| To whom is this first letter written? | Margaret Saville, Robert Walton’s sister |
| In what city and country is the writer of the letter? | St. Petersburg, Russia |
| In what month does the writer of the letter intend to set sail? | June |
| What is the planned destination of this voyage? | Unknown areas of the Arctic Ocean. He wants to explore uncharted areas. |
| What is the relationship between the writer of the letter and the receiver of the letter? | Brother/Sister |
| (Letter 2) How old is the writer of the letters? | 28 |
| From What location is letter 2 sent? | Archangel |
| What type of books did the writer of the letters read until the age of fourteen? | “Our Uncle Thomas’ books of voyages” |
| After age fourteen, what type of literature did the letter writer read? | “At that age I became acquainted with the celebrated poets of our own country” |
| In what location is letter 3 written? | Archangel |
| What do the sailors see floating past the ship? | Sheets of Ice |
| (Letter 4) What had surrounded the ship? | Ice |
| At two o’clock, what did the sailors see crossing the ice? | They saw vast an irregular planes of ice which had no end. Then they saw a carriage fixed on a sledge and drawn by dogs. |
| Two hours after seeing this unusual sight, what happened to the ship? | The ice broke and the ship was freed. |
| The following morning, what did the sailors pull from the ice? | Victor Frankenstein |
| Why is the stranger revealing the story of his life to the letter writer? | Victor believes that Walton is exposing himself to the same dangers which have forced Victor to become what he is. |
| Of what nationality is Frankenstein? | Frankenstein is Genevese, which means Swiss, or from Geneva |
| Who are his parents and how did they meet? | Caroline Beaufort and Alphonse Frankenstein. Alphonse was friends with Caroline’s father who was a merchant. After the merchant’s death, he was “a protecting spirit” for her and they later married. |
| In what city was Frankenstein born? | Naples |
| How old was Victor when he and his parents visited Italy? | 5 |
| What child did Victor’s parents adopt? (first and last name) | Elizabeth Lavenza |
| 1. How much of an age difference is there between Victor and his younger brother? | 7 years |
| 2. Who was Victor’s closest friend? | Henry Clerval |
| 3. What subject did Victor study as a boy? | Natural philosophy (I believe it was the same as what he studied in college)… But he was reading about alchemists I think.. He might have been studying alchemy |
| Who were the three ancient scientists Victor read about? | Cornelius Agrippa, Paracelsus and Albertus Magnus. |
| At age fifteen, what event did Victor and an expert in natural philosophy witness? | Am incredible lightning storm; the lightning destroys a tree |
| How did the expert’s explanation of galvanism and electricity affect Victor’s attitude toward the ancient scientists? | Victor disregarded them and began to despise them. He thought they were phonies. |
| At age seventeen, into what university was Victor enrolled? | Ingolstadt |
| What illness did Elizabeth develop? | Scarlet Fever |
| What was the cause of Caroline’s death? | Nursing Elizabeth, then she became sick |
| What subject did M. Krempe teach? | Natural Philosophy |
| What was M. Krempe’s opinion of the ancient scientists Victor had read? | He says that the studies of old alchemists were a waste of time and that he should begin his studies anew. |
| What subject did M. Waldman teach? | Chemistry |
| What subject did M. Waldman suggest Victor study? | Natural Philosophy |
| How many years did Victor spend studying without returning to Geneva? | “Two years passed in this manner, during which I paid no visit to Geneva…” (Pg: 49) |
| What discovery did Victor make? | He discovered how to animate dead flesh/organisms |
| How tall was the creature to be? | 8 feet tall |
| Where did Victor find the “parts” for the creature? (three places) | slaughter houses, charnel houses, dissecting rooms |
| In what month did Victor complete his experiment? | November |
| For how long had Victor worked on this experiment? | Two years |
| How did Victor react when he first encountered his creation? | Disgust |
| Who did Victor meet by chance outside an inn? | Henry Clerval |
| Of what did Victor speak while sick for several months with a nervous fever? | He spoke of the monster that he created. (Pg: 60) |
| From whom was the letter that Clerval gave to Victor? | Elizabeth Lavenza |
| What young orphan girl had returned to live with the Frankenstein family? | Justine Moritz |
| How had Victor’s attitude toward his studies of natural philosophy changed? | He was disgusted. |
| What subject did Clerval study at Ingolstadt? | Oriental languages |
| What tragedy is related to Victor in the letter from his father? | The murder of William |
| What object belonging to Caroline did William have that was missing? | A locket containing a picture of Frankenstein’s mother |
| How many years had passed since Victor had been to Geneva? | Six years |
| During the lightning storm, whom did Victor think he saw? | The monster |
| Who was accused of the murder? | Justine Moritz |
| Who had given William the miniature? | Elizabeth Lavenza |
| Where had Justine spent the night when she was late getting back into the city? | She had stayed at an Aunt’s house at Chêne (a city a league from Geneva) |
| Why did Justine confess? | “I confessed, that I might obtain absolution” (Pg: 83) Her confessor had threatened her with excommunication and hellfire. |
| Victor contemplated suicide by drowning. Why didn’t he go through with it? | He did not wish to cause his family any more pain. |
| To what village did Victor travel? | Chamounix |
| What mountain did Victor look out at from his window? | Mont Blanc |
| To what summit did Victor climb? | Montanvert |
| Who did Victor meet on the summit? | The Monster |
| To what Biblical characters did this individual compare himself? | Adam, Satan? |
| To what did this individual want Frankenstein to listen? | His story |
| What did the monster eat while he was roaming the woods? | berries, acorns? |
| What did the monster see in the sky that gave him pleasure? | The Moon. |
| How was the monster able to observe the family in the cottage? | through small cracks in the hut and an old boarded window behind the cottage |
| From what physical handicap did the old man suffer? | He was blind. |
| What were the names of the people in the cottage? (first and last if given) | Felix, Agatha, Safie, De Lacey |
| What chores did the monster perform for the cottagers? | he gathered wood for them |
Frankenstein study guide, Ch. 1 – 12
February 20, 2020