Frankenstein Notes

Full title · Frankenstein: or, The Modern Prometheus

Author · Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley

Type of work · Novel

Genre · Gothic science fiction
Language · English
Time and place written · Switzerland, 1816, and London, 1816–1817
Date of first publication · January 1, 1818
Publisher · Lackington, Hughes, Harding, Mavor, & Jones
Narrator · The primary narrator is Robert Walton, who, in his letters, quotes
Victor Frankenstein’s first-person narrative at length; Victor, in turn, quotes the
monster’s first-person narrative; in addition, the lesser characters Elizabeth
Lavenza and Alphonse Frankenstein narrate parts of the story through their
letters to Victor.
Climax · The murder of Elizabeth Lavenza on the night of her wedding to Victor
Frankenstein in Chapter 23
Protagonist · Victor Frankenstein
Antagonist · Frankenstein’s monster

Setting (time) · Eighteenth century
Setting (place) · Geneva; the Swiss Alps; Ingolstadt; England and Scotland; the
northern ice
Point of view · The point of view shifts with the narration, from Robert Walton
to Victor Frankenstein to Frankenstein’s monster, then back to Walton, with a
few digressions in the form of letters from Elizabeth Lavenza and Alphonse
Frankenstein.
Falling action · After the murder of Elizabeth Lavenza, when Victor

Frankenstein chases the monster to the northern ice, is rescued by Robert
Walton, narrates his story, and dies
Tense · Past
Foreshadowing · Ubiquitous—throughout his narrative, Victor uses words such

as “fate” and “omen” to hint at the tragedy that has befallen him; additionally, he
occasionally pauses in his recounting to collect himself in the face of frightening
memories.
Tone · Gothic, Romantic, emotional, tragic, fatalistic
Themes · Dangerous knowledge; sublime nature; texts; secrecy; monstrosity
Motifs · Passive women; abortion
Symbols · Fire and light

Characters:
Victor Frankenstein - The doomed protagonist and narrator of the main portion
of the story. Studying in Ingolstadt, Victor discovers the secret of life and
creates an intelligent but grotesque monster, from whom he recoils in horror.
Victor keeps his creation of the monster a secret, feeling increasingly guilty and
ashamed as he realizes how helpless he is to prevent the monster from ruining
his life and the lives of others.
The monster - The eight-foot-tall, hideously ugly creation of Victor

Frankenstein. Intelligent and sensitive, the monster attempts to integrate himself
into human social patterns, but all who see him shun him. His feeling of
abandonment compels him to seek revenge against his creator.
Robert Walton - The Arctic seafarer whose letters open and close
Frankenstein. Walton picks the bedraggled Victor Frankenstein up off the ice,
helps nurse him back to health, and hears Victor’s story. He records the
incredible tale in a series of letters addressed to his sister, Margaret Saville, in
England.
Alphonse Frankenstein - Victor’s father, very sympathetic toward his son.

Alphonse consoles Victor in moments of pain and encourages him to remember
the importance of family.
Elizabeth Lavenza - An orphan, four to five years younger than Victor, whom
the Frankensteins adopt. In the 1818 edition of the novel, Elizabeth is Victor’s
cousin, the child of Alphonse Frankenstein’s sister. In the 1831 edition, Victor’s
mother rescues Elizabeth from a destitute peasant cottage in Italy. Elizabeth
embodies the novel’s motif of passive women, as she waits patiently for Victor’s
attention.
Henry Clerval - Victor’s boyhood friend, who nurses Victor back to health in
Ingolstadt. After working unhappily for his father, Henry begins to follow in
Victor’s footsteps as a scientist. His cheerfulness counters Victor’s moroseness.
William Frankenstein - Victor’s youngest brother and the darling of the

Frankenstein family. The monster strangles William in the woods outside
Geneva in order to hurt Victor for abandoning him. William’s death deeply
saddens Victor and burdens him with tremendous guilt about having created the
monster.
Justine Moritz - A young girl adopted into the Frankenstein household while
Victor is growing up. Justine is blamed and executed for William’s murder,
which is actually committed by the monster.
Caroline Beaufort - The daughter of Beaufort. After her father’s death, Caroline
is taken in by, and later marries, Alphonse Frankenstein. She dies of scarlet
fever, which she contracts from Elizabeth, just before Victor leaves for
Ingolstadt at age seventeen.
Beaufort - A merchant and friend of Victor’s father; the father of Caroline

Beaufort.
Peasants - A family of peasants, including a blind old man, De Lacey; his son
and daughter, Felix and Agatha; and a foreign woman named Safie. The
monster learns how to speak and interact by observing them. When he reveals
himself to them, hoping for friendship, they beat him and chase him away.
M. Waldman - The professor of chemistry who sparks Victor’s interest in

science. He dismisses the alchemists’ conclusions as unfounded but
sympathizes with Victor’s interest in a science that can explain the “big
questions,” such as the origin of life.
M. Krempe - A professor of natural philosophy at Ingolstadt. He dismisses

Victor’s study of the alchemists as wasted time and encourages him to begin his
studies anew.
Mr. Kirwin - The magistrate who accuses Victor of Henry’s murder.

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Full title · Frankenstein: or, The Modern Prometheus

Author · Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley

Type of work · Novel

Genre · Gothic science fiction

Time and place written · Switzerland, 1816, and London, 1816–1817

Date of first publication · January 1, 1818

Publisher · Lackington, Hughes, Harding, Mavor, & Jones

Protagonist · Victor Frankenstein

Antagonist · Frankenstein’s monster

Falling action · After the murder of Elizabeth Lavenza, when Victor

Foreshadowing · Ubiquitous—throughout his narrative, Victor uses words such

Tone · Gothic, Romantic, emotional, tragic, fatalistic

Themes · Dangerous knowledge; sublime nature; texts; secrecy; monstrosity

Motifs · Passive women; abortion

Symbols · Fire and light

The monster - The eight-foot-tall, hideously ugly creation of Victor

Alphonse Frankenstein - Victor’s father, very sympathetic toward his son.

William Frankenstein - Victor’s youngest brother and the darling of the

Beaufort - A merchant and friend of Victor’s father; the father of Caroline

M. Waldman - The professor of chemistry who sparks Victor’s interest in

M. Krempe - A professor of natural philosophy at Ingolstadt. He dismisses

Mr. Kirwin - The magistrate who accuses Victor of Henry’s murder.

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