Ruiz 1

Ana Sofia Ruiz

Ms. White
AP Lang Pd: 7
11 Sept. 2020
Frankenstein Annotations
Letter One
● Person writing letter says that he is excited to start something new and wanted to tell his
sister (the person that will receive the letter)
○ Is currently far north of London in Petersburg
● Person writing the letter describes the cold breeze (imagery). Breeze could symbolize a
new beginning, perhaps a warning
○ Sometimes there is wind before rain
○ Wind seems to be calm and refreshing so it feels like a breathe full of life
■ “ Inspirited by this wind of promise” (2)
● Gives imagery of sun rising so it can symbolize a new beginning or perhaps a new
chapter of life for him
● Seems like he is getting ready for some sort of trip
● Describes with imagery how he is excited to find something new/gain new knowledge
○ Shows that this trip must be for science
○ Also displays his love for new knowledge and is constantly curious and asking
questions
○ “ I feel my heart glow with an enthusiasm which elevates me to heaven” (3)
● The writer reveals that he was neglected but that didn’t stop him from reading and
gaining new knowledge which shows much valuable knowledge is to him
● He even reveals how he became a poet but things didn't go his way. However, he gained
a fortune from his cousin and he could finally do what he’s been wanting to do
○ Seems like the writer is independent, but not a lone wolf
● Explains how he has explored to world of science and nature which has led him to want
to make his own discoveries
● Ends with he is getting ready for the expedition in Russia
○ Reveals that his name is R. Walton
Letter 2
● Goes from December 11 to March 28
● Talks about his crewmates but still feels lonely
○ Says that no one can share that joy with him
● He says that he has no one as knowledgeable as him to share the joy
○ Could probably feel superior over the other crew members
● Confused on whether he longs for a romantic relationship more? Gives off gay vibes
when describing how he wants a male gaze and says that he is a “romantic”
● Diction: “Keeping” is in all capital letters.
● Talks about how amazing his lieutenant which shows his true admiration for knowledge
and professionalism
○ For some reason has a sad undertone because he feels alone and misses him
● Imagery on how cold it is outside. Cold can symbolize loneliness which further explains
his loneliness which perhaps could mean in the future he could stumble across someone
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● Makes allusion to “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” in which he first references how
he will not kill an albatross which means he will be careful in whatever he discovers and
think of any consequences when brought upon something new
● His loneliness is making Walton negative and think that perhaps he may not encounter
something new which makes him a bit worried but also makes him feel unsure of the
future
● Is a bit pessimistic at the end which makes it seem like he feels like he may die which is
understandable since he is going to a place he has never been before
Letter 3
● March 28 to July 7
● Basically is writing the letter to his sister to let her know that he is safe and that they have
advanced greatly on the voyage and says he might not see his “native land” in while
○ Shows that he is optimistic that he will find greatness and new knowledge and
study it in the region that he’s going to
● Foreshadowing: explains that there has been a few incidents on his boat, but that it was
okay. Says at the end “I shall be well content if nothing worse happen to us during our
voyage” (12) which is kind of suspicious
● “Adieu” means goodbye
● He is sure that he will not encounter anything dangerous, however, as a scientist, you
must be ready to encounter anything new (with caution obvi)
○ Could say that to not worry his sister which shows that he cares about her, but
seems more like he is 100% sure that he’s going to be fine
● Diction: “Shall” is all capitalized. It gives emphasis that he is for sure that he will be
rewarded with his new discovery. It also shows that he is a bit narcissistic
● Foreshadowing: for sure he will encounter some danger soon, perhaps as a karama, but
he will because he keeps mentioning how he will be reworded and that he’s going to be
fine in a chill way.
Letter 4
● July 7 to August 5
● Prediction was right! He starts off by saying he had an accident
○ Mentions this first to put emphasis on it and shows how bummed out he is about
it.
■ His pride was cut in half
● His ship got stuck between ice on July 31 and hoped that the weather would help him
○ Relying on nature
○ Nature vs. man
● The mist clears which symbolizes psychological uncertainty has gone away
○ Reveals something intriguing
● Walton says that he say a huge man on a sled being pulled by dogs, but then once again
gets lost within the mist
○ This man goes into uncertainty which also intrigues the rest of the people of the
ship
○ Almost as if the men on the ship + Walton go into the mist with the man
● Seems disappointed that he could not follow this man, but then moves on by saying the
ice broke and they would take this chance to rest until the morning
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● In the morning, Walton found all the sailors talking to a man with only one dog alive and
they were all persuading him to go on the boat
● Walton sees the man as a savage and almost like an alien
○ Shows that he has a superiority complex over others that do not act like him
○ Also shows that Europeans are supposed to act educated because Walton
mentions that the man is European which is surprising to him
● Walton is surprised that the man asks where they are going because he thinks that he
would just go on the boat since the boat is so fancy and wealthy looking
● The man is described to be almost frozen and seen to go through a harsh time and much
struggle. He then faints and the crew takes care of him
● Walton acts like the man is some sort of creature that he discovered and is so intrigued by
him, so much that he checks up on him as much as he can and just observes him
● Walton’s pride does not allow for the other crew members to ask the man questions and
tries to act professional
● The man says that he was trying to get to someone and his eyes light up when the
lieutenant tells him that they may have saw him earlier before they saw the man
● Walton still tries to act like this proper an educated man as if he was not curious himself
and almost hungry to know more about the man
○ Almost as if he did it to gain the man’s trust so that he could later tell him what
happened to him
○ The man seems to only feel safe and calm when Walton walks in so Walton’s
plan is basically working
● He continues to talk about the man as if he was some sort of monster or animal he had
never seen before and says that as time goes by he sees that he was once noble which
shows how much he has thought about the man and has made his own inferences
● Sees the man as a brother which makes his heart happy
○ Very weird how he loves him like a brother
○ Shows how lonely Walton feels
○ Also shows that Walton likes anyone who shows some sort of appreciation for
him
○ Could be mistaking “love” for curiosity and/or appreciation
○ In a way this man is boosting Walton’s ego
● Turns to August 13
● Walton says that as more days pass, his “affection” towards the man increases, but then
talks about him almost like a pet but also like a boyfriend
● Walton gains even more curiosity when the man cries and reveals that he is struggling
and that he is unhappy
● Walton quickly shares his life story and reveals that he is lonely and longs for some sort
of intimacy
○ Could’ve said this to gain more of the man’s trust
● The man reveals that he lost a friend and seems like his world has crumbled because of
this loss
● Walton views the man in a more romantic way, no longer as if he is below him. He views
him as a man of suffering who will become into something celestial. He sas “he will be
like a celestial spirit that has a halo around him, within whose circle no grief or folly
ventures” (21)
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○ Almost seems like a biblical allusion. Seems like the man can be compared to
Lucifer or something. Could be maybe seen as a good spirit almost ready to head
on to the spirit world and fulfill their duty
● Imagery: expresses the delight of the man and how Walton sees something special in him
(romantically or like a spiritual creature that he discovered)
● August 13 to 19
● Metaphor: “ I ardently hope that the gratification of your wishes may not be a serpent to
sting you, as mine has been” (22) the stranger compares his wishes to a serpent's sting
which could be some sort of biblical allusion referring to some sort of sin that the
stranger committed or could simply be that he tells Walton to fulfill his wishes with
caution
● The man hopes that what he is about to tell Walton will intrigue him as he sees that the
man is similar to Walton in ways of pursuing the same dreams and the amount of
curiosity they have towards nature
● When the man is talking, it reminds me of the “Rime of the Ancient Mariner” where in
the end he feels that his destiny is to tell his history in order for others to avoid his
mistake and learn from his experiences
○ The man somehow knows that he is going to die so he wants Walton to hear his
story
● Imagery: Walton describes the man more like he an animation or like he is about to die,
as if his light were going out, no longer like the spiritual being he once saw him as
○ Nonetheless, Walton seems quite excited to hear what the man has to say
Chapter 1
● Starts off with the man explaining that he was born in Genevese and that his father had
great importance there and truly had an impact in that society
● Beaufort is the name of a merchant who was friends with his father who then moved with
his daughter to Lucerne which made his father sad and want to seek him out
○ Can see how the man is similar to his father, wanting to look for that friendship he
had
● His father finally found Beaufort but saw that he was not in a good state (struggling with
money but also seems ill?)
● Caroline Beaufort, his daughter took care of his father and tried to support him and help
him as much as she could which really intrigued his father
● Unfortunately, as the situation got worse, so did Beaufort, until he eventually died in
Caroline’s arms
○ Allowed for the man’s father to become Caroline’s protector
■ Got even closer as the days past eventually leading to their marriage 2
years after the event
● The man witnessed how much his father loved his mother even those there was a
significant age difference
○ Clearly had loving parents
● His father even separated from his fame for his wife and decided to move to Italy to start
a new life since the tragedy of her father has still affected her
● The man was finally born in Naples and clearly had a happy and innocent childhood
since he witnessed how loving his parents were and came along their travels
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○ “I was their plaything and their idol, and something better—their child, the
innocent and helpless creature bestowed on them by heaven, whom to bring up to
good, and whose future lot it was in their hands to direct to happiness or misery,
according as they fulfilled their duties towards me” (27)
■ Relating to the bible almost because it seems that he believes that his
parents saw him as a gift from God
■ However, they seem to almost idolize him which could be a
foreshadowing to something that happens to him or to his parents
(Abraham loving Issac very much as his only son and God wonders if
Abraham loved Issac more than him)
● One day, his mother found a peasant and his wife with 5 kids. One child that intrigued his
mother was this one girl with blonde hair
○ “seemed to set a crown of distinction on her head” (28) his mom saw this little
girl like angel perhaps
● Imagery: the man describes the little great with great detail, almost as if he had fallen in
love with her in that moment
○ Kind of similar to when Walton was describing the man as a celestial being
○ “a being heaven-sent, and bearing a celestial stamp in all her features” (28)
● The peasant women noticed how her mother had an eye for her little girl and described
that it was in fact not her daughter but the daughter of a Milanese nobleman
● Diction: “schiavi ognor frementi” means “slaves forever enraged” in Italian. Basically it
shows actual history in which a group of Milanese nobles were mad that Austria ruled in
their region of Italy
○ Shows the connections with the nonfiction and the fiction world and how they can
be codependent and tie into each other
● Metaphor: “fairer than a garden rose among dark-leaved brambles” (29) this quote
represents the anger that the Milanese nobles had over Austrian rule and truly had a
strong nationalism. Portrays that in their province, it was dark and misery whereas where
Italy has control over their land is much better and pleasant
● “Elizabeth Lavenza” the new name of the orphan that was adopted by his parents.
However, he describes her as a beautiful inmate which is interesting. Could be relating
how this isn’t her home or that his parents took her away forcefully
○ Perhaps he was maybe even jealous of her especially as he describes that
everyone loved her
● Finally revealed that the name of the man is Victor
● Victor is told by his mother that Elizabeth will be his wife when he is older
○ However he interprets Elizabeth as gift literally, kind of objectifying her but sees
that he must love and protect her
■ Shows his true innocence to the world
■ Understands that must love and protect someone you care about
● Ends with Victor saying that they called each other cousin and understood that Elizabeth
was his only
○ Misogynistic tbh because he makes it seem that Elizabeth is some sort of toy or
just in general object that he owns
Chapter 2
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● Describes the relationship he had with Elizabeth growing up and innocent and overall
positively, but he also mentions that their relationship inspired his “thirst for knowledge”
which shows how he has been curious from the start of his childhood
○ Shows how he has been a critical thinker since a young age
● Imagery on his childhood house in Switzerland which shows how he had a calm and
innocent childhood with a lovely house
● The beauty of his house sparked curiosity which shows how he got inspired by nature at a
young age
● When his younger brother was born, his parents decided to settle in Geneva, Switzerland
which further shows his innocent childhood
● Mentions his childhood friend names Henry Clerval who shares similar interests which
should make a significant impact on him
○ If he didnt, then why would he mention him, you know?
● “It was the secrets of heaven and earth that I desired to learn” (33) Victor admits that the
real reason why he wanted to learn more was because of nature
○ The way he uses imagery to describe nature shows how passionate he is for
learning more about nature and how he views it in a beautiful manner
● By the way Victor describes Elizabeth and his friend Clerval, it shows how his mother
has played a big role in his character and how he views the people he cares about
● Continues to talk about how amazing and loving his childhood is until he mentions how
he had to stay inside because of the weather which led him to find “a volume of the
works of Cornelius Agrippa” (34)
○ This is the first time he mentions that something disappointing happened to him
since he is excited to have this discovery as a 13 y/o yet his father discourages
him
○ He says that it would’ve been better if he his father explained to him what it was
instead of letting his imagination grow on this subject because he found out that
the works of Cornelius Agrippa was not something he was interested in
■ Shows his innocence because anyone would know that his father was just
trying to get him to figure out by himself and let him form his own
opinion on it
● It’s impressive that as a 13 y/o he read these complicated works that most teens would
not have understood. Shows how his passion for knowledge did not stop him from
reading complex texts. He is smart since he knows that the key to learning about this
subject is by making his own investigations/research
● “He had partially unveiled the face of Nature, but her immortal lineaments were still a
wonder and a mystery” (35) Victor uses “she” to talk about nature which could be a
reference to mother nature. This shows that he sees more than the beauty of nature and
finds a nurturing side to nature itself. Could also show how he finds comfort in the study
of nature
● Victor uses imagery to explain how he saw books as a teacher and saw himself as their
student. Further shows how he is a smart individual on being self-taught
● He then talks about how he is on his way to get his degree to further expand his
knowledge. He explains that knowledge is more important than money which further
shows his love for knowledge
○ Even mentions that he is able to cure a disease
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○ "The raising of ghosts or devils was a promise liberally accorded by my favourite

