Whole Novel Frankenstein Qs

Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein opens with a series of letters written by a ship captain named Robert Walton to his sister Margaret Saville, in England. A novel that consists primarily of letters can be called an epistolary novel. Why might Shelley have decided to endow her novel with an epistolary frame?

• To create a more intimate and personal connection with the reader

• To document historical events accurately

• To make the novel easier to adapt into a film

• To reduce the cost of publishing

Does the setting of Shelley’s novel have symbolic significance? As we will see, a large portion of Frankenstein takes place in austere or forbidding natural environments, many of them in regions of ice and desolation. In fact, the bookends of the novel — that is, the beginning and ending — are set in these frigid polar regions. Might the polar setting have any symbolic importance?

• Yes, it symbolizes the isolation and desolation of the characters.

• No, the setting is purely for dramatic effect and has no deeper meaning.

• It represents the cold and unfeeling nature of society.

• The setting is a metaphor for the monster’s internal state.

Lured by the prospect of scientific discovery, Robert Walton embarks upon a polar expedition that he hopes will culminate in his “discovering a passage near the pole” or “ascertaining the secret of the magnet” (16). Why might Mary Shelley have decided to include Robert Walton’s story in the novel?

• To provide a frame narrative that mirrors Victor Frankenstein's ambitions and isolation

• To introduce a secondary character with no connection to the main plot

• To focus solely on the scientific aspects of polar exploration

• To offer a historical account of polar expeditions

In the moment before Frankenstein begins his own narrative, he asks Walton an important question: “Unhappy man! Do you share my madness?” (29). What does the word “madness” mean in this context?

• A deep feeling of distress

• A state of chaotic or frenzied activity

• An intense obsession or ambition

• A loss of touch with reality

What is the purpose of the anecdote where the master bestows his own farm and a sum of money upon his rival in the novel?

• To illustrate the theme of self-sacrifice for love

• To highlight the social and economic barriers to marriage

• To introduce a subplot that will become important later

• To demonstrate the master's character and values

Which genre conventions does Mary Shelley use to frame the first glimpse of the creature in Frankenstein, generating emotion in the reader?

• Gothic horror elements

• Romanticism

• Science fiction tropes

• Epistolary narrative

Why might Mary Shelley have chosen to introduce readers to the creature by giving us a fleeting glimpse of his figure as it speeds across a distant horizon?

• To create an atmosphere of mystery and suspense

• To highlight the creature's isolation from humanity

• To emphasize the vastness of the Arctic landscape

• To foreshadow the creature's supernatural abilities

What do the designations 'a being which had the shape of a man', 'a man', and 'daemon' reveal about the different ways Walton and Frankenstein perceive the creature?

• They indicate differing levels of fear and understanding between Walton and Frankenstein.

• They show that both characters view the creature in the same light.

• The terms reflect the creature's physical transformation over time.

• They suggest a progression in the creature's behavior from passive to aggressive.

Choose one question from the handout of discussion questions. Answer that question by making a paragraph-length argument. Open your argument by making a claim that contains your answer to the question. Then substantiate your claim by presenting textual evidence in the form of at least two quotations. Each quotation should be followed by two sentences of analysis in which you unpack the significance of diction, syntax, imagery, figurative language, tone, etc.

Why might Mary Shelly have chosen to nest or embed Frankenstein’s narrative within the frame of Walton’s narrative?

• To provide a multi-layered narrative structure that enriches the story.

• To confuse readers with complex narrative techniques.

• To limit the narrative perspective to only one character.

• To expose readers to different characters’ viewpoints and provide only indirect, second-hand access to Frankenstein’s story.