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Frankenstein Study Guide & Essays
The early nineteenth century was not a good time to be a female writer particularly if one was audacious enough to be a female novelist. Contemporary "wisdom" held that no one would be willing to read the work of a woman; the fantastic success of Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley's Frankenstein served…
Frankenstein study guide contains a biography of Mary Shelley, literature essays, a complete e-text, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.
- Short Summary
- About Frankenstein
- Character List
- Summary and Analysis of Letters 1-4
- Summary and Analysis of Chapters 1-4
- Summary and Analysis of Chapters 5-8
- Summary and Analysis of Chapters 9-12
- Summary and Analysis of Chapters 13-16
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I am doing an essay on who the true monster is; Frankenstein or the monster himself. I personally lean towards the thought that Frankenstein and the monster are both monsters. It is most likely because Frankstein seems the monster due to creating the monster and going against nature while the monster, as him name suggests is a monster for him cruel actions. One may argue that the monster only acted as he did out of misery and misunderstanding and Frankenstein only wished to feed his craving for knowledge and learning. It is possible that both these thoughts are correct but I myself am not sure which side to take. Please leave your opinion and why. :)
Every online study guide and even wikipedia claims that the creature was constructed from bits of corpses. Where does it say that in the book? Sure victor studied the anatomy of dead bodies but Shelley never says that he stitched them together to make the monster. She doesn't tell us how the creature is conceived period. What's with the misinformation?
Shelley made a couple of glaring errors in this novel.
First, how can Frankenstein create a huge being without huge parts? An eight-foot man would have to have a proportionately long femur, the longest bone in the body. Since no person is eight feet tall and has such a long femur, where does Victor procure two such bones for his creature? Same with hands, head, ribs, etc.
Second, when Victor fears that the creature and his female companion will procreate and fill the world with beings like themselves, why doesn't he simply prevent this? As a scientist, he obviously knows that omitting ovaries from the female will render her sterile.
Despite these errors, I love the novel and the point it makes about messing with God's role.
Frankenstein is THE most movie-ized story in the world. If only someone would create a film that is true to Shelley's story. They all emphasize the wrong ideas or stray entirely from the plot.
First, how can Frankenstein create a huge being without huge parts? An eight-foot man would have to have a proportionately long femur, the longest bone in the body. Since no person is eight feet tall and has such a long femur, where does Victor procure two such bones for his creature? Same with hands, head, ribs, etc.
Second, when Victor fears that the creature and his female companion will procreate and fill the world with beings like themselves, why doesn't he simply prevent this? As a scientist, he obviously knows that omitting ovaries from the female will render her sterile.
Despite these errors, I love the novel and the point it makes about messing with God's role.
Frankenstein is THE most movie-ized story in the world. If only someone would create a film that is true to Shelley's story. They all emphasize the wrong ideas or stray entirely from the plot.
What comments does Elizabeth make about her position in Swiss Society?
I've been flipping through Chapter 6 and I haven't been able to find the answer. I don't see anything in the letter Elizabeth wrote to Victor that incorporates "Swiss Society" and any sort of position.
