even as a young man)
Foreshadows how experiments come into play
Father tells him that Agrippa is “trash” but doesn’t explain
why; this book influenced his later work
Chapter 3
THEME: Parenting
For Victor, knowledge substitutes for people –disconnects
This attitude is dangerous
He “doesn’t do well with strangers”
We learn his last name; removal of first name makes him
less personal; “scientific self”
Chapter 4
THEME: Boundaries/ trespass
Two years go by without him going home; why?
This doesn’t speak well for his character
Either Victor is normally kind and has become demonized
by scientific knowledge OR he is actually a selfish character
How is he like Macbeth in this instance?
Victor has no respect for natural boundaries; contempt for
restraints
Lost the ability to feel anything; no remorse
Chapter 4
THEME: Boundaries/ trespass
To poke around something more powerful than yourself is
dangerous
He has an epiphany (he has discovered the secret of life)
He hesitates to begin research; indicates that he isn’t fully
convinced it is “the right thing”; like Macbeth
Driven to reanimate; why?
Chapter 5
THEME: Abandonment/ parenting
Fickleness of human nature; Victor is horrified by what he’s
done
Creature emerges in a non-violent state; happy and shy
We are supposed to see him as a child
Chapter 6
1st time we learn of Victor’s brother
Elizabeth shows herself to be gentle like Caroline
Victor wants to forget; desire to be reborn
He is unable to act directly unless confronted.
His character allows him to see only what is before his
eyes, not beyond; immature though full of knowledge
Chapter 7
Victor is still self-centered
We are inclined to see the Creature through
Frankenstein’s eyes
Victor keeps creature secret in order to preserve
reputation and save face
Prepare for
POP QUIZ
on chapters 7-9
POP QUIZ: Ch. 7-9
What happens to William?
Who does Victor see in the storm?
What does he realize
What has Justine been accused of?
Why doesn’t Victor tell anyone about the creature?
What happens to Justine?
Chapter 8
Frankenstein’s selfish desire to conceal the truth
causes Justine’s death
The word “creature” is used to refer to Elizabeth and
Justine
Shelley challenges us to ask how much we can trust
language; words can be manipulated
Chapter 9
Victor is suicidal; “oh poor victim”
Revolts him to the reader
“romantic” images; nature
Chapter 10
Meets creature; will ultimately bring misery upon him
Victor’s conversation with creature “fallen angel”;
supreme innocence with evil
Sees himself as Adam = creature begs for compassion
THEME: parenting
Creature is like a sheep gone astray
If Victor hate the creature, who will love him?
Victor’s abandonment is what makes the creature what he
is
Chapter 10
THEME: parenting
No one to foster kindness in him
“How dare you sport thus with life?”
Lack of looking ahead and unwillingness to care of
consequences
If the creature is evil, so is Frankenstein
Chapter 11
Creature begins narrating
Creature is very infant-like; experiences the world as a
child might
Creature weeps out of fear and pain
Does not kill anything to obtain nourishment; truly
peaceful; truly innocent
The more we learn about the Creature, the more our
opinion of Victor falls
Chapter 12
THEME: Knowledge brings destruction (“ignorance is
bliss”)
 When the Creature sees his reflection, he is horrified
 The reader knows the can never over come the obstacles of his
appearance
 We are intended to identify with the creature as an outcast
 We understand that he will NEVER integrate into human society
Chapter 13
Creature asks “WHAT am I?” not “WHO am I?”
Consuming desire to belong to this family
Identifies with them; they were exiled as he was exiled
Creature is ignorant of human nature; humans cannot
get along with each other, let alone a new species
THEME: parenting
 Creature contemplates the lack of guidance in his life
 Victor’s neglect is horrifying
Chapter 14
Shows attachment to the family; portrays various
types of human interaction
The tale of the family contains the best and worst
traits of human nature
Danger: if creature is not well-received, he now has
tools to wreak vengeance
THEME: basic human need for companionship
 From his hovel, the Creature cranes his neck to hear every word from his “friends”
Chapter 15
Creature is becoming more “human”
Extreme rejection is ironic; never has he been more
learned, never more “human”
Creature realizes how he came to be; no love in his
creation
Prepare for
POP QUIZ
on chapters 16-18
POP QUIZ: Ch. 16-18
Why does the Creature return to the hut?
