’. Walton’ Letters Walton continues the tale in letter form to his sister, Margaret His sailors desire to return home Victor dies Walton talks with the.

’

Walton’ Letters

• Walton continues the tale in letter form to his sister, Margaret

• His sailors desire to return home• Victor dies • Walton talks with the monster• The creature departs• Tale ends on a bleak note with creature’s self-destruction.

• Walton continues the story where he expresses both pity and admiration for Victor calling him ‘ a glorious spirit’, ‘noble’ and ‘god-like’p214

• Sailors are close to mutiny p216 and Victor’s rallying speech shows all the hallmarks of an overreacher. 217

• ‘Oh! Be men, or more than men.’ This is powerful rhetoric from a daring, aspiring and dying explorer/overreacher.

• Walton and Victor share many of the same qualities and W seems devastated that he will lose his ‘friend’ and not fulfil his destiny. He shows moral, humane qualities by agreeing to return home and curbs his overreaching. p218

Walton’ Letters

• Final letter concludes the tale. Victor begs Walton to take on his quest.

• V recognises his failure to do his ‘duty’ and does not blame the creature. V is full of horror, remorse for his deeds. P219 Victor dies. p220 ‘He sunk into silence.’ ‘His eyes closed forever’. W is devastated at the loss of a kindred spirit.

• W encounters C bending over V and is full of grief and self-reproach at having destroyed him and his loved ones. 221 ‘I pitied Frankenstein’ p222 C likens himself to Milton’s Satan. ‘fallen angel becomes a malignant devil.’ 223 reader sympathises as he says, ‘I am alone.’ ‘I am an abortion’ recognises social injustice. 224

• He recognises his mistakes and shows real compassion and love for Victor. He assures Walton he will no longer be a threat. ‘consume to ashes this miserable frame’. 224 My ashes will be swept into the sea by the winds.’ What kind of death does the creature have?

• Link to the myth of Prometheus – he will be consumed by the fire which seems fitting given subtitle of the novel and Victor’s

attempt to animate a cold corpse with the fire of life. The moral of Shelley’s tale suggests such quests and dreams can only end in destruction. What critical opinion of the novel was given in the Quarterly Review 1818? Do you agree?

Tragedy

• How do Victor, Walton and the Creature fit Aristotle’s definition of the tragic hero?

• Explore Shelley’s use of the theme of overreaching. Concentrating on Walton’s story, Victor’s animation of the creature and the final moments of the creature’s existence.

Chapter III

Frankenstein

Summary of Chapter III

• Victor has second thoughts• The creature appears • Victor destroys the female• The creature departs with a threat• Victor is washed ashore in Ireland and arrested

for murder

• Victor is sickened by his task and begins to consider the potentially disastrous effects in creating a mate for the creature

• The creature howls in despair as V tears apart his mate before his eyes.

• He returns to curse Victor uttering ‘I shall be with you on your wedding night!’p173

• He sets off in a boat and throws his instruments into the sea. He is washed ashore in Ireland and is arrested for murder.

Vol. 3 – Chapter III

Volume Three - Chapter V Frankenstein

Key Events - Chronologically

• Victor has been severely disturbed physically and physiologically which leads him to finally confesses to his father “I am the cause of this. William, Justine and Henry – they all died in my hands”. – pg 189

• Guilty and is under the shadow of bad conscience over responsibility.

• Victor ‘avoids explanation’ because he doesn’t want to be ‘supposed mad’. This demonstrates his high degree of self pride. ‘ “I am not mad!” I cried energetically’. - pg 190

• He become restored as time passes then receives a love letter from Elizabeth concerning ‘our union’ that had been the ‘favorite plan’ of Victor’s parents. – pg 191

• The creature’s still chasing Victor. ‘I will be with you on your wedding night’ haunts Victor nevertheless decides on an immovable wedding day. ‘seal to my fate’. – pg 192 and 195

• The wedding takes place and as a married couple Victor and Elizabeth proceeds to Villa Lavenza for a honeymoon. ‘Elizabeth seemed happy’.- pg 196

• Victor finally seems to find some happiness. ‘What a divine day! How happy and serene all of nature appears!’ – pg197

• ‘The last moments of my life during which I enjoyed the feeling of happiness’ – pg 196

• The world is tranquil and chapter ends amidst a scene of nature. ‘light breeze’, ‘soft air’, ‘sun sank lower in the heavens’, ‘flower and hay’ – pg 197

• Pathetic fallacy, sun sank – alliteration contrast in language

Chapter IV

Frankenstein

Summary of Chapter IV

• The murdered man is Clerval• Victor is imprisoned• His father arrives• He is eventually acquitted and released

• V is taken to see a corpse and horrified to discover it is Henry. ‘Have my murderous machinations deprived you also, my dearest Henry, of life? P181

• V is made to suffer physically and psychologically. P184 & 186

• Victor’s suffering takes tragic proportions.

