Frankenstein--Yin

Victor's Picturesque Childhood

1 CE

Victor