authors, the fulfillment of which I most eagerly sought” (36) could be talking
about wanting to bring the dead alive (foreshadowing)
● When talking about perhaps bringing the dead alive, he does not show the same
compassion and innocence as he does with Elizabeth or with Clerval which is interesting
since one would think that you would take care of something that you created
○ He acts carless, has the “it is what it is” mindset (foreshadowing?)
● When he sees lightning, he is intrigued and tells the audience that the laws of science are
beyond human understanding and not as simple as he thought
○ His ambition overcomes his sense which results in disaster
Chapter 3
● When Victor turns 17, he decides to go to University but before he is about to leave,
Elizabeth gets the scarlet fever which worries his mother, so much that she dies of
anxiety
○ The first misfortune that happens to him. His mother till the end supported him
and Elizabeth and wants to end on a happy note rather than a sad note
● “I need not describe the feelings of those whose dearest ties are rent by that most
irreparable evil, the void that presents itself to the soul, and the despair that is exhibited
on the countenance.” (40) Victor is clearly heartbroken and affected by this, yet he
describes his feelings like a poem
○ He uses imagery to describe his feelings and how all the happy memories of his
mother are going away, but that he has to fill that gap by working hard which
shows his true love and gentle side towards his mother
○ He stays strong for Elizabeth by showing her that he can still achieve his dreams
and have a successful future with her
● Henry is not as talented nor smart as Victor but you can see how he admires him and
wants to be like him so he asks if he can be his student and join him on his travels to start
a new chapter
● As he is on his way to the university, he reflects on how much support he has which
encourages him to be the best that he can
○ Shows that he is optimistic and focuses on the positives of life
■ Relates back to his innocent childhood which really helped him have this
mindset today
■ “ My life had hitherto been remarkably secluded and domestic, and this
had given me invincible repugnance to new countenances” (42)
● Victor shows how he is kind of a narcissist or just how confident he is in what he studies
because he acts like its no big deal to have such knowledge at such a young age
● The professor basically says that he has to make new studies since he wasted his time
learning nonsense which doesn’t really bother Victor since he got some new knowledge
which was his overall goal in the end
● Victor is beginning to realize how much complicated his studies are as he realizes that he
never really was guided until now
○ “With a confusion of ideas only to be accounted for by my extreme youth and my
want of a guide on such matters, I had retrod the steps of knowledge along the
paths of time and exchanged the discoveries of recent inquirers for the dreams of
forgotten alchemists” (44)
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● Once again, we see how narcissistic Victor is as he describes his own professor as less
than him and acts like he knows less than Victor
● Even though he first lowkey insults his teacher, curiosity takes the best of him and he
goes to his teacher’s lecture and shifts in tone. He then uses more poetic words and
overall has a more gentle touch to it than before
○ Shows how knowledge of the view of nature can quickly change his perspective
since they are topics he is passionate about
■ “As he went on I felt as if my soul were grappling with a palpable enemy”
(46)
■ Victor uses imagery to describe the professor’s word like a piano which
creates a soothing melody which shows his love for knowledge and how
that really inspires him and overall brings him in a good mood
● “There only remained a resolution to return to my ancient studies and to devote myself to
a science for which I believed myself to possess a natural talent” (46) It seems like Victor
is talking about his mother and how she has inspired him to continue with his studies and
make a new discovery
● This professor has shifted the view the Victor has on modern chemistry which gives him
a new perspective over the world of science (opening a new door)
● Ends off with saying that it is his destiny to to do this which is good for him since this
will give him opportunities to achieve his dreams
Chapter 4
● Krempe and Waldman have really helped Victor realized his passion for the natural
sciences and philosophies but continues to have a certain interest on Waldman as a friend
● Once again, you see Victor’s narcissism when he talks about how quickly he has learned
since he first got here. This could a combination of his love for knowledge and how
interesting his teachers teach the stuff to him
○ Talks about how in science, there is always room for new knowledge and go
farther than others have gone
■ Good for Victor because it’s clear that he constantly wants to be the best
and make a brand new discovery
● As Victor learns more and more things, you can see more questions pop into his head.
For example, he is now interested in studying life and even the supernatural world
(foreshadowing)
● Victor says that he is not scared of the supernatural and even sees the beauty in them as a
process of natural life
● As he gets more and more deep into wanting to study life and how it is created, he slowly
isolates him more and more since he says that no one else has studied this part of science
and seems like he doesn’t care
○ “ I was surprised that among so many men of genius who had directed their
inquiries towards the same science, that I alone should be reserved to discover so
astonishing a secret” (52)
● Imagery: Victor describes how he feels to be able to make new discoveries in life. His
love for knowledge has kind of made a “crazy guy” tone as he’s talking about it which
shows how isolating himself from society to work extremely hard on making this
discovery has done to him
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● Foreshadowing: “Learn from me, if not by my precepts, at least by my example, how

