Frankenstein Chapter 5

The function of the adjectives "beautiful," "lustrous" and "pearly" in Lines 10 and 12 is primarily to:

Excerpt of Lines 6-16

How can I describe my emotions at this catastrophe, or how delineate the wretch whom with such infinite pains and care I had endeavoured to form? His limbs were in proportion, and I had selected his features as beautiful. Beautiful! Great God! His yellow skin scarcely covered the work of muscles and arteries beneath; his hair was of a lustrous black, and flowing; his teeth of a pearly whiteness; but these luxuriances only formed a more horrid contrast with his watery eyes, that seemed almost of the same colour as the dun-white sockets in which they were set, his shrivelled complexion and straight black lips.

• introduce Victor Frankenstein's preoccupation with superficial features.

• inject a lighter tone into the horrific scene.

• depict the horror of the creature's contrasting features

• define the standards to which Victor holds his work of creation

• call Victor's judgment into question as an unreliable narrator

The main purpose of the phrase "my candle was nearly burnt out, when, by the glimmer of the half-extinguished light" in Lines 5-6 is to emphasize:

• the danger inherent in Victor's creation

• the frenetic state in which Victor worked late into the night

• the eerie darkness that induced Victor's sudden fright

• the contempt Victor had for the rules of his university

• the unreliable account of this event

In relation to the paragraph that follows, the statement in Lines 16-17, "The different accidents of life are not so changeable as the feelings of human nature" primarily serves to:

• foreshadow Victor's immediate disgust upon seeing the creature he'd worked so diligently to bring to life.

• highlight Victor's villainy in mistreating the creature he brought to life.

• add nuance to Victor's moralizing and invite the reader to question whether his enterprise was moral.

• underscore the internal conflict Victor feels as he narrates this passage to Captain Walton.

• interject levity into a moment tinged with horror

Which of the following best conveys the effect of the sentences in Lines 50-55 ("Sometimes my pulse...so complete!")?

Excerpt: Sometimes my pulse beat so quickly and hardly that I felt the palpitation of every artery; at others, I nearly sank to the ground through languor and extreme weakness. Mingled with this horror, I felt the bitterness of disappointment; dreams that had been my food and pleasant rest for so long a space were now become a hell to me; and the change was so rapid, the overthrow so complete!

• The imagery reinforces a sense of purpose in Victor.

• The exaggerated diction undercuts the moralizing of Victor's narration, showing him to be unreliable.

• The metaphors emphasize Victor's emotional transformation from dread to despair.

• The eerie tone removes any doubt that the creature is malevolent.

• The parallel structure enhances the sensations Victor conveys and underline his moral reasoning.

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.4

CCSS.RL.6.4

CCSS.RL.7.4

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.9-10.4

The purpose of the contrast of negative and positive diction in Lines 26-35 ("I thought I saw Elizabeth...monster whom I had created") is to emphasize:

Text: I thought I saw Elizabeth, in the bloom of health, walking in the streets of Ingolstadt. Delighted and surprised, I embraced her, but as I imprinted the first kiss on her lips, they became livid with the hue of death; her features appeared to change, and I thought that I held the corpse of my dead mother in my arms; a shroud enveloped her form, and I saw the grave-worms crawling in the folds of the flannel. I started from my sleep with horror; a cold dew covered my forehead, my teeth chattered, and every limb became convulsed; when, by the dim and yellow light of the moon, as it forced its way through the window shutters, I beheld the wretch—the miserable monster whom I had created.

• the ambivalent nature of Victor's feelings over his new creation.

• the panic Victor feels over the imminent danger to his family and beloved.

• how the guilt Victor feels over his creation mingles with his self-justification.

• the literal change of place and state as Victor runs away.

• the vacillation in Victor's state of mind to illustrate his internal conflict.

Tags

CCSS.RI.1.1

CCSS.RI.2.1

CCSS.RI.3.1

CCSS.RL.2.1

CCSS.RL.3.1

The sentence in lines 18-21 ("I had desired...filled my heart") reveals that the narrator

Excerpt: I had desired it with an ardour that far exceeded moderation; but now that I had finished, the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart.

• experiences disappointment over an experiment realized poorly

• condemns the science that once inspired him

• admires the creation he worked so arduously for

• regrets the fervor with which he previously worked

• tends to be unreliable in his choices and actions

Tags

CCSS.RL.5.6

CCSS.RL.6.6

CCSS.RL.7.6

CCSS.RL.8.6

Based on the third paragraph (lines 16-43), what can reasonably be inferred about what altered the narrator's perspective on his creation?

• He realizes that the creature intends all mankind malicious tidings.

• He assumes the aberration inherent to the creature marks it as depraved.

• He desires a closer connection with his creation but becomes frustrated when he cannot comprehend its words and actions.

• He feels limited by the restraints of his particular field of science.

• He endeavors to overcome his initial repulsion to the character.

The metaphor of "asylum" in line 59 chiefly serves to emphasize Victor's:

Text Excerpt: The porter opened the gates of the court, which had that night been my asylum, and I issued into the streets, pacing them with quick steps, as if I sought to avoid the wretch whom I feared every turning of the street would present to my view.

• desperate need for validation that he remains faultless

• petty disgust at his own creation

• impending derangement and decline into utter lunacy

• dismal penance due to his own sins

• grievous need for a safe place to physically retreat