Frankenstein Essential Questions
Independently answer these questions before you discuss.
Apply the ideas we see in Frankenstein to yourself:
1. How does nature play a role in our everyday lives? How
does it affect us?
2. How do we determine heroism? How does our society?
3. What rites of passage do we go through as individuals?
How do these experiences shape us?
4. How does science shape our everyday lives, culture and
environment? Has/Does science go to far? How? Explain.
5. How can literature be used to shape a culture and social
beliefs and values? How has literature shaped who you
have become thus far?
Essential Questions
o What is the ethical relationship between the creator and his creation?
o How do writers structure their work to reflect their message?
o What consequences do we face if we do not take responsibility for our actions?
o How does lack of compassion lead to prejudice and stereotyping?
o In what ways does scientific advancement present positive and negative consequences?
o Which has a greater impact on human development – nature or nurture?
o Who in the story is the “real” monster – Victor or his creature?
o What is to become of man if he cannot find love?
o When is the soul present? Does the creature have a soul?
o What happens when science assumes the role of creation?
• Essential Questions for Frankenstein
• These overarching questions relate to Shelley’s key themes in the novel.
• How dangerous is ambition?
• Dr. Frankenstein warns Captain Walton about thoughtless ambition. Yet, when it seems the
voyage will be aborted, Dr. Frankenstein is furious. Despite his experiences, the doctor cannot
help but admire and support pursuits of greatness and discovery.
• Should scientific advancement be feared?
• The Romantics questioned the value of scientific advancement and industrialization. After
learning of experiments in Galvanism, Shelley wondered what results might follow. As a
cautionary tale focused on scientific advancement, Frankenstein is considered the first modern
science fiction.
• What can be gained through revenge?
• The creature and his creator become wholly obsessed with revenge. The monster has
succeeded in making the doctor as wretched and violent as himself. Both die in the end but
neither gains any satisfaction.
• Can humans ever go beyond appearances and conceptions of beauty?
• Shelley uses the monster to show that appearances are misleading. The doctor, despite his
rational mind, cannot see past the creature’s deformity. For her part, Shelley is also unable to
see beyond the appeal of beauty; characters like Elizabeth and Justine possess beauty as an
outward expression virtue.
• Do experiences determine personality?
• The theories of Locke and Rousseau influenced Shelley’s views on personality development.
The creature begins life as a tabula rasa or “blank slate.” He demonstrates the inherent
goodness posited by Rousseau. The creature’s experiences mold him into a sociopathic
murderer.
• How important is companionship to well-being?
• The doctor makes himself miserable by undertaking unwholesome pursuits in isolation. The
creature believes that a single companion would ensure his happiness. The lack of
companionship is more than unpleasant, it is unnatural and harmful. Shelley explores the theme
subject of isolation through various settings and symbolic elements.
• What is the nature of evil?
• Shelley’s allusions to the Garden of Eden and Paradise Lost are instructive here. What made
Lucifer defy God? Why do Adam and Eve disobey? Is evil a byproduct of human existence or part
of a divine design? What is the source of evil in our world?
• Can we feel pity for the murderous monster? The creature commits horrible acts because he is
cast out by society and his own creator. Is the doctor’s dereliction to blame? Is the doctor evil or
merely thoughtless?
• Does destiny rule our lives?
• The doctor vacillates between blaming himself and blaming fate. He reflects upon the turning
points in his life and the influence of “the angel of destruction.” Is he a victim of fate or is his
wretchedness a result of his choices?
• Regarding the destiny of the creature, one cannot help but imagine that his attempt to befriend
De Lacey might have been successful if not for the unexpected interruption. A twist of fate led to
