STUDY GUIDE 2024 UPDATES
1. Who is writing Letter 1 (and all the letters)?
2. To whom is he writing? What is their relationship?
3. Where is Robert Walton when he writes Letter 1? Why is he there? What are his plans?
4. What does Robert Walton tell us about himself?
5. Where is Walton now? Wha...
1). 1. who is writing letter 1 (and all the letters)?
Ans: Robert Walton
2). 2. to whom is he writing? what is their relationship?
Ans: He is writing to Margaret, his sister.
3). 3. where is robert walton when he writes letter 1? why is he there? what are his plans?
Ans: When Walton writes Letter 1 he is at the St. Petersburg. He is there because he
needs to hire a crew for his ship. Plans to sail to the North Pole in order to discover
magnetisms' secrets.
4). 4. what does robert walton tell us about himself?
Ans: Self educated, loves to read, father died, loves adventure and discovery. Wishes
he had a friend along to share it with.
5). 5. where is walton now? what do you think of walton's question "what can stop the
determined heart and resolved will of man"?
Ans: Walton is sailing to the north. Walton's question shows his faith in the
Romanticism. Emotion over reason
6). 6. how much time has elapsed between letter 3 and letter 4? what "strange accident" has
happened to the sailors?
Ans: One month has gone by. The ship is trapped in ice and fog
7). 7. why does the man picked up by the ship say he is there? what shape is he in?
Ans: He says he is looking for the one who fled from him. He asks for which direction
the ship is sailing. He is near death and very weak.
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, 8). 8. what sort of person does he seem to be? how does walton respond to this man the man
appears to be mysterious.
Ans: "This person" is Victor: Educated, well-spoken, refined. Walton is fascinated by
him.
9). 9. how much time has elapsed when walton begins writing again? what has happened in
the meantime? how does the man respond to walton's project? how is walton responding
to the man?
Ans: Walton begins writing the biography of this man the very next day. This man has
slowly regained his strength and his health. The man tells Waldon that his quest for
knowledge and and his project will end in misery. Walton becomes intrigued and wants
to hear his side of the story.
10). 10. how much time has elapsed when walton begins writing again ? what has happened in
the meantime? how does the man respond to walton's project? why does the man agree to
tell his story?
Ans: The man agrees to tell his story because he can see that Walton is looking for
knowledge as he once was. Victor hopes that it won't end in a disaster for Walton as it
did for him.
11). 11. what is the man's background? (do we know his name yet?) where is he from?
Ans: We don't know his name. He is from Geneva, Switzerland. He was greatly loved
and adored by his parents.
12). 12. what is the story of the man's mother, caroline beaufort? how does the man feel toward
his parents, and what responsibilities does he feel they had toward him?
Ans: Caroline's father and Frankenstein Sr, were friends. Once Caroline's father died
Caroline married Frankenstein Sr. Victor's mother died. He loved his parents. He felt as
though it was his parents responsibility to raise him the right way. Holds his parents
responsible for his sadness and happiness.
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, 13). 13. who is elizabeth lavenza and what is her story? what gift does the man's mother give
him? do we know the man's name yet? do we know his family name?
Ans: Victor's parents adopted Elizabeth Lavenza, she was an orphan. The man's
mother gave him Elizabeth. This is the first time that we figure out Victor's name. We
don't know his family name.
14). 14. who is henry clerval and what is his relation to victor?
Ans: Henry Clerval is Victor's childhood best friend. He is the son of a merchant from
Geneva.
15). 15. how does victor characterize the interests and characters of clerval, elizabeth, and
himself?
Ans: Clerval was interested in romantic literature. He acted in plays with Victor. He
was intrigued in being moral. Elizabeth was captivated by poetry but she didn't want to
learn it. Victor was always intrigued by science, always wanted to learn more.
16). 16. who is cornelius agrippa and how does victor find out about him? how does victor's
father respond, and how does victor comment on that response?
Ans: Cornelius Agrippa is a scientist that studied alchemy. Victor finds out about him
by reading a book. Victor's father says that Agrippa's work is nonsense. The books are
unscientific and outdated.
17). 17. what sort of science ("natural philosophy") is victor learning from agrippa, paracelsus,
and albertus magnus? how would a modern scientist respond to this sort of thinking?
Ans: Victor is learning alchemy from Magnus, Agrippa and Paracelsus. Modern
scientists would believe that this thinking is silly. Goal was to find the fountain of youth.
18). 18. what happens when victor sees an oak tree destroyed by lightning and hears an
explanation? what does victor then begin to study?
Ans: When Victor sees an oak tree destroyed by lightning and hears an explanation,
he decides to study galvanism and electricity.
19). 19. who or what does he credit for this change in direction? who or what does he blame for
his "utter and terrible destruction"?
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