What does he do when he realizes the DeLaceys have
gone?
How does the Creature feel when he realizes how he
was created?
How are the Creature and Satan different? The same?
What happens when he rescues the little girl?
What does the Creature want from Victor?
What does Victor agree to do?
Chapter 16
Image of fire is prevalent; anger/ fire is unleashed
Vengeance unleashed=logical target is Frankenstein
Essentially declares war on all humans
Problem: how he chooses his victims
If the creature looks to reproduce marriage, if that is
his ultimate goal, how will William’s death achieve
this?
Creature looks to reproduce marriage
Chapter 17
Frankenstein is back as the narrator
Frankenstein is convinced to make another creature
by the Creature’s reasonable tone (“you are my
creator”)
The Creature begs Victor to help him not to hate, to
banish evil from his body.
Even Satan was loved by his creator; he CHOSE to
reject his creator; the Creature had no such choice
Why did God make Eve?
What makes a human “human”?
Chapter 18
Puts off marrying Elizabeth
Victor goes to England
Doesn’t alert his family to the danger
Only acts when a stimulus is applied or when disaster has
already struck and it is too late to take precautions; failure
to plan ahead
Until Creature is happy, Victor will not be happy
THEME: Secrecy
Victor is enslaved by his secret
Chapter 19
Image of blasted tree=chaos, destruction
Frankenstein felt a “bolt”=severed, cut off; relishes
his sorrow
Decision to create 2nd creature=selling his soul
forever (“in cold blood”)
Creature threatens to kill his family, not him
Chapter 20
Frankenstein breaks his promise; noble or stupid?
Makes an aggressive stand for the first time and
refuses to sell his soul; abandonment of
commitment??
Chooses to save himself and not his family?
Chapter 21
Ironic that he is accused of Clerval’s murder; why?
He is actually “guilty.”
Acquittal by man is meaningless; he is guilty in his
heart.
Frankenstein slowly dies with each murder
Frankenstein has low emotional intelligence.
Chapter 22
Lack of control; last happy day of Frankenstein’s life
Involvement of Elizabeth in scheme is selfish
Frankenstein is “entranced” in magic; does he stand a
chance?
Why does he think HE will be murdered?
Creature CAN deliver on his threats
Creature sees himself as “less than human”
“Gap” between Frankenstein and Creature is closing
Chapter 23
Reader knows Elizabeth will be killed; why doesn’t
Victor (very “scripted”)
This is the one murder he had the chance to prevent
and doesn’t
Victor and his creature have never been more alike;
both utterly alone in the world; parallel situations
Chapter 24
Victor lives only for revenge
Cat and mouse game with Creature
Creature has what he has always wanted: Victor’s
absolute attention
Power inversion: the Creature is now in control
Walton returns as narrator
Frankenstein loses his strength and his soul bit by bit
His story is “preserved”; death-bed confession; he can
now die in peace
Chapter 24
How do we view his story?
Has Victor changed at all through the course of his
story? Has Walton?
 If the purpose of scientific research is to help
mankind, how has Victor helped?
Victor told his story to Walton to advise him not to be
foolish in his pursuit of knowledge; Walton has not
learned anything from it. He still desires to pursue
knowledge at any cost, though he agrees to go home.
Chapter 24
Creature’s final scene is touching
He views Victor as his father, but his father never gave
him a name.
What does this say about Victor?
“Frankenstein” has become associated with the idea
of “monster”
Who is the monster?
Conclusion
Though Frankenstein was written almost 200 years ago, many of its
themes are still applicable to today’s society. Some themes – man
playing god, for instance – are even more pertinent to today’s
world than to Mary Shelley’s. Mankind is growing more and more
powerful in terms of scientific discovery, through its understanding
and manipulation of biology and of DNA in particular. With great
power comes opportunity for great corruption and turmoil.
Frankenstein helps us understand that it is not, necessarily, bad
people we have to fear– a greater danger might come from good
people with good motives, like Victor, who are capable creating
monsters. Are we destined to lose control over the monsters? For
this reason, understanding the significance of Frankenstein is
essential for today’s youth, to be aware of both the benefits and
the consequences of science.