Frankenstein Chapter Summaries Flashcards
Letter 1
Captain Robert Walton writes to his sister, Margaret Saville in England, from St. Petersburg, detailing his feelings about his upcoming expedition to the North Pole and his confidence in its success.
Letter 2
This letter is written from Archangel, Russia, displayig the continuation of Walton’s journey, and the loneliness he is facing.
Letter 3
Walton lets Maragaret know that the journey is underway and that they are getting nearer to the North Pole.
Letter 4
In Walton’s next letters, he informs his sister of a very strange few days that have occured out at sea - seeing a man of “gigantic stature” and finding Victor.
Chapter 1
Victor describes his childhood and upbriinging. He explains that he was born into a wealthu and distinguished Genevese family.
Chapter 2
Victor describes his close relationship with Elizabeth and his blossoming interest in natural philosophy, which was the 19th-century term for modern ‘science’
Chapter 3
Now that Victor is 17 years old, his parents decide he should continue his education at the university of Ingolstadt
Chapter 4
Victor’s studies become his “sole occupation” and he begins to neglect his social life and his family in Geneva. He makes rapid progress, becoming more and more ambitious in his work
Chapter 5
Victor finally finishes his creation, but he is horrified by the Monster’s vile appearance and quickly abandons it in his apartment
Chapter 6
Victor reads the letter from Elizabeth and longs to return to Geneva, although this is made impossible by the winter weather, among other occurences
Chapter 7
Victor recevies a letter from his father with the news of Williams murder. This news means he has to return to Geneva to see his family
Chapeter 8 and 9
Justine’s trial goes ahead. Victor leaves with guilt and self pity.
Chapter 10
While gazing at Montanvert and Mont Blanc, Victor encounters the Monster who is desperate to speak to him and implores him to listen to his tale of suffering a cruelty
Chapter 11
Starts the Monster’s meta-diegetic narration, at the heart, or in the womb, of the novel. This is where he firsts encounters human cruelty at the village
Chapters 12 and 13
The Monster observes the De Lacey familly members and their kindness to one another. He hopes one day to reveal himself to them and be acceped into their family
Chapters 14 and 15
The Monster finds out about the history of the De Laceys and the relationship to Safie
Chapter 16
Because of the cruel reception he’s got from all humans he has met, the Monster wages war on humanity, especially Victor. This is where he kills William and demands to Victor to make a female Monster
Chapter 17
Starts Victor’s intra-diegetic narration again, recountng how the Monster eloquently but threateningly demands that Victor create a new female monster for him
Chapter 18 and 19
Concerned by the task awaiting him, Victor procrastinates and instead surrounds himself with nature, this is when Victor vists the Orkneys
Chapter 20 and 21
As Victor works on the female monster, he worries about the consequences of his aactions, thinking back to the fateful day when he first creates the Monster - he destorys the female monster, the monster threatens Elizabeth’s life and where he is arrested for the murder of Clerval.
Chapters 22 and 23
On their journey, exhausted from broken sleep and too much laudanum, Victor admits to his father that he is responsible for all the deaths that have occurred but Alphonse just thinks he is going mad from grief - Elizabeth’s murder
Chapter 24
Victor spends months chasing the Monster, spending nights in cemeteries, visiting Germany, the Medditerranean Sea, the Black Sea and Russia. The Monster, always one step ahead, leaves messgages and food for Victor in order to torment him and to keep him going
Walton in Continuation
Shelley’s novel comes in full circle as the story ends with Walton’s framing, extra diegetic narration - Victor’s death and the Monsters implied suicide