dangerous is the acquirement of knowledge and how much happier that man is who
believes his native town to be the world, than he who aspires to become greater than his
nature will allow” (53) For sure, the audience knows that something happened when he
made this discovery that turned horribly wrong. Perhaps he regrets working so hard on
this discovery and wishes to take some time for himself
○ His imagination took over him and decided to make a creature like him. At first
he was not sure and the audience could tell that he knew it would not such a great
idea, but his curiosity takes the best of him
■ Curiosity killed the cat
● Prediction: perhaps the “man” that Victor was first chasing in the beginning of the story
was his creation because he says that he wants to create his being to be a tall; “about eight
feet in height, and proportionably large” (54)
● Common Theme: he seems to talk about light and darkness in different ways which could
have a significance later in the book/will make sense later
○ “Life and death appeared to me ideal bounds, which I should first break through,
and pour a torrent of light into our dark world” (54)
● Victor is thinking of his creation more as a ticket to be well known in the science world
and as a way to make his father happier/proud of him
● Symbolism: working during the night as the moon shines on Victor gives the setting a
mysterious feeling/tone
● Even though he knows that his father will be sad/disappointed the Victor chooses to not
check up on him and his family, he chooses to ignore it and continue on with his
project/experiment
○ “ I wished, as it were, to procrastinate all that related to my feelings of affection
until the great object, which swallowed up every habit of my nature, should be
completed.” (56)
○ He basically said what I said, saying that he thinks that you should have a calm
mind and never let passion get in the way of their mental health but says that the
thirst for knowledge is an exception to this
■ He will most probably regret not being close to his family in the future
(foreshadowing)
Chapter 5
● It is a mysterious and creepy night when the monster’s eye opens,,, yikes
○ Victor must be very proud of his work since he describes the monster in a very
beautiful way. He thinks he looks beautiful
● Finally, Victor can peacefully rest after working so hard however he is not peaceful as he
has a nightmare that he is holding Elizabeth’s corpse
○ Perhaps this is his mind trying to tell him that Elizabeth and his family probably
feels neglected because of his studies
● Sad ;( the monster tries to reach for Victor and looks like he is happy to see his creator,
however, Victor runs away as quickly as possible
● For some reason the view he has of the monster changes so quickly, seeing him as ugly
and no longer beautiful
○ Victor was probably embarrassed and scared of what others would think when
they would see the monster because he made the monster so that others could see
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his knowledge and talent. However, since he saw the monster as ugly, he thought
that others would not take his work seriously
● As Victor is running away, he thinks of a stanza from Rime of the Ancient Mariner.
Eventually he runs into his friend Henry
○ (here it is finally revealed to the audience that his last name is Frankenstein hehe)
○ Now that he ran away from his problem, all of a sudden, Victor remembers is
personal life
● The lack of sleep and how hard Victor has been working can be seen in his face because
he looks “ill.”
● “ I dreaded to behold this monster, but I feared still more that Henry should see him” (63)
This further reassures my statement above on how he might feel embarrassed of the
monster because of how ugly he looks
○ As he re-enters his apartment with Henry, the monster is gone (ouuuu)
● The “joy” Victor is showing on page 64 seems creepy and evil. It could be a combination
of why he is acting this way, it could be because of the lack of sleep, or it could be that he
feels good on making something come to life (achieve his goal) and feels good that he
has abandoned it
● Victor becomes so ill that he has to be nursed by Henry. This show’s Henry’s loyalty and
makes Victor look lowkey selfish that he didn’t visit him and his family for a long time
(only focused on his goals).
○ Now that he has achieved his goal and does not need to worry about it, he can
finally rest (relief?)
● “‘how kind, how very good you are to me. This whole winter, instead of being spent in
study, as you promised yourself, has been consumed in my sick room. How shall I ever
repay you?...’” (65) BRUH
○ The way that he must repay him is by taking care of himself and making in
contact with his father and Elizabeth which is good. His response shows that he
doesn’t quite regret neglected their relationship and only sees this “task” as a way
to repay Clerval
■ After his mom died, Victor’s character shifted and doesn’t seem like the
caring and loving person he was. If his mother were around, I feel like he
would’ve tried to write as many letters during his freetime to stay
connected with his family and friends.
Chapter 6
● Elizabeth is clearly affected on Victor’s health but more on how he has not been writing
letters to her
○ Stopped her “uncle” from travelling to see Victor but said she regrets not going
for herself
● Ernest, his younger brother I believe is now 16 which is sad to think about because Victor
never mentioned his younger brother on his birthday, nothing at all, the audience had no
idea of his age anymore.
● Symbolism: when Elizabeth is discussing how the setting/climate looks like back at
home, she mentions “The blue lake and snowclad mountains—they never change” (68).
The color blue can symbolize Elizabeth’s loyalty and faith in Victor. However, snow can
represent playfulness and magical wonders, but also can represent sadness, and
bleakness. The playfulness can represent Ernest and how he’s making a new chapter of
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life. The sadness and bleakness can represent his father’s and Elizabeth’s sadness towards
Victor’s isolation.
● Justine Moritz was adopted by Victor’s mother when she was 12 after her mother died
and is now their servant
○ Elizabeth’s diction shows that she respects Justine and honors her work,
especially since she was the one who took care of Victor’s mother
■ The sadness could represent Justine’s feelings towards the death of her
siblings and of Victor’s mother
● Elizabeth explains how Victor’s younger brother William has grown up
○ Gives the audience an idea of how much time has passed since Victor first left his
home for school
● I think the reason why Elizabeth is catching Victor up on the town’s gossip is because she
misses him a lot and perhaps it her way of trying the get Victor to come back and visit
and realize that he has missed a lot of events since he has left
● Victor wants to introduce Henry to his professors but everytime he sees a chemical
instrument, it causes him pain and worsens his symptoms
○ According to google, Victor shows symptoms of paranoid schizophrenia which
can be seen through his social isolation, aggression, mental confusion, anger
anxiety, feelings of detachment, paranoia, rapid speaking etc.
● Victor’s professors seem very proud of him and of his growth
○ It seems like the only one criticizing him is himself which is interesting seeing as
everyone is so loving and supportive of him
○ Even Henry who is studying languages is taking the time to hear all these science
terms just because he cares about Victor
● “When you read their writings, life appears to consist in a warm sun and a garden of
roses, in the smiles and frowns of a fair enemy, and the fire that consumes your own
heart” (74) so all of a sudden he gained an interest in what Henry studies? Perhaps only
to further understand the science world or because he wants to divert his attention to
another study so that he doesn’t freak out about the monster he created
● “Study had before secluded me from the intercourse of my fellow creatures and rendered
me unsocial” (75) he finally realizes that he has isolated himself
● Imagery: he describes a blossoming field to describe the delicacy and happiness that he
feels from being reminded of his childhood home and of his family and friends
○ I feel like he only feels like this because going to his hometown would make him
go even farther away from the monster
Chapter 7
● Victor’s father finally sends him a letter saying that he’s writing this letter because he
wants Victor to be welcomed and happy when he came back home but for some reason
he wants to write a letter
● He informs him that his little brother William has been murdered!
○ He was playing with Ernest and he disappeared for some reason
○ “the print of the murderer’s finger was on his neck” (78) it is evident that
someone did kill William
● He wants him to come here to console Elizabeth
○ Could be his way to make him want to go back even more, apart from wanting to
be there for Elizabeth, but just in general to be back home
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● This has obviously affected Victor as he is crying and wants to go home immediately.
Clerval is also upset which shows that even if he wasn’t bloodrelated to William, all of
them were so close that they were like family. It seems like once his mother died, their
family just began to fell apart
○ “One sudden and desolating change had taken place; but a thousand little
circumstances might have by degrees worked other alterations...” (81)
● “I dared no advance, dreading a thousand nameless evils that made me tremble, although
I was unable to define them.” (81) foreshadowing?
● Describing the scenery is very interesting because around him, is a very calm and gentle
setting, which contradicts his current feelings.
● Now as the journey keeps going, the setting changes to more gloomy and dark which can
represent how Victor’s life changed into happiness and calm innocent childhood to dark
and depressing after his mother died.
● Symbolism: “The sky was serene; and, as I was unable to rest, I resolved to visit the spot
where my poor William had been murdered....I saw the lightning playing on the summit
of Mont Blanc in the most beautiful figures. The storm appeared to approach rapidly,
and, on landing, I ascended a low hill…” (82) Lightning can represent destruction and
innocence which is perfect climate to describe Victor since his life is slowly falling apart
more and more and he chose to be ignorant towards his social life
● “A flash of lightning illuminated the object, and discovered its shape plainly to me; its
gigantic stature, and the deformity of its aspect, more hideous than belongs to humanity,
instantly informed me that it was the wretch, the filthy daemon, to whom I had given life”
(83) Victor realizes that he was the one responsible of the death since he knows that the
monster is the one who did it, however, he feels responsible because he’s the one who
created the monster
○ It’s been 2 years since he created the monster and he is questioning whether this is
his first crime
● As it turns to night, Victor is trying to sleep and he is getting the same feelings of
yuckiness like he did when he was first trying to sleep the day he made the monster
which shows that from the start, something did not sit right with him and in his mind he
knew he did something wrong. This shows that even though he is going insane, the
“sane” part of him is telling him that he is in the wrong
● Even he knows that his story is nonsense and no one will believe him
● Seeing the picture of his mother reminds him of the beauty and innocence of his
childhood and in nature
● Apparently they have discovered who the killer of William is and Victor can not believe
it and he almost seems relieved but worried since he knows if they arrested the monster,
they would shift the blame on him for creating the monster and not taking care of it
○ The killer is supposedly Justine Moritz (the maid) because she had apparently
fallen ill the day after the killing and saw that she had the missing photo
(mentioned last chapter with his father writing the letter) in her pocket. Ernest
also explains that her behavior has been odd lately
● As of right now, no one can believe nor be convinced that Justine murdered William
which is understandable since they were all like a family nor has she shown any sort of
hostility towards any member of the family. The audience can see that she is grateful that
 Ruiz 13

