Frankenstein Questions & Answers

The novel takes place across several locations in Europe and the Arctic. The novel begins and ends in the far North Pole region, where the explorer Robert Walton writes letters from his expedition across the… read more

Victor Frankenstein dies aboard Robert Walton’s ship in the Arctic after exhausting himself while pursuing the monster across the frozen north. By the time Walton rescues him from the ice, Victor is already physically broken… read more

Victor Frankenstein creates the monster because he is driven by overwhelming ambition and a desire to uncover the “secret of life.” As a young student at Ingolstadt, Victor becomes obsessed with natural philosophy and dreams… read more

At the end of the novel, Victor Frankenstein dies aboard Robert Walton’s ship after chasing the monster into the Arctic. Victor has lost everyone he loves: the monster murders Elizabeth on their wedding night, Victor’s… read more

The novel explores how isolation destroys people, how unchecked ambition leads to disaster, and how prejudice can turn kindness into violence. The novel repeatedly shows that human beings need family, companionship, and society in order… read more

The monster, Victor Frankenstein’s creation, kills William Frankenstein. The monster strangles William after meeting him near Geneva. At first, the monster hopes the child might be young enough to accept him without fear or prejudice… read more

The novel's primary genre is Gothic fiction. The novel includes many classic Gothic elements: horror, death, isolation, and gloomy natural settings. Shelley fills the story with dark landscapes, graveyards, violent weather, and scenes of fear… read more

Justine Moritz is a young woman closely connected to the Frankenstein family. She first worked as a servant in their household and later returns to live with them after her mother dies. The Frankensteins treat… read more

The narration is layered across several first-person voices. The outermost narrator is Robert Walton, an explorer sailing toward the North Pole, who tells the story through letters to his sister, Margaret Saville. Walton rescues Victor… read more

In Frankenstein, the monster demands that Victor create a female companion for him. After describing his loneliness, rejection, and suffering, the monster tells Victor, “I am alone and miserable: man will not associate with… read more

Elizabeth Lavenza comes to live with the Frankenstein family after Victor’s mother, Caroline, discovers her as a young orphan in an Italian village and adopts her. Victor is five years old at the time. Elizabeth… read more

The novel's main characters are Victor Frankenstein, the monster he creates, Robert Walton, Elizabeth Lavenza, Henry Clerval, and Victor’s family and friends who are drawn into the consequences of his experiment. Victor Frankenstein is… read more

Walton feels intense admiration, tenderness, and affection for Victor Frankenstein. He comes to see him as the friend he has been longing for. Before Victor appears, Walton is painfully lonely. He writes to Margaret,… read more

The climax of the novel is the monster’s murder of Elizabeth Lavenza on Elizabeth and Victor's wedding night. This is the point when the monster’s revenge reaches its most devastating form, and when Victor finally… read more

In Frankenstein, the monster reads John Milton’s Paradise Lost, learns from a history book Felix uses to teach Safie, and reads Victor Frankenstein’s journal entries about his own creation. The most important… read more

Victor Frankenstein decides to pursue the secret of life, hoping to master creation itself and bring a new race of beings into existence. At Ingolstadt, Victor becomes consumed by natural philosophy after hearing M. Waldman… read more

In Frankenstein, Henry Clerval dies when the monster murders him, apparently by strangling him, after Victor destroys the unfinished female creature he had promised to make. The killing happens during the monster’s revenge… read more

In Frankenstein, Justine describes the world as a “sad and bitter world” after she has been falsely condemned for William Frankenstein’s murder. She says this during Victor and Elizabeth’s visit to her in… read more

Walton is returning to England in Frankenstein because his attempt to reach the North Pole has failed. His ship is surrounded by ice, his crew fears they will die, and they demand that he turn… read more

Victor describes his childhood as unusually happy and protected. He is shaped by loving parents, a peaceful home in Geneva, and deep bonds with Elizabeth Lavenza and Henry Clerval. He presents his early family life… read more

Victor Frankenstein and Robert Walton are alike because both are ambitious seekers of dangerous knowledge who isolate themselves in pursuit of glory. Walton sails toward the North Pole hoping to discover a new passage and… read more

The monster directly kills three people in Frankenstein: William Frankenstein, Henry Clerval, and Elizabeth Lavenza. William is the first direct victim. The monster encounters the boy near Geneva and hopes he might become… read more

In Frankenstein, the monster learns to speak and read by secretly observing the De Lacey family from a hiding place beside their cottage. After being rejected everywhere because of his appearance, he avoids direct… read more