Frankenstein

=** Key Plot Events **=


 * Book opens with Robert Walton, a ship captain, writing letters to his sister regarding his scientific exploration of the North Pole.
 * Walton commences to recount the life story of Victor Frankenstein, a man who has come aboard after sledding across the ice.
 * Retelling of tale, Victor describes his love of natural science, life in Switzerland, and pursuit of scientific achievement.
 * Victor discovers the method for creating life, while at Ingolstadt (a German University) and begins his laborious effort to create man.
 * The creation goes awry. While his efforts did yield a living being, it was profoundly grotesque and its mere appearance appalled Victor.
 * Upon recovering from illness, due to efforts by his childhood friend Henry Clerval, Victor learns of the death of his younger brother William and the accusation against Justine, a worker in the household.
 * Victor sees the body of William and knows it to be the monster’s doing but refuses to give that information away. Justine is hung for murder.
 * In a chance meeting between the monster and Victor, the monster recounts his time after leaving Victor’s room.
 * In a chance meeting between the monster and Victor, the monster recounts his time after leaving Victor’s room. The Monster has desperately tried to assimilate with humanity, but due to his ugly appearance he us shunned by all. Even after learning human language, observation of the De Lacy family, and education in classical texts he cannot overcome his physical deformity.
 * The monster travels to Geneva where he inadvertently kills Victor younger brother. This act begins the monsters period of revenge.
 * To quell the anger of the monster, Victor agrees to create a female companion for the monster. Along with his pal Clerval, Victor heads for England. Unfortunately he cannot go through with it and the monster kills Henry as revenge.
 * Victor marries Elizabeth, but the monster kills her to. His father dies of sadness
 * Story comes back to the ship and Walton’s account of Victor’s death and his meeting with the monster.
 * Monster decides to kill himself on a pyre.

=** Key Characters **=
 * 1) Victor Frankenstein: introverted, intelligent, guilty, mad, root of evil in novel
 * 2) The Monster: emotional, intellectual, vengeful, guilty, grotesque, Fallen Angel
 * 3) Henry Clerval: honest, romantic, pastoral, Victor before he created the monster
 * 4) Robert Walton: much like Victor, saved by Victor’s failings
 * 5) Elizabeth: orphan, loved by Victor, murdered by Monster; Elizabeth symbolizes a passive woman, because she always waits for Victor no matter what and never has a prominant role in the novel; she also serves as Victor's main hope through the novel and is his light at the end of the tunnel.
 * 6) Alphonse Frankenstein: kind, caring, dies of anxiety
 * 7) William Frankenstein: innocent, pure, death foreshadows evils to come in novel
 * 8) Ernest Frankenstein: simple, fighter, only Frankenstein to survive

=** Setting (time and place) **= 18th Century, in various places: the Swiss Alps, Geneva, England and Scotland, and the North Pole.

Frankenstein was written during the Romantic Era, however it slanders many of the beliefs of the Romantics. Instead of embracing knowledge and discovery Shelley warns against the possible dangers of the two.

=** Key Symbols **= Fire- Fire is a symbol for knowledge in Frankenstein. Like knowledge, fire can be useful, if properly applied, to warm and cook food. However, too much fire can get out of control and burn you. In the same way, Victor's scientific knowledge could have been useful. However, his knowledge and scientific genius was too much and it ended up killing him and his friends and family. Like Prometheus, Victor stole the essence of life and power from God. Fire also highlights the development of the monster. His initial use is simply survival, while upon assuming more humanesque qualities he applies fire to the art of war.

Classical Texts - The texts referenced during the monsters tale indicate his narrow scope of humanity. From //Lives //his is given and ideal view of life and through //<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Paradise Lost //he confronts his "Fallen Angel" character and realizes that he has no place in the society he so dearly wishes to become intimate with. The texts act as guiding sources for the monster's decisions and ultimatley are the only basis for the groundwork of his understanding.

Death of Humanities by Technology and Science - Henry Clerval represents the humanities and social sciences that he studies. He is killed by the monster which represents the budding technology and science. Shelley is making a commentary on the take over of the humanities by technology and the consequences if it succeeds.