Victor’s mother was so kind to her, so much that she has been trying to fill that gap and
almost seems like she wants to give back.
● They are having too much confidence in that they will find Justine innocent which can be
foreshadowing
Chapter 8
● Everyone was nervous during the trial which is understandable because it further shows
that everyone was so close like one big family. I think Victor is also scared that if she is
seen as innocent, he will have to tell his side of the story and how he knows that killer
which will become one big problem
○ Nervous either way because if she is found guilty, he will be the cause of it
● Justine is completely calm because she knows that she did not do anything and is
innocent which shows that she truly did not have anything to do with this murder
● Multiple witness tell their perspective and how they saw Justine which doesn’t really
make sense, but still she confidently says that God knows that she is innocent and that
she hopes the judge keeps in mind of her past actions
○ Shows how much faith she has in God and is basically relying on him to prove to
everyone else that she is telling the truth
● Basically, Justine says that on the night of the murder, she had spent the day at her aunt’s
house and that at 9 pm she was walking home until a man stopped her and asked if she
knew about the missing child so she started to look fot him. Then the gates of Geneva
shut and she was forced to stay in a barn for some reason? She was scared and spent a
few hours there until she decided to continue looking for William. Since she had no
sleep, when the market woman asked her a question she couldn’t understand what she
was saying.
○ She does not say anything about the missing photo Elizabeth was talking about
which is strange
■ Believes that someone may have put it in her pocket but she does not
know of such enemy
● The people testifying to help prove Justine’s innocence speak well of her but are scared
and have some sort of hatred for her that she has been accused of such murder
● Victor mentions the monster he created as a “demon” which could mean the he thinks of
himself as God and how he punished Satan from heaven, but to be honest, Victor is more
like the demon because he’s the one who ran away from his creation and decided not to
take care of it
● Justine confesses because the judges believe that 10 innocent people should suffer to
make up for one guilty running free
○ Justine’s heart is so pure and she is so kind that she rather be put into jail to make
it seem like she did it to get the case over with. She rather seem like that “one
guilty” instead if getting other innocent people tied into the mess
● Elizabeth can not believe why she confessed and told a lie and is truly heartbroken. She is
so heartbroken that she is willing to help the judges realize her innocence
● “But I, the true murderer, felt the never-dying worm alive in my bosom, which allowed of
no hope or consolation” (99) Victor says this as if the monster is part of him which is
interesting that he sees himself as part of the monster
 Ruiz 14

