Frankenstein Close Reading Questions

Frankenstein: Reading Schedule February 17
February 17: The four letters in the beginning of the book
February 22: Chs. 1-3
February 24: Chapters 4-7
February 28: Chapters: 8-11
March 8: Chapters: 12-15
March 10: Chapters 16-18
March 14: Chapters: 19-21
March 16: Chapters: 22-23
March 18: Chapters: 24 End
Exam TBA



Letter 1
1. Where is Robert Walton going?
2. What has he been told by other explorers about the place?
3. What does he hope purpose does he hope to accomplish?
4. How did he prepare for this undertaking?
5. Where is he when he writes the first letter, and where does he intend to go?
6. What will he do at the destination when he gets there?
Letter 2.
1. What does Walton say he needs above anything else?
2. What influenced him to choose the lieutenant that he did?
3. What does Walton say sets him apart from other men?
Letter 3
1. What promise does he make to his sister?

Letter 4
1. Why were the men unable to move?
2. What did Walton and his men see?
3. What did the stranger want to know before he came on board the ship?
4. How does Walton describe the stranger’s eyes?
5. Why did the stranger say he had come so far north?
6. What did Walton reveal to this stranger?
7. What do you think the stranger says, “Unhappy man! Do you share my madness?” (Shelley 15).
8. What does the stranger say has happened for him?
9. Why does the stranger decide to tell Walton about his past?

Frankenstein Discussion Questions
Chapter 1
1. What happened to Beaufort and why is this significant in Victor’s life?
2. What kind of person was Caroline Beaufort?
3. Who did Caroline become and what is her relationship to Victor?
4. What seemed to unite Victor’s parents in a very close relationship?
5. How did M Frankenstein treat his wife and why?
6. Why did the Frankensteins travel to Italy?
7. How was Victor treated as a baby?
8. Why did Victor’s mother visit the homes of the poor when they were on the shores of Lake Como?
9. How had the child of different stock come to be living with the poor peasants?
10. Why did the peasants give Elizabeth to the Frankensteins?
Chapter 2
1. How did Victor and Elizabeth differ?
2. What kind of life did Victor’s family lead?
3. What qualities did Victor exhibit as a child?
4. What interested him most?
5. What was Clerval’s interest?
6. What influence kept Victor from becoming a sullen and isolated individual?
7. What caused Victor to choose natural science as his particular area of study?
8. What does Victor’s father unwittingly cause when he denigrates Cornelius Agrippa? Has something similar ever occurred for you?

9. How did Victor come away from his studies?
10. What became Victor’s dream?
11. Why was the thunderstorm significant in Victor’s life?
12. How did Victor feel about his new studies, and what has he later realized about them?

Chapter 3
1. What caused the death of Caroline Frankenstein?
2. Why did Clerval’s father decide that Clerval did not need a university education?
3. What did victor think about M. Krempe and M Waldman?
4. What was the difference between the ancient scientists and the scientist of his time according to M. Waldman?

5. What did M Waldman say the scientist of his time had done?
6. Why does Victor say “Such were the professor’s words – rather let me say such the words of fate – enounced to destroy me” (Shelley 38).

7. What was M Waldman’s opinion of Cornelius Agrippa and Paracelsus?
8. What advice did M. Waldman give Victor at the end of chapter 3?