Theme of Dreams: ‘beauty of the dream’
Theme of Creation: ‘instruments of life’, ‘spark of life’
Chapter V: Climax of the horror – monster wakes up
‘dreary night’ ‘rain pattered dismally’ – pathetic fallacy, lacking in drama reflecting Victors
disappointment in his creature and the fact that Victor has transgressed Mother Nature’s
boundaries. A cautionary tale, highlights the immorality of Victors actions.
‘almost’ – just tired at this point, no passion anymore
‘collected the instruments of life’ – shows how he sees life, mechanistic language (opposite
from the experience of childbirth), not excited about his accomplishment.
‘spark of life’ – Galvanism - refer back to when the lightning hits the tree and Child Harold’s
Pilgrimage by Byron (pg.42)
‘lay at my feet’ – Victor is acting like the creator, God-like
‘one in the morning’ – gothic imagery
‘candle was nearly burnt out’ – shows his passion for his dreams
Victor succeeds brings his creature to life
‘catastrophe’ ‘wretch’ – hates the monster because its ugly, brings up the question of who is
the actual monster. The creature is a reflection of Victors own personality and misdeeds and
the fact that the creatures creation was not a good deed. Not ready for the responsibility of
his creation.
Themes of: alienation, abandonment and hate – going against the true nature of a mother, a
direct opposition to Godwin’s belief about man.
‘infinite pain’ – blaming the creature for being ugly despite him having made it out of parts
which were ‘beautiful’, shows his tunnel vison of his dreams.
‘limbs in proportion’ – mechanistic idea, like he had blueprints, looking at it like it’s an object
not like it’s a living breathing creature, blaming the creature for being ugly. ‘selected his
features as beautiful’
Theme of: misuse/abuse of science
‘Beautiful! Great God!’ – creature symbolises Victors moral ugliness
Very gothic description ‘lustrous black’ ‘teeth pearly whiteness’ ‘shrivelled complexion’
‘black lips’
‘beauty of the dream’ – implies that he was in a trance and that he was not conscious of the
real repercussions of his dreams. His unregulated desires doomed him.
‘breathless horror and disgust filled my heart’ – why he treats the creature so horribly
‘unable to endure…rushed out the room’ – runs away, the first thing that the creature sees is
his maker running away.
‘threw myself on my bed in my clothes’ – very childish and petulant – mad that thing didn’t
go his way/how he wanted it to, a reflection of his own upbringing (he was given whatever
he wanted, whenever he wanted it, he is spoilt and therefor is not used to things not going
his way)
Theme of: parental responsibility
‘wildest dreams’ – on the edge of consciousness and reality.
‘thought I saw Elizabeth’ – Elizabeth reflects Victors future as they are to be married
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