○ Justine knows she is going to die yet she keeps this peaceful and calm tone
throughout the whole time and has accepted this fact which gives her like an angel
vibe to her
● Victor takes full responsibility in his mind that it is his fault that he is causing all this
sadness and misery onto his family, yet he is coward for not admitting of what he has
done and how all of this is essentially his fault
○ “I beheld those I loved spend vain sorrow upon the graves of William and Justine,
the first hapless victims to my unhallowed arts” (100).
Chapter 9
● Victor is lowkey evil as he recognizes that he has caused horrors and has caused major
damage yet he wants to put his “benevolent intentions” into practice? The way he
describes this makes it seem like he is going to push away his mistakes and move on. He
cares that he was the one who caused this harm but he also doesn’t care that much
○ He cares more on continuing his image as the “good guy”
● They started to close their gates at 10pm to ensure no one could get in nor get out of the
house and made sure no one was at the lake at that time
● Victor is struggling with himself especially since he knows that the monster can commit
more crimes and is wondering what he can do to stop the monster
○ He wants to see the monster again and get some sort of revenge on him
● Victor observes how his father’s health is worsening and Elizabeth is slowly losing
herself and is no longer the calm and innocent girl he remembers
● Elizabeth seems to be going through the stages of grief as she is in denial, but like she is
right because Justine IS innocent.
○ Victor continues to act as a coward as he does not speak up and tell the truth. If he
really loved Elizabeth as he says he does then he would do it so that Elizabeth
does not suffer so much
● The characters keep mentioning how God is going to save them and how he is going to
magically fix the situation but everytime they do, the situation just keeps getting worse
● Elizabeth continues to beg Victor to stay in his home country and leave behind his studies
to stay with his family which sounds like a good idea because he may be able to calm
Elizabeth down. It also would show how he values family and wants them to stay close
since this is all they have left.
○ He is confused as what he should do and progressively sounds more isnae the
more he talks.
■ “Sometimes I could cope with the sullen despair that overwhelmed me,
but sometimes the whirlwind passions of my soul drove me to seek” (106)
this shows how he is have internal issues and has no idea what he should
do
● Victor decides to go to Chamounix which is place he visited in his childhood so he hopes
to get some sort of happiness in remembering the happy past
● Symbolism: as he is on his way to Chamounix, he notices “The immense mountains and
precipices that overhung me on every side, the sound of the river raging among the rocks,
and the dashing of the waterfalls around spoke of a power mighty as Omnipotence”
(107). The mountains can represent the major ups and downs he has seen in his life and
the river can represent the flow of life but the rocks within the river makes is rage
perfectly represents Victor’s life at the moment
 Ruiz 15

● The nature does make Victor happy, but not for long (temporary happiness)
Chapter 10
● Imagery/Symbolism: Victor is describing nature right now how there is an avalanche and
everything is falling apart which really represents his life and how it was all pretty and
nice snow on a mountain but then soon his cowardness and ego led to a huge disaster that
is affecting other things around him (his family)
● As he is admiring the ocean from the top of a mountain, he sees a man going very fast. A
mist (which can represent mystery) comes before him but the it is revealed once the mist
is gone, that the man is in fact the monster he created
○ He starts to say mean things and even calls him the devil
● The monster is now talking to him? And is even using better vocab than me
○ “ Yet you, my creator, detest and spurn me, thy creature, to whom thou art bound
by ties only dissoluble by the annihilation of one of us” (113) he’s basically mad
at him and how everyone hates him even though they should be hating Victor for
abandoning him
● The monster tries to make an agreement that he should do his job on protecting him and
is not, he will do even more crimes
○ “‘I will glut the maw of death, until it be satiated with the blood of your
remaining friends’” (113)
● Victor tries to fight with the monster but the monster pleads him to listen to his side of
the story
○ His use of diction reminds me of Adam and God in which God created Adam but
then punishes him for eating the sacred fruit
■ Okay i am a psychic anyways, the monster says “‘Remember that I am thy
creature; I ought to be thy Adam, but I am rather the fallen angel, whom
thou drivest from joy for no misdeed’” (114) which is interesting how the
monster sees himself as the “bad guy” of the story even though he could
shift all the blame on Victor.
■ This shows how he has innocence and he recognizes his mistakes and his
flaws
● “‘The desert mountains and dreary glaciers are my refuge’” (115) it’s actually really sad
because the monster is describing how he had love in his heart but then once he realized
how alone he was, he became full negativity which in a way is brave of him to admit
○ He is miserable because he has to be alone or he will be killed which is sad that he
has to recognize and accept that
○ He then persuades him to just listen to him and then do whatever he wants with
him (even kill him)
● I think the monster wants him to hear his story so that Victor can understand what he did
wrong and also so that he understands why he did what he did
○ “‘...you will have heard my story and can decide’” (116)
● We see that his curiosity takes over him and allows him to follow the monster
○ “For the first time, also, I felt what the duties of a creator towards his creature
were, and that I ought to render him happy before I complained of his
wickedness” (116) he sounds like he just talked to Jesus and he changed his soul
Chapter 11
 Ruiz 16

● The monster describes how the beginning of his life is confusing and not clear. He knows
that he was wondering around Ingolstadt, Germany until he felt hunger and thirst
● “I had covered myself with some clothes’” (118) it is interesting that even though the
monster was not human, he still understood and had human characteristics and had
human feelings even though he has had no human interactions other than Victor
● It’s interesting to see how innocent the monster actually seems as he is so curious and
interesting in nature and sees how beautiful it is
○ Him burning himself from the fire from being so mesmerized by it further shows
his innocence
○ “‘I examined the materials of the fire, and to my joy found it to be composed of
wood’” (120) he also learns very quickly which makes him kind of like a child
who constantly learn something new out of curiosity
● “‘When I found this, I resolved to quit the place that I had hitherto inhabited, to seek for
one where the few wants I experienced would be more easily satisfied’” (121) when he
realizes that is harder to find food now, he migrates to another area which reflects
Darwinism and how he is developing (without reproduction) and adapting.
● When he finally gets to a rural area, he finds a hut as he is hungry and cold. He enters and
there is a man in front of a fire making breakfast. When the man sees him he screams and
runs away which is something the monster had not encountered before and is the first
time he has seen such reaction (questions should pop into his head on why he reacted that
way)
● Arriving a village makes him happy to see how there are more huts and are even close
together
○ It is sad that the monster has good intentions, but the people he encounters does
not receive him in the way he wants them to and instead either screams or acts
violently (throwing rocks) at him
■ He quickly understood not to enter houses he found no matter how
desperate because he had learned from his past experiences
● The monster enters a pig sty that is next to cottage and blocks the entrance so that no one
can see him where he can be safe
● Through a small hole he is able to see a young woman with a jug on his head met with
this young man. He then discovers another small hole that can be seen in the house and
he sees an older man sitting and he starts to play an instrument which makes him feel
relaxed and happy
● As of right now, the monster is simply observing human nature and how they
respond/act. I’m guessing he is learning from their actions
Chapter 12
● The monster is conflicted with wanting to be with his human neighbors but is afraid that
they will respond the same way that the other humans have treated him
● He observes how loving and innocent the family is as they work together and support the
older man who the monster finds out is blind
● The monster can not understand why the humans would experience pain which shows his
innocence again since he does not understand that there can be outside factors like the
older man could be dying or there maybe outside conflict from others like friends
○ He finds out that they were sad because of poverty and did not have enough food
for everyone as the young people would give their food to the older man
 Ruiz 17

