What is Dr. Frankenstein trying to achieve in the story?
Dr. Frankenstein is trying to create life — he is on a quest to impart and sustain life. He constructs a monster part by part from dead matter and electrifies it into conscious being.
What does he use to create the monster?
He constructs the monster part by part from dead matter (body parts from corpses), and uses electricity to bring it to life.
Is he happy with the result? What happens after the experiment?
No, he is horrified at the result and flees. The monster, abandoned, pursues his creator — the plot turns on a chilling chase between the two.
Why was Prometheus punished in the Greek myth?
Prometheus stole fire from the gods and gave it to humanity, giving humans knowledge and power. For tampering with the status quo, he was chained to a rock and eaten by vultures for eternity.
(En français) Pourquoi Mary Shelley utilise-t-elle comme sous-titre "Le Prométhée moderne" ? Quel est le rapport avec le Dr. Frankenstein ?
Comme Prométhée, le Dr. Frankenstein transgresse les limites imposées par la nature (ou par Dieu) en cherchant à créer la vie à partir de matière morte. Il donne à sa créature une forme de vie — comme Prométhée a donné le feu à l'humanité — et, comme lui, il est puni pour avoir défié l'ordre établi : il est poursuivi et détruit par sa propre créature. Le parallèle souligne le danger de la démesure scientifique.
Did Romantic writers, like Mary Shelley, have a positive view of science? Why or why not?
No. The Romantics typically regarded science with suspicion. They valued nature, emotion, and the purity of art, and saw scientific progress as a threat. Frankenstein is one of the first cautionary tales about artificial intelligence: for Shelley, the true terror was not supernatural, but born in a laboratory.
What are some gothic elements mentioned in the story?
Any of: unease; eerie settings; the grotesque; the fear of oblivion. (The gothic genre is characterised by these four elements, all of which appear in Frankenstein.)
In 1815, the eruption of Mount Tambora plunged parts of the world into darkness and marked a gloomy period that came to be known as The Year Without a Summer. So when Mary and Percy Shelley arrived at the House of Lord Byron on Lake Geneva, their vacation was mostly spent indoors. For amusement, Byron proposed a challenge to his literary companions: who could write the most chilling ghost story? This sparked an idea in 18-year-old Mary. Over the next few months, she would craft the story of "Frankenstein."
Popular depictions may evoke a green and groaning figure, but that's not Mary Shelley's monster. In fact, in the book, Frankenstein refers to the nameless monster's maker, Dr. Victor Frankenstein. So tense is the struggle between creator and creature that the two have merged in our collective imagination.
Before you read or reread the original text, there are several other things that are helpful to know about Frankenstein and how it came to assume its multiple meanings.
The book traces Dr. Frankenstein's futile quest to impart and sustain life. He constructs his monster part by part from dead matter and electrifies it into conscious being. Upon completing the experiment, however, he's horrified at the result and flees. But time and space aren't enough to banish the abandoned monster, and the plot turns on a chilling chase between the two.
Shelley subtitled her fireside ghost story, "The Modern Prometheus." That's in reference to the Greek myth of the Titan Prometheus who stole fire from the gods and gave it to humanity. This gave humanity knowledge and power, but for tampering with the status quo, Prometheus was chained to a rock and eaten by vultures for eternity.
Prometheus enjoyed a resurgence in the literature of the Romantic Period during the 18th century. Mary was a prominent Romantic, and shared the movement's appreciation for nature, emotion, and the purity of art.
Two years after Mary released "Frankenstein," Percy reimagined the plight of Prometheus in his lyrical drama, "Prometheus Unbound."
The Romantics used these mythical references to signal the purity of the ancient world in contrast to modernity. They typically regarded science with suspicion, and "Frankenstein" is one of the first cautionary tales about artificial intelligence. For Shelley, the terror was not supernatural, but born in a lab.
In addition, gothic devices infuse the text. The gothic genre is characterized by unease, eerie settings, the grotesque, and the fear of oblivion — all elements that can be seen in "Frankenstein."
Activity complete
Exercises 1 and 2 have been scored automatically.
For exercises 3–10, compare your answers with the suggested answers above.