=** Key Images **= Nature- Frankenstein's scientific pursuits push him away from the natural world and from the Romantic perfection that already exists in the world. Whenever Frankenstien or his monster endure hardship, they both seek the forgiving stability of nature. Frankenstein cleanses his mind when he wanders away from his labratory and his creation while marvelling at the stagnant mountains and lakes. He even admits that while he was creating the monster, he became numb to the pleasant weather of the season.

=** Key Themes **= Once the monster is created, he seeks to find company with others, after all such companionship is an almost essential human need. In all cases, except a blind person, the monster is scorned and looked at with disgust because of his outward appearance. The reader knows from reading about the monster’s thoughts that he, at least at first before he is corrupted by misery, a knowledgeable and caring individual. The tragedy is that that no one in the story gives the monster a chance to get to know him because they are initially frightened by him. Shelly is making a commentary on people’s shallow view on humanity and the monster serves as almost a symbol representing good hearted ugly people whom get scorned by society.
 * 1) The Dangers of Knowledge: This novel can be seen as a warning tale, one that shows the consequences of intellectual curiousity. Frankenstein creates his monster out of a quest for knowledge, which results in the destruction of those around him, as well as the destruction of his own morality. The recipient of the warning is Walton, who seeks to explore the arctic. It cautions that his own quest for knowledge could destroy him as well.
 * 2) Nature's Sublimity: Shelley regards nature as "sublime", which embodies the romantic ideals surrounding the novel. Nature mirrors the actions in the novel: as Frankenstein creates his monster, thunder and lightning ensue outside. Nature is seen as a place of renewal, as Victor goes to the mountains after the deaths that the monster commits. Further, the monster feels happier knowing that spring is on its way, which consequently alters the mood of the poem. Overall, the novel shows nature's positive effects on the human world.
 * 3) Human's need for companionship: Throughout the novel much of the action is driven by the characters' need for a companion and acceptance. For example, the monster first kills Victor's younger brother William, and, indirectly, Justine, as a result of Victor's cruel reaction to his creation and the fact that his own creator wouldn't accept him. Also, the monster became very upset when the family he learned from rejected him and ran out screaming. Those feelings of rejection, in addition to Victor's refusal to create the monster a mate, caused the monster to kill both Elizabeth and Henry. Instead of killing Victor himself, the monster went after those that were closest to Victor, the people that gave him a sense of acceptance and love, so that Victor would feel how the monster felt.
 * 4) ** Appearance and its effect on others **

Through the monster Shelley also makes a commentary on the essence of aesthetic beauty. Victor creates the monster out of random parts, but he expects the monster to be beautiful specimen when he is brought to life. Instead, the monster is hideous. Shelley is saying that beauty is much more a combination of parts. = Key Structural Elements = = =
 * 1) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 80%;">The Frame story involving Walton: Both Frankenstein's story and Walton's story are parallel to one another. Walton's letters prove as a warning tale to Frankenstein, highlighting the dangers of too much knowledge.
 * 2) <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">Multiple viewpoints are infused into //Frankenstein//, but the novel is ultimately told by Walton. The different perspectives lent by Walton, Frankenstein, the monster, and the letters embedded into the fabric of the novel allow for the reader to see multiple perspectives of the other characters. Additionally, the reader must question the validity of information given by the storyteller Walton, for several reasons. First, his impression of Victor Frankenstein, with whom he begins to feel an emotional connection after only knowing for a few days, may bias the report he gives of the tortured scientist. Second, because he writes the story in a series of letters from memory, his selective memory may also bias the story towards the things he feels are most important, including the search for knowledge and glory. Of course, this contributes to the main message of the novel, as he learns from Frankenstein’s terrible ending the search for knowledge by deciding to turn his boat back, rather than continue and risk the lives of his crew and himself. By doing this, Shelley imbeds hope into the novel for mankind’s ability to recognize mistakes and prevent their repetition.
 * 3) <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">Poems are placed in strategic locations throughout the novel. These poems provide insight on what Shelley is trying to get across in the sections they appear in. Letters are also placed throughout the novel to provide a point of view other than solely Victor's. These letters give the reader a sense that Victor is not purely a "mad scientist," but that he has feelings and emotions past guilt and anguish over creating the monster.