○ This makes the monster sad that he has been getting food from their farm only
thinking of himself which makes him eat berries and other stuff from the forest. It
shows that even though he committed those crimes in the present, in the past, he
had kindness and showed empathy and compassion
○ The monster even helps them by gathering wood for them and leaving it at their
door so that they can stay at home instead
● “‘I perceived that the words they spoke sometimes produced pleasure or pain, smiles or
sadness, in the minds and countenances of the hearers’” (130) from this point, he is
beginning to understand language and how words produce different emotions and
impacts
○ He starts by learning simple words/names of objects he is familiar with like
“cheese” and bread”
○ The audience also learns that the family consists of the father, the younger woman
whose name is Agatha, and the younger brother whose name is Felix
● The monster begins to relate his feelings with the humans which in a way is more of a
form of learning because he is starting to associate situations with emotions
● The monster starts to gain in interest in wanting to learn how to read as it makes him
curious and makes it seem like its a superpower since he has never heard/seen of this
before
● When the monster sees himself in the pool, he is disgusted which is sad because he now
understands why the humans were afraid of him. This shows that by learned behavior,
when people don’t look like others, they think that they are ugly. In this case, it was not
necessarily beauty standards (i.e. having an ethnic nose, darker skin, etc), he sees that he
is simply built different, some may say, a different breed, woof.
● It is fascinating to hear the monster want to make the humans feel better and feel
happiness even though every experience he has had with the humans have been negative
and they have made him feel lonely and miserable. His innocence truly is powerful
● Nature really uplifts the monster’s spirits which makes him very wholesome yet sad that
such a character can have such hatred and anger later (I wonder what pushed him to that
limit?) and enough to make him kill people.
Chapter 13
● Spring comes around which excites the monster. One day, a woman on horseback knocks
on the door looking for Felix
○ It's interesting to see how the monster recognizes the beauty of the woman when
her face is revealed because he still has not been taught about love nor sexual
attraction. This shows how its just part of his instinct I guess
● The woman is Arabian (cool) and Feliz lights up and his actions show that he loves her
which is a new emotion the monster is experiencing (love in a sexual way)
● The Arabian woman appears to not know the language they are speaking but she wants to
learn which is beneficial to the monster because he can learn with her (the woman’s name
we learn is Safie)
● As the monster tells Victor that he is finally improving in the language after 2 months
with Safie, he calls the family his “protectors” which is really wholesome even though
they have no idea of his existence
● The monster is very proud of himself for learning faster than Safie. Felix reads a book to
them called “Volney’s Ruins of Empires” in which he learns about various empires and
 Ruiz 18

how they worked which further expands his knowledge on human behavior which is
clearly interesting him
○ His curiosity and desire to know more makes him a fast learner
○ When he learns about how men kill others, he is disgusted which further shows
his innocence
● As he learns about hierarchies, he learns of the evils of humans and how it is unfair which
is interesting to see how a different breed can comprehend how unfair that is. This makes
him further ponder if he really is the scary monster humans perceive him as
● As the monster learns about family and about childhood, it makes him even more sad and
confused as he did not have that. If only his creator would have been by his side to make
him understand that the monster is not human. Either way, he is lonely wants friends by
his side
Chapter 14
● De Lacey is the name of the father who basically came from a good family from France
and basically lived a very good life in France with lots of money. The father of Safie is a
Turkish merchant who became “‘obnoxious to the government’” (144) and was put into
jail.
○ “‘it was judged that his religion and wealth rather than the crime alleged against
him had been the cause of his condemnation’” (144-145) this shows Islamophobia
and how his religion was what made his crime
● Felix decides to help this man and as a reward he wanted him to have some of his wealth
which he declined but had a certain interest in his beautiful daughter Safie. So he
promised his hand in marriage if Felix were able to help the man
● Safie had a mother who was a Chrsitian Arab and the important part about her mother is
that her values stuck with her even after she died and she liked the idea of marrying a
Christian man to get a higher rank in society.
● Felix led Safie and her father to Leghorn, Italy. Successful, Felix is allowed to get
married with Safie which makes both Safie and Felix happy as they had both fallen in
love with each other
● Felix is caught when arrives to France with Safie and he is put into jail with his father and
sister
● Felix turns himself in and his family has to stay 5 months before the trial which tells them
they have to be kicked out of their country and is now in the cottage where the monster
found them in Germany
● The monster now understands why Felix was miserable and why he instantly lit up when
he was able to be reunited with Safie
● The story of Safie is really inspiring as the monster can see how much love made Felix
and Safie be together all along and is somewhat of a fairytale for him which is good
because this is the first happy story he has heard (especially one that is real)
Chapter 15
● It makes the monster happy to learn about his “friends” but also mad at how evil society
can be which can be foreshadowing to why he committed those crimes towards Victor’s
family
● On his way back from the woods, he finds a couple books, one being “Paradise Lost,”
another being “Plutarch’s Lives” and the other being “Sorrows of Werter.” When
describing “Sorrows of Werter” he is truly touched by the book and how the values and
 Ruiz 19

actions of the characters opened him to a new perspective of humans and his innocence is
seen once again when he hears about suicide
● As he reads, the monster is starting to develop reading skills that humans would learn in
school. He starts to relate to the story to develop a better understanding of it. He says that
he glad to have a soft and innocent introduction to human nature rather than harsh ike a
soldier’s which shows that the monster is much more human that what I had originally
thought
● When the monster talks about “Paradise Lost” it is like a reflection to him and Victor as it
discusses the creation story. In a way, he would be like Adam and Victor like God, but
since he left the monster alone, the monster thinks he is Satan. In all reality, the monster
still continues to be in the image of Adam as God was not always holding his hand and
left him to be independent (when Adam and Eve “betrayed” him by eating the scared
fruit)
● The monster is now able to read some lab notes and it challenges the creation story
thought. This makes the monster lose his innocence as he is realizing the harsh reality--
specifically his harsh reality and what he has to deal with.
● It is sad because the monster can not comprehend why he can not be like Adam. He
knows that his creator made him ugly and therefore making him isolated and alone. He
sis stuck in this cycle of misery and Victor seems to be more of the monster in this book
● Symbolism: the season changing to fall might represent how the monster is changing
(perhaps to be evil?) the more he is gaining knowledge, The audience can see this as he is
slowly losing his innocence
○ Yet he still has some innocence and love which is why he focuses on the beauty
of fall like the chirping birds
● The monster has hope and focuses on the positives of him to convince himself that he is
ready to show himself to cottagers
○ He wants to introduce himself to De Lacey when his kids are gone
● The monster is not dumb, he is aware that either Safie, Agatha, or Felix can walk in on
him with their father, but his curiosity and desire for a positive human interaction leads
him to risking it. He truly feels lonely and will risk a few minutes just to achieve this goal
● The conversation the monster has with De Lacey is like a patient and therapist. The
monster is so lonely that even if someone listens to his problems, even if he may be beat
up for this, he is willing to try
Chapter 16
● The interaction the monster had with Felix was the last straw for him as he believes that
no one can accept it. He knows that if he were by Victor’s side then maybe with the help
of him, others would accept the monster
○ “‘I, like the arch-fiend, bore a hell within me, and finding myself unsympathized
with’” (162)
● He burns down the house as away to cope with his anger and frustration towards
humanity
● The monster specifically wants revenge on Victor so he heads to Geneva. He is now
focusing his anger and misery to Victor, not necessarily to all humans. (yes he hates
humans now but mostly Victor)
○ “‘The nearer I approached to your habitation, the more deeply did I feel the spirit
of revenge enkindled in my heart’” (167)
 Ruiz 20

