FRANKENSTEIN Study Guide
Homework: Please write your answers on separate paper.
Letters 1-4
1. Who is writing Letter 1 (and all the letters)? Robert Walton
2. To whom is he writing? What is their relationship? Mrs. Saville, his sister
3. Where is Robert Walton when he writes Letter 1? Why is he there? What are his plans? St. Petersburg, Russia. He is hiring a crew for his ship. He intends to sail to the North Pole and discover magnetism.
4. What does Robert Walton tell us about himself? He is passionately committed to discovery and adventure. He wishes he had a friend with the same sensibilities and he says he is self-taught.
5. Where is Walton now? What do you think of Walton's question "What can stop the
23. What does Victor learn from M. Waldman? How does Victor respond to him? How does Victor think of his older science as opposed to modern science? What does M. Waldman say in describing modern chemistry that changes Victor's mind? What does Victor say he will now do? Waldman teaches chemistry. Victor admires the man’s sophisticated manners. Victor dislikes modern natural philosophy because the modern scientists are not seeking “immortality and power” (32). Waldman tells Victor that these modern scientists are looking into the mysteries of nature and acquiring almost “unlimited power” (33)
24. How well does Victor progress during the next two years? What does he then become interested in, and what ultimately does he discover? Victor devotes his study only to natural philosophy and chemistry. He wants to create a human from dead body parts. He creates life and animates a corpse.
25. Will he share the knowledge of creating life with Walton? Why? (Note the "present" of the telling breaking through the narration here.) Victor keeps his experiments a secret from everyone. When Victor interrupts the narration, he acknowledges Walton’s eagerness to know the secret, but Victor says he will not reveal this to Walton.
26. How does he go about creating a human being, and what does he expect as a result of this creation? How long does the task take? What happens to Victor in the process? Victor steals body parts from the