Summary Of Characters Flashcards
Who is Victor Frankenstein?
The oldest son in the Frankenstein family, the eventual husband of Elizabeth Lavenza, and the novel’s protagonist and narrator of most of the story.
What drives Victor Frankenstein’s ambition?
A thirst for knowledge.
Where does Victor study biology?
At university in Ingolstadt.
What does Victor Frankenstein discover at Ingolstadt?
The ‘secret of life’.
What does Victor create using the ‘secret of life’?
His own living being.
How does Victor view his creation?
As a monster due to its ugliness.
What cycle does Victor’s abandonment of the monster create?
A cycle of guilt, anger, and destruction.
What happens as a result of the monster’s treatment by society?
The monster becomes embittered and enraged.
Who is the monster in relation to Victor?
The hideous-looking creature that Victor creates.
What does the monster desire?
To be loved and accepted.
Who is Robert Walton?
An explorer who rescues Victor from the ice and records his story.
What does Robert Walton’s quest parallel?
Victor’s search for education and enlightenment.
How does Robert Walton relate to Victor Frankenstein?
He is a ‘double’ of Victor, mirroring or contrasting his actions.
Who is Elizabeth Lavenza?
Victor’s sister by adoption and later his wife.
How is Elizabeth described?
A stunningly beautiful and remarkably pure girl.
What is the relationship between Elizabeth and Victor’s family?
She is adopted by Victor’s mother and adored by the Frankensteins.
Fill in the blank: Victor Frankenstein’s abandonment of the monster leads to a cycle of _______.
guilt, anger, and destruction.
Who does Victor Frankenstein eventually marry?
Elizabeth
In the first edition (1818) of Frankenstein, Elizabeth is Alphonse’s niece and Victor’s cousin. In the revised 1831 edition, she is adopted by the Frankensteins.
Describe De Lacey’s character.
A blind old man who represents the goodness of human nature in the absence of prejudice
He lives in exile with his children Felix and Agatha.
What is Henry Clerval’s relationship to Victor?
Victor’s dear friend from childhood
Clerval has a vast imagination, a sensitive heart, and a boundless love of nature.
Who is Alphonse Frankenstein?
Victor’s father, a devoted husband and well-respected public magistrate
He is a loving father who believes in family and society.
What happens to Justine Moritz?
She is convicted of murder and executed
The Frankensteins believe she is innocent, but only Victor knows the monster is the true murderer.
Who is William Frankenstein?
Victor’s youngest brother, beloved by everyone
He is strangled by the monster in a forest near Geneva.
Who survives at the end of the novel?
Ernest Frankenstein
He is Victor’s younger brother by six years.
What is Caroline Beaufort’s role in the story?
Victor’s mother and Alphonse Frankenstein’s wife
She is an example of idealized womanhood, dying of scarlet fever when Victor is seventeen.
What does Beaufort do before his death?
He was a merchant who fell into poverty
He moved to Lucerne with his daughter Caroline and died soon thereafter.
What is Felix’s relationship with Safie?
He falls in love with her and marries her
He marries her in exchange for helping her father escape from prison.
What does Agatha represent?
An ideal of womanliness: kind, gentle, and devoted to her family
What captivates Felix about Safie?
Her beauty
Though raised as a Muslim, she longs for a freer and happier life with Felix.
Who is Margaret Saville?
Robert Walton’s sister and the recipient of his letters
Her letters frame the novel.
What is M. Waldman’s role in Victor’s life?
Victor’s chemistry professor who becomes a mentor
He supports Victor’s pursuit of natural philosophy, especially chemistry.
How does M. Krempe view Victor’s studies?
He calls them nonsense
Krempe is Victor’s professor of natural philosophy at Ingolstadt.
Who is Mr. Kirwin?
An Irish magistrate