● The beautiful nature and the innocence of the girl intrigues the monster because even
though he had declared war on humans, he decides to help this girl from drowning
○ It was out of instinct for him
● When he follows the man with the girl, he does out of anger--perhaps questioning why he
didn’t thank him. But he is naive into thinking this even though he gets shot. He instantly
thinks it’s because humans think he’s ugly, which can be true, but a main factor could be
that the man is simply being protective of this girl (perhaps is her father)
● He falls asleep and wakes up to a beautiful child. This once again shows how he has a
soft side for children as he has seen that they are innocent, and “‘had lived too short a
time to have imbibed a horror of deformity.’” (170)
● The monster is once again naive to believe that he can educate a child without knowing
him
● When he hears the surname “Frankenstein” that is when the true monster awakens in him.
This is the moment when he kills William Frankenstein
● Diction: the monster uses the word “creatures” instead of saying “humans.” This adds a
negative connotation as it gives a more creepy, alien feel to it. This shows that the
monster is so angry and disappointed by humans that he tries to make them seem less
based on his negative experiences.
○ “‘ I remembered that I was forever deprived of the delights that such beautiful
creatures could bestow and that she whose resemblance I contemplated would…’”
(171)
● He finds Justine sleeping in a barn and places the photo from William’s attire in her
dress. He explains that he learned mischief from Felix (the books he read). This shows
that he is also blaming humans for learning about evil and crime
● He demands for Victor to make him another monster and is naive because he thinks his
hard work will convince Victor to make this companion. This can be reflected on the
creation story which he read on how God made Eve because Adam asked for her.
Chapter 17
● The fact that Victor does not respond well gives foreshadowing that maybe he won’t
make this creature the monster or maybe the creature will not turn out well
● It seems like the monster is trying to use his professional tone and diction in order to
persuade Victor. The fact that Victor does not want to do one task for the monster--a task
that would make the monster no longer commit anymore crimes--shows that he is a
coward and narcissistic because he chooses to put his opinions first instead of trying to
understand the point of view of the monster.
● The fact that Victor is being convinced by the monster but chooses to try not to be
convinced by putting the monster’s physical appearance as hideous, shows that he is like
other humans, prejuding based on looks. His ego might also be in the way of trying to be
convinced because he does not want to be outsmarted by someone he believes is less than
him
● Victor tries to play victim when he cries out to the stars. This once again shows his deep
connection with nature and how he is egoistic in that he is only thinking of himself
● When Victor sees his family, he starts to feel isolated from them and feels like he does
not deserve them for what he has done. He thinks he is doing the right thing, but in
reality, he still is lying to them and is hiding a major factor from them--the monster and
what he has done and how it was his fault.
 Ruiz 21

Chapter 18
● He once again starts to isolate himself from his family and hometown as he knows that
this is a task he must complete. He tries to lift up his mood by once again trying to shift
his thoughts to the nature that is around him
○ His father is determined to try to get the old Victor back, while still trying to be
close to him. He is trying to understand him and try to connect with his son by
talking about women and if he thinks Elizabeth more as a sister rather than a wife.
● Victor’s father has good intentions of wanting to have the marriage early. He wants the
best for his son while still keeping him close.
○ Victor, however, believes that it is best to deal with the task he has for the
monster and then finally enjoy life which is probably the only good decision he
has had this whole book
● Victor becomes even more overwhelmed when he realizes that he has to go to England to
gather more information. Clerval has to come along which causes Victor to get anxiety
and worried since he knows that many incidents can happen
● He no longer talks about Elizabeth in a sweet way and seems like he’s being forced to get
married to her. This shows that he is so tired that he lost sense of true emotions nad is out
of touch with himself
○ He questions if this marriage is the source of his sadness, but he assures himself
that this will be his only happiness in life
● The characters of Clerval vs Victor are very different as the audience sees that he is very
happy with life whereas Victor is miserable and slowly slipping away
○ He questions how Henry can be so content with life. Perhaps he is even jealous,
which is something his ego would not necessarily like.
● When Clerval is using imagery to describe what makes him happy (nature) it kind of
reflects Victor in the beginning of the book when he describes his passions and how
much connected he is with nature and the complexity of its beauty.
Chapter 19
● Victor feels so trapped that he only has time to do research and not take time for himself
and enjoy the nature and the country
● When Victor looks at Henry, he sees his past self which gives it like he is attracted to him
which is great for his ego because any narcissist would love to find someone who it/was
like them
○ We can also see his lose for wanting to learn and how he no longer feels the need
to gain new knowledge anymore
● Although Victor seems happy to be surrounded by nature for a while, he feels “bolted”
because of the monster. This shows that he did not think this fully through before making
the monster. He only wanted to do it for others to be impressed by him.
● As he isolates himself again from society (leaving Henry with a friend and he goes to
Orkney’s) he begins to make mistakes and a disaster
○ “ Sometimes I could not prevail on myself to enter my laboratory for several days,
and at other times I toiled day and night in order to complete my work.” (200)
● Victor is excited to complete this task, but feels unmotivated which contradicts in the
beginning when he was first creating the monster
 Ruiz 22

○ Scientific Idealism evident as he is reluctant to work on the female monster. It

contracts the scientific idealism of Victor’s initial pursuit with a disillusionment
of his second endeavour.
Chapter 20
● As he is working on the female monster, Victor thinks back to when he first created the
male monster 3 years ago
○ Getting PTSD from it as he remembers the terror and consequences
● Victor fears that the male and female monster will mate and make a new species of
monsters that will terrorize the humans
○ Goes back to the Creation story, except God wanted Adam and Eve to reproduce
and take care of the animals and make a wholesome earth (??) and Victor’s
perspective is the opposite
○ Perhaps Frankenstein is the Creation story’s alternate universe
○ Has misogyny as Victor believes that the female will want to have kids and giving
birth is a females’ sole purpose in life (male dominated world where men control
women)
○ If female is never alive, Victor’s power as creator and mother remains intact
● Victor sees the monster and gets angry and rips the female monster and left furiously.
● The monster berated Victor for breaking his promise which makes him say that he will
get revenge on him even if he dies in the process
○ He works against the theme of discovery by destroying the female body
○ “‘I go, but remember, I shall be with you on your wedding-night’” (206)
● The role of Adam and Satan are switched when the monster tells Victor that he must obey
him since he is his master. This is because when Satan became a fallen angel, he
challenged the divinely mandated order and revolted against God, seeking control of
heaven.
● Henry writes a letter saying to meet him so that they travel to India together and Victor
agrees and leaves two days later and takes a boat off the island.
● He dumps the female monster’s body parts and falls asleep. He wakes up in confusion as
the local people treat him with hostility.
○ He is now getting the same treatment as the monster did when the people would
see him. He know is getting the revenge and treatment he deserves (karma)
● Victor is now arrested and taken to see Mr. Kirwin to explain a man’s murder
Chapter 21
● Victor learns that a young man’s body washed ashore. The local people thought that he
drowned but saw that he was strangled
● Victor’s reaction to seeing that it was Henry caused suspicion as he got very upset.
● He knows that it was the monster's fault. This accusation and grief from the death of
Clerval causes him to be ill for 2 months
○ The monster is showing his feelings to Victor (which he chooses to ignore). The
monster kills Victor’s friends and family to show that he is deprived from
companionship.
● In delirium, Victor confessed that he was infact the murder and fantises that the monster
will come for him.
● Mr. Kirwin becomes sympathetic of him though and told him that he had sent for his
father Alphonse
 Ruiz 23

