The plot of Frankenstein

 

1. How the Story Starts

The book begins in the freezing Arctic. A captain named Robert Walton is sailing his ship through the ice when his crew rescues a freezing, sick man named Victor Frankenstein. Victor starts telling his life story as a warning about the dangers of being too ambitious.

2. Creating the Monster

• The Goal: When he is young, Victor becomes obsessed with science and the secret of life. While studying at university, he figures out how to bring dead tissue back to life.

• The Birth: Working alone in his room, Victor builds a giant creature using body parts from graves and animal slaughterhouses. When the creature opens its eyes and comes to life, Victor is immediately horrified.

• Running Away: Victor gets scared and runs away. When he comes back later, the monster has escaped into the real world.

3. The Monster's Lonely Life

• Learning: The monster has to learn how to survive all by himself. He learns to speak and read by secretly watching a poor family living in a cottage.

• Rejection: The monster desperately wants friends. But when he finally shows himself to humans, they scream, beat him, and drive him away because he looks scary.

• Anger: Because everyone hates him and treats him cruely, the monster becomes angry and decides to take revenge on his creator, Victor.

4. The Revenge and Tragic Deaths

• Killing Loved Ones: The monster murders Victor’s little brother and frames an innocent family servant.

• The Deal: Later, the monster finds Victor and makes a demand: "Make me a female companion who looks like me, and I will leave humans alone forever."

• Breaking the Promise: Victor starts building a second creature, but halfway through, he gets terrified that they will start a race of monsters. He destroys the female body right in front of the creature.

• Payback: In deep anger, the monster kills Victor’s best friend and later murders Victor's new wife on their wedding night. Victor's father dies of a broken heart soon after.

5. The Final Chase

• The End: Victor spends the rest of his life chasing the monster across the world to kill him, which brings us back to the Arctic ship where Walton found him. Victor dies of exhaustion. Soon after, the monster comes to mourn over Victor's dead body, feeling deep regret. The monster then leaves to find a place to burn himself to death, ending his miserable life.

Reading Comprehension Quiz: Frankenstein

1. The Frame Narrative: How does the novel actually begin, and who is telling the main story to Captain Robert Walton?

2. The Scientific Goal: What is Victor Frankenstein obsessed with studying when he is young, and what is his ultimate goal at the university?

3. The Creation: What materials does Victor use to build his creature, and where does he get them?

4. The Immediate Reaction: How does Victor react the exact moment the creature opens its eyes and comes to life? What does he do next?

5. The Creature's Education: How does the creature learn to speak, read, and understand human emotions while living on his own?

6. The Root of Anger: Why does the creature eventually decide to take revenge on humanity, and especially on Victor?

7. The Ultimatum: When the creature confronts Victor later in the story, what specific demand does he make?

8. Broken Promise: Why does Victor decide to destroy the half-finished female companion he is building?

9. The Trail of Tragedy: Name at least two people close to Victor who are killed by the creature as acts of revenge.

10. The Resolution: How does the story end for both Victor and his creation in the Arctic? What emotion does the creature express at the very end?