Frankenstein, Vol. 2 Discussion Questions

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• Nature
• Science & Ambition
• Religion
• Language:  Speech, Reading, & Writing
• Roles of Men and Women
• Relationship b/w Parents & Children
• Sexuality
• Birth & Death
• Role of Solitude
• Characteristics of Gothic Literature 
• Comparison with "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner"

• How does the creature compare with the Ancient Mariner?

• What does Victor mean by "Now all was blasted" (65) ? How does this compare to the "blasted stump" image on page 24? (See also 125, 174).

• How has Elizabeth's view of the world changed since Justine's death? How does her perspective compare with those of the Mariner and/or the Wedding Guest in Coleridge's poem?

• What does "sublime" mean?  How are Victor's surroundings sublime?

• What does the creature mean when he says, "I ought to be thy Adam, but I am rather the fallen angel" (73)? To what work of literature is he referring?

• What is "a godlike science" (83)? How so?

• The creature compares himself to Adam and to Satan. In what ways is he similar to and different from each of these figures?

• Why doesn't the creature's plan to join the DeLaceys' society work?

• Why does he kill William? What does he believe this act will accomplish?

• Why does Victor agree to, as he says, "deliver into your hands a female" (114)?  Under what conditions?

• Why does Victor want to kill himself? Why doesn't he do it?

• What is the mood at the beginning of chapter 2? How does Shelley achieve this mood?

• Why does Victor seek the "solitary grandeur" of nature?

• Explain the quote from Percy's "Mutability."

• Do you find the creature's manner of speech surprising? Why or Why not?
• What does the creature mean when he says, "How dare you sport thus with life" (72)?

• The creature describes his shelter as "as exquisite and divine a retreat as Pandaemonium appeared to the daemons, of hell after their sufferings in the lake of fire" (78). What is he referring to? How is this significant?

• What does the creature mean by "the barbarity of man" (79)?

• Why does the creature respond to the DeLaceys in the (gendered) way he does?
• What aspects of their appearance elicit his specific responses?

• Why does the creature hope to become "master of . . . language" (84)? What does he hope to accomplish?

• Why is he terrified of his own reflection in the pool? What is is standard for beauty?

85-86:

• The creature considers the DeLaceys "superior beings who would be arbiters of my future destiny" (85-86).   How accurate is this assessment?

• How does the arrival of Safie help the creature learn the DeLaceys's language?
• (By the way, what is their language? Where do they live?)

• What does the creature learn from the DeLaceys about the way society works?

• How does this knowledge affect his own self-image?

• How is Safie "a treasure which would fully reward [Felix's] toil and hazard" (92)?
• What does this say about the status of women here?

• Explain: "God in pity made man beautiful and alluring, after his own image; my form is a filthy type of your's [sic], more horrid from its very resemblance" (99).

• Why do the DeLaceys abandon their cottage?

• Why does the creature burn it down?
• Why does the creature seek Victor?

• Why does the creature get shot after saving a drowning girl?
• Against whom does he swear revenge? Why?

• Why does the Creature place the miniature in Justine's dress?
• What is his request of Victor?
• What is the reasoning behind this request?
• What does he fail to take into account?

1) Explain the similarities and differences with regards to the relationship between Victor and Elizabeth and that between Safie and Felix.  How does each man view his "partner"? Look at passages on pages 20, 26, and 92-93, for some ideas.

2) Compare the relationship between Victor and his father and that between Victor and his creature. What are the similarities and differences? Some important quotes may be found on pages 19, 21, 22 and on pages 72-73 (and 118).  You may also consider Victor's question to Clerval, "How could you suppose that my first thoughts would not fly towards those dear, dear friends whom I love, and who are so deserving of my love?" (42), in light of the fact that his first thoughts at that moment were in fact not directed towards his family.

3) What are the similarities between the relationship between Victor and Elizabeth and the relationship the creature hopes to have with the female creature Victor says he will build? What are the differences?  Think in terms of the way they view their "partners" as people and how they envision "married" life.  Look specifically at the creature's statement: "I demand it of you as a right which you must not refuse" (111), and later, "I demand a creature of another sex, but as hideous as myself" (112).

4) Look carefully at the passage on page 110 where the creature describes how he "frames" Justine for William's murder.  Why does he do it?  What justification does he give? What does this say about the way he has learned to view women? What does it say about the way he has learned the criminal justice system works?

5) The creature says, "My vices are the children of a forced solitude that I abhor; and my virtues will necessarily arise when I live in communion with an equal" (113).  Explain what he means by this and the attitudes toward solitude and society that he expresses.  Also, determine what it would mean if Victor had said this.

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