Neph131
11/03/14
Letters 1-4
- All the letters are written by Robert Walton
- The letters are being written to Mrs. Saville which is Robert’s sister.
- Walton was in St. Petersburg when he wrote the first letter. He is on a venture based on Uncle Thomas’s books on voyages. He is travelling with several sailors on a venture to discover the North Pole. He has a passion for seafaring. He wants to hire a ship when he gets to Archangel. He wants to engage as many sailors as necessary. He wants to sail sometime in June.
- Walton is now in Archangel. The heart is always free willing of doing good or bad. No matter how hard you try, it’s never enough.
- Nearly a month has elapsed between the 3rd and 4th letter. The sailors were surrounded by ice, which closed in the ship on all sides, a situation that got dangerous when they got caught in fog.
- The man said that he was there to seek the one who fled from him. The man’s limbs were nearly frozen and his body dreadfully emaciated by fatigue and suffering .
- This stranger is the only one who talks to Walton, and he is the only person that Walton can relate to.
- Because he knows that his fate is nearly fulfilled, and doesn’t want Walton to make the same mistakes.
Chapter 1-5
- The man’s name is Victor Frankenstein, son of Caroline Beaufort and Alphonse Frankenstein. His name isn’t mentioned until further into the book (page 24, ch 2) He is from Geneva. He studied at Ingolstadt.
- Caroline Beaufort was the daughter of Victor’s father’s best friend. She was taken in by Victor’s father after her father died. She later married Alphonse, Victor’s father. She died from the scarlet fever after an adopted child of the family had it.
- Elizabeth Lavenza was an orphan that Caroline, Victor’s mother, adopted in Italy. She’s a gift to Victor.
- Henry Clerval is Victor’s friend from childhood who nurses Victor when he got sick.
- Cornelius Agrippa is an author, whose work that Victor discovers when he got stuck to a party due to bad weather. Victor sees Cornelius’ work as trash. He tells Victor not to waste his time on such work. Victor continued to read Cornelius’ work anyway.
- As Victor’s father said, a modern scientist would also say that the natural philosophy that Victor is learning from Agrippa is sad trash.
- Victor’s curiosity towards electricity started. He turned away from Cornelius’ works. He then begins to studying the laws of electricity and galvanism.
- He credits Krempe and blames Waldman for his destruction.
- Elizabeth caught the scarlet fever, then later recovers. Victor’s mom caught the fever and soon died from it.
- Victor’s father thought that it was necessary in order for Victor to complete his education, that he should be made acquainted with other customs other than those of his native country.
- To Victor, M. Krempe’s manners were repulsive. He tells Victor that all the time that Victor spent studying was a waste of time.
- M. Waldman teaches chemistry. Victor admires M. Waldman’s ways. Victor’s study natural philosophy opposes the study of chemistry because it’s more like science versus God. It becomes a case of nature versus nurture. Victor found a true friend in him. M. Waldman influenced Victor’s interest in science studies.
- Victor spent his time studying natural philosophy and chemistry. He didn’t go home. His progress was fast. He made some discoveries on improving chemical instruments. He was enthusiastic about study the human body and he technically shut down his social life.
- In movies, Frankenstein is the monster. Based on the book, Frankenstein is the doctor who created the monster.
23. Victor tried to create a beautiful man and then he got scared by the creature's features.
- The creature tries to connect with Victor who leaves his apartment in fear.
- Victor meets his childhood friend, Henry. He was delighted to see Henry. He brought Henry to his home and saw no sign of his creation. Victor fell ill of a fever for several months. Clerval stayed to nurse him.
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