Frankenstein is a classic novel written by Mary Shelley in 1818. It tells the story of Victor Frankenstein, a young scientist who creates a sentient being from body parts he has collected from graveyards and charnel houses. The creature, who is not given a name in the novel, is brought to life through a series of scientific experiments, but is rejected and abandoned by Victor as soon as it comes to life. The creature is left to fend for itself and is treated with cruelty and violence by those it encounters.
As a result of its mistreatment, the creature becomes angry and vengeful towards Victor and those around him. It seeks revenge on Victor and those he loves, leading to a series of tragic events and ultimately the death of several characters.
The novel raises a number of interesting and thought-provoking questions about the nature of life, the responsibilities of creators, and the consequences of scientific progress. Here are a few potential seminar questions for further discussion:
What is the significance of the creature's lack of a name in the novel? How does this reflect its status as an outsider and how it is perceived by others?
In what ways is Victor responsible for the creature's actions and the events of the novel? Is he solely to blame, or are there other factors at play?
How do the reactions of different characters towards the creature reflect their own values and beliefs?
What does the novel have to say about the relationship between science and ethics? How does Victor's pursuit of scientific knowledge lead to negative consequences?
How does the novel explore the themes of loneliness and isolation? How do these themes relate to the creature and to Victor?
How does the novel critique society's treatment of those who are different or marginalized? How does this critique relate to contemporary issues of prejudice and discrimination?
In what ways does the novel challenge traditional notions of what it means to be human? How does the creature's experience as an outsider shed light on the human condition?
How does the novel's ending reflect the themes and ideas explored throughout the book? Does it offer a resolution or leave the reader with further questions?
These are just a few potential questions that could be explored in a seminar discussion of Frankenstein. The novel is rich in themes and ideas that are still relevant and thought-provoking today, making it an excellent choice for academic study and discussion.
Discussion Questions · Frankenstein Book
This is very strange. Responses will be checked before the seminar begins to ensure that all questions have been carefully prepared and typed. What responsibility do you feel the creator bears for his creation and for the actions of his creation? How culpable guilty is he? In light of this work ethic, is Robert Walton a failure when he turns his ship around at the end of the novel? I am currently enrolled in philosophy and we have been talking about person hood and how it is defined. Consider the character of Justine Moritz. In all cases, it seems that a mechanism identical to what happened in Clerval's murder is involved: Vicotor, possessed by the alter-ego of the monster he created in his imagination, appears in a certain place and then returns to the same place already in his normal sense.
And in the narration made by the presumptive monster, Felix's bride is Arab. Annotations can be extremely beneficial. The fact that Victor, when he saw Clerval's body, had another shock that lasted for months and that caused him to have hallucinations again only confirms how the hallucinations themselves may have seemed to him like memories when he woke up. What role does she continue to play? But Victor thought he was experimenting. In the boat's appearance, Victor narrates that he spent time unconscious before appearing to the public as Vicgor. In what ways do you think her upbringing may have influenced her writing? Suppose he had a family that raises him, includes him, and even enrolls him in school. That doesn't make sense.
What truths about her time is Shelley revealing? And when he sees him, he starts to feel sick, due to mental breakdown. Is this denial ironic? There is some evidence in favor of this understanding of reading that I would like to clarify, as well as justify the confusing ending of the book which seems to contradict what I have just written. More than that, you are unlikely to believe that the gigantic Monster did this without leaving monstrous evidence of its presence. The monster was seen by the ship's crew in the distance, in a sled pulled by dogs, when Victor himself was also in a sled pulled by dogs. Bowling Frankenstein Socratic Seminar Questions 1. The fact that Victor didn't tell his lover about the monster is really very suspicious.
All of this is explained with the Monster being a figment of Victor's imagination. But miraculously, it wouldn't need anything so sophisticated or difficult to obtain, as to be able to create and transport the resulting progress of its new construction during a journey made by train, on horseback and finally by boat. Annotated Bibliography On Frankenstein 1439 Words 6 Pages After successfully creating the monster, Frankenstein is perplexed by what he has created. What motivates him in his dangerous endeavor? Who are the outcasts? In what way s is he cowardly? Quicksand Frankenstein Analysis 1786 Words 8 Pages As he does not even have a name as a marker of identity, he longs for parental recognition from Victor in order to end the confusion about who he is, and the more he understands the fear and hatred he unintentionally provokes in others, including Victor, the more hopeless his view of the world and his future becomes, which leads him to try and gain that recognition through violence. All this thematic would be unnecessary if the book were about a real monster that simply kills people. Without the love guaranteed to him by his family, Victor believes he is unfit to make companions by himself and destined to a life of loneliness. Is anyone other than the murderer responsible for what happened? The Romantics questioned the value of scientific advancement and industrialization.
He became as wordy as Victor. The juxtaposition of the monster with the rest of humanity provides a great contrast to humanity. The father of the fictional family was blind. Is choice now extinguished for him, and is fulfilling his destiny all that he has left to do? I can say that it is highly unlikely that a 2. Why didn't he think about protecting his wife? Frankenstein Discussion Questions PDF: Frankenstein Discussion Questions PDF Pre-reading Discussions For pre-reading discussions, check out my Frankenstein Anticipation Guide. Consider evidence provided by both Victor and the creature. An interesting detail is that Victor studied literature that included Arabic literature.
How is it appropriate that the novel ends in ice? Robert Walton is a well-to-do explorer from England. Because that's how the imaginary characters that persecute us and convince us that they are real are like this: they act strangely when it suits the hallucinations and leave script holes in the strange stories they tell us. Remember that our primary focus should be the literary text. A condemnation of bureaucracy? SEMINAR PREPARATION: Read through the remaining questions and adequately prepare yourself to be able to discuss them in depth. If his brother dies, it was the monster he killed. Apparently, the studies Victor was very involved in were serious scientific studies of great academic recognition. In an important part of the story, Victor narrates word for word what the Monster said to him, with a particularly large speech being what the Monster hypothetically made.
The Monster doesn't harm anyone else, except people related to Victor. Also, as soon as Victor destroys the hypothetical female monster's body, the monster appears in the window of the small house he was in. And so, Walton writes that he alone witnessed the Monster's appearance. How could the monster know about Victor's wedding? It is quite possible that the hallucinations about the monster's creation arose during the 2 month period he spent recovering from the mental shock. How do the physical evidence, the circumstances, and other factors come together for a verdict? I mean, if the female monster were real, he'd be transporting dead body pieces and mysterious chemicals and working on reassembling a body during a trip using various modes of transport, and Clerval didn't notice? And so, in his imagination, as soon as the Monster opens his eyes, he goes through a massive mental shock.
In what does Victor see his destiny? Respectful Participation: o Only one person may speak at a time. He also leads arts and sciences faculty in developing community-based learning projects. And because he created the monster, it was his fault. What stopped his work was not the difficulty of obtaining material, but his determination not to fulfill his promise. Something interesting to add on the subject is the compliments that Professor Waldman gives Victor when he recovers.
Then the monster swears he will make Victor suffer on his wedding night. How would you evaluate his character at this point? Has he learned any lessons? This indicates that his nature is to run from the problem. Further proof of his advances in conventional academic studies is the praise of Professor Krempe, who was a critic at first, and later was sincerely surprised by Victor's increase in scientific knowledge. Please make sure you re-read relevant passages from the novel when considering these questions. He demonstrated that he knew his family was at risk when his father came to visit him in prison. Firstly, Captain Walton is writing letters to his sister.