● After his father’s arrival and the news that the family was well, Victor began to improve
○ Although he feels better upon seeing his father, Victor cannot shake his guilt and
despair especially because he knows more deaths are likely to come
● The judge finds him innocent as they see he was not ath the same time of the murder
○ This trial recalls Justine’s, she innocent is found guilty whereas Victor who is
guilty, is found innocent. Technically he didn't kill Henry, but by neglecting the
monster, it is his responsibility
○ Justine suffers the human punishment of death while Victor goes unpunished by
his fellow humans--although, the monster sees this as suffering for Victor
● Victor hurries home in fear that the monster will kill the rest of his family
○ Once again he is seen as a coward as he could confront the monster but chooses
not to. He doesn’t even think of the idea of trying to confront him
● In this chapter, Victor is once again Adam who is fallen into sin and is expelled from the
garden and nature is dead to him. He has fallen into darkness and despair
Chapter 22
● Victor relates to Walton that he and his father then went to France he confesses that he
was the one responsible for the deaths of William, Justine, and Henry
○ His father obviously saw him as crazy
● Elizabeth sends a letter saying that she is worried that he has fallen in love with another
women but he assures her that he only loves her, but admits he has a secret
○ Lowkey dumb that Elizabeth is willing to give him up if he found someone new
and doesn’t question Victor.
○ Suspense is built in Victor’s letter when he admits that he has a secret and it
foreshadows to something going terribly wrong (climax built)
○ The fact that it has taken him so long to tell his secret to Elizabeth continues to
show his character of self-loathing and inaction
● When he arrives home, he goes in and out of madness (he is very ill and seriously needs
help)
● Victor assures his father that he is ready to get married with Elizabeth so they get married
● Victor arms himself getting ready to leave for their honeymoon to leave in the morning
(because he remembered that the monster said that he was gonna see him on his wedding
day and he knows that the monster is going to kill him)
Chapter 23
● Victor and Elizabeth walk along the shore in the inn that they are staying at, but it started
to rain so he convinced her to go to sleep
○ Symbolism: rain can represent change and renewal. This could probably mean
that nothing good is going to change for Victor and things will continue to be bad
for him
● Victor stalks the hall trying to wait for the monster until he suddenly hears a scream.
When he runs back to the room, he finds Elizabeth strangled
● Victor faints and finds Elizabeth dead
○ Interesting to see how Victor misinterpreted what the monster said. It never even
crossed his mind that he would kill Elizabeth which makes sense because Victor
killed his mate (an eye for an eye)
● He sees the monster outside grinning at him and shoots at him but misses and the monster
goes away
 Ruiz 24

● Victor goes with the towns people to find the murder, but Victor stops and they all go for
him. He rushes back to Geneva fearing for the only people who are still alive (his dad and
Ernest)
● When Alphonse hears about the death of Elizabeth, he dies of fit caused by grief
● Victor says that he lost sensation and was going extremely insane (me too) and is put in a
cell for months
○ After becoming sane he wants to get revenge on the monster so he tells the
majestree of the monster
○ Even though he was nice, he didn’t fully believe Victor’s stor or intent to act and
assumed Victor was still somewhat insane
■ It is too late to confess and is stupid to do so at this point beacuse there is
no evidence of the monster’s existance
○ Now Victor and the monster are now the same, isolated, alone, and devoted to
revenge
● Victor is not passionate about knowledge or of nature/science, he is more passionate on
focusing on getting revenge on the monster
Chapter 24
● For months, Victor chased the monster around the world the desire for revenge keeping
him alive
● He first spends the night in Geneva’s cemetery when the monster mocked him as he
vowed to act on his revenge
● Victor followed the monster to the Mediterranian, the Black Sea, to Russia but the
monster was always a step ahead of him
○ Shows that he has become obsessive and the monster has been thinking ahead,
whereas Victor thinks irrationally
● Victor ate food from what he thought were benevolent spirits but is later revealed to be
the monster
○ The monster leaving the food and messages further proves that he has become the
master or at least master of the situation
○ The monster has provided more for Victor than Victor has to him which is a taunt
to provoke suffering
● The monster provoked Victor with messages carved into trees
○ “‘My reign is not yet over.’” (253) which is a reference to Paradise Lost when
Satan exclaims “‘Better to reign in Hell than to serve in Heaven.’” This
connection elevates Victor’s struggle to an epic, even biblical level. Furthering
this connection, Victor tells Walton “‘The fallen Angel becomes a malignant
Devil.’” (274) If Victor becomes the monster, however, that makes him like Satan
too which re enforces the symbolic connection between them
● Upon reaching the Arctic, Victor learned that the monster had stolen food and a dog sled.
Victor then buys a dog sled and follows even though he was in poor condition, but he
kept going.
● Victor finally got closer to the monster, but then separated by the cracking ice
● About to die, Victor was found and rescued by Walton’s crew. He explained why he
needed a northbound ship, knowing he is still close to death and finishes his story
○ By this point, Victor has become the monster as he has stripped from humanity
and devoted the rest of his life to revenge
 Ruiz 25

● Victor wants Wlton to promise him that if he dies, he wants Walton to kill the monster
himself
● In the novel "Frankenstein," referent power can be seen by the monster, Victor's creation.
In the beginning, Victor finally goes to college and discovers his true passion, bringing
the dead back into life. His true intentions was to show it to other scientists his hard work
through his creation. When he finally creates the monster he describes him by saying,
"His limbs were in proportion, and I had selected his features as beautiful....His yellow
skin scarcely covered the work of muscles...his teeth of a pearly whiteness; but these
luxuriances only formed a more horrid contrast with his watery eyes,...his shriveled
complexion and straight black lips" (Shelley 58). It makes sense that Victor sees the
monster as beautiful at first because he created (plus Victor is egoistic), however, after
close examination, he realizes how ugly the monster is and runs away, not because he is
afraid, but because he knows in his mind that if other scientists see how ugly the monster
is, they will not take him seriously and therefore abandons the monster. On one side, the
monster has some referent power here because his appearance made Victor take such an
influential decision (running away), but also, Victor has more referent power as he had
the choice to run away and abandoning him without thinking back. He is not scared that
the monster will run after him and do something to him. At this point the monster has to
learn how to survive and live alone. He then sees a village which fascinates him, so he
decides to check it out. He says, "How miraculous did this appear! the huts, the neater
cottages, and stately houses engaged my admiration by turns … I entered, but I had
hardly placed my foot within the door before the children shrieked, and one of the women
fainted. The whole village was roused; some fled, some attacked me, until, grievously
bruised by stones and many other kinds of missile weapons” (Shelley 123). The monster
is not aware why or how the humans are afraid of him. By running away and pointing
weapons at the monster, they give him referent power since he is not seen as an equal and
is seen as a threat--so much that many have to point weapons at him. Even though he is
not aware that he has been given referent powers, he still has them because of the
reactions of the humans. When the monster starts to wrap up his story to Victor, he
demands, "What I ask of you is reasonable and moderate; I demand a creature of another
sex, but as hideous as myself; the gratification is small, but it is all that I can receive, and
it shall content me” (Shelley 175). The monster thinks that his story will convince Victor
that he should make a companion for the monster, which basically means that his intents
of the story was to prove his referent power, but also make Victor feel shame. If Victor
feels ashamed of himself, then he might feel obligated to make the monster and therefore
give the monster more referent power since he would "obey" his demand. Even though
Victor does not make the other monster, he still traveled to England and spent a long time
researching to do it. Victor mentions that he feels like he is chained to the monster which
begins to show how Victor has started to lose control over the monster and feels weaker
than the monster. It is as if Victor is giving the monster a higher position. Victor not
making the monster angers the monster and adds more fuel to the fire. After learning all
the bad things of the world and how humans use manipulation to harm others, the
monster uses those new learned skills, as well as his "ugly" appearance to taunt Victor
and drive him to insanity. The audience sees this in the perspective of Victor; "I saw at
the open window a figure the most hideous and abhorred. A grin was on the face of the
monster; he seemed to jeer, as with his fiendish finger he pointed towards the corpse of
 Ruiz 26

my wife. I rushed towards the window, and drawing a pistol from my bosom, fired; but
he eluded me, leaped from his station, and running with the swiftness of lightning,
plunged into the lake" (Shelley 242). All the monster had to do was to smile at Victor to
make him shoot at him. This shows the start of the chase; the monster drives Victor to
obsession and insanity as he chases the monster all over the world. In the end, the
monster uses his referent power to get Victor to surrender--in a sense-- and uses it to
taunt him, which the audience sees that the monster is successful and proves to be smarter
than Victor in the end.