Vol. 3 - Chapter IV

Chapter VI

Frankenstein

Summary of Chapter VI

During Chapter VI:

• Elizabeth is murdered by The Creature

• Victor is determined to seek revenge

Chapter VI

• Night falls at the start of the chapter and the calm gives way to a fearful storm.

• Victor becomes increasingly agitated and Elizabeth questions him.

• ‘this night, and all will be safe: but this night is dreadful, very dreadful’ (P.g 198)

• Victor anticipates the Creatures arrival and sends Elizabeth to their room.

• Victor hears a dreadful scream; he rushes to the room to find Elizabeth’s lifeless form ‘flung by the murderer on its bridal bier’

• Victor faints. When he recovers he sees the grinning face of the creature at the window, pointing towards Elizabeth’s corpse.

• Victor returns to Geneva, fearing for the rest of his family.

• His father, heartbroken at the news of Elizabeth’s death, dies.

• Victor spends time in a mental asylum and upon his release determines upon revenge.

• Victor tells his story to the magistrate who is incredulous; he claims to believe the story, but refuses to take any action.

Chapter VI

• Victor becomes enraged and denounces him: ‘Man,’ he cries, ‘how ignorant art thou in thy pride of wisdom! Cease; you know not what it is you say’ (P.g 204)

• Victors words could equally serve as his own epitaph.

Chapter VI

Volume 3

Chapter VII

Part One

Summary

• Victor leaves Geneva and follows the creature• Wants revenge, to try and kill the creature or

die trying (he pursues the creature)• Victor has dreams (nightmares) as he is

haunted by visions of Elizabeth and Clerval• The creature put him through suffering

physically and mentally • Creature warns Victor that they will soon

come face to face

The main points through this section

• Was overcome with rage, fury and revenge ( wants to kill the creature)

• Leaves Geneva in search of the creature and the journey was physically hard “failing limbs.”

• Visits the cemetery where William, Victor’s father and Elizabeth were reposed (adding to Victor’s thirst for revenge and his rage)

• Realises only reason he wishes to live is to kill the creature (asks God to “preserve” his life until he does or at least has a chance to)

• Victor hears the creatures voice laughing and the cat and mouse chase starts with Victor trying to come in contact with the creature

• This went on for many months and was a strain on Victor physically and also mentally as the creature left only small clues and sometimes none at all

• His dreams haunted him when as he saw images of Elizabeth and Clerval “enjoying health” and used to fool himself that they still lived

• They enter the north pole• Victor is left with a warning to save his strength as they

will soon come face to face foreboding a battle may take place

Frankenstein Volume 3 chapter 7

-Frankenstein’s glimpse of the Creature

- Frankenstein’s persuasion of Walton to kill the creature.

-- Walton’s letter to Magraet

Victors sight of the Creature.

• Upon seeing the creature travelling the Victors glimpse of the Creature.

• on ice on a dogsled, Frankenstein weeps tears of hope and joy. When he has almost over taken his enemy, however he inexplicably looses all trace of him.

• Shortly after, the ice breaks apart and Victor is set adrift on a block of ice. He is on the brink of death when Walton’s ship appears in the distance The chase seems almost childish: the creature taunts his creator and Frankenstein pursues him with no sense for regard or reason. It once again presents Frankenstein with a challenge the same thing that motivated his scientific pursuits.

Victors begging of Walton to kill the Creature

• He despises the idea of dying with his task unfulfilled.

• “ swear that he shall not triumph over my accumulated woes”

• Victor begs Walton to kill the creature if he shows himself to him.

• It appears not to be the creature who brings the creator to life; perhaps without his desire for revenge Frankenstein would have died long ago.

Walton’s letter to Margaret• In the letter dated August 26, 17 — , Walton is now the

narrator for the remainder of the story. Walton tells how Victor proves his tale by producing the letters of Felix and Safie.

• Victor tells Walton to learn from his mistakes, that knowledge for evil leads to disaster.

• Walton comforts Victor in his last days and the two pass the time discussing other topics, such as literature. Victor tells Walton that he must carry on the mission to destroy the creature.Walton's version of the story is used to make Victor's story more believable. Walton gives some validity to the story by mentioning that he sees Victor's letters and the creature.

• The first letter reinforces the theme that using knowledge for evil leads to disaster. Walton and Victor also talk of literature.

• We also see that Walton feels for Victor. “Must I then lose this admirable being! I have longed for a friend; I have sought one who would sympathise with and love me”. This seems strange as they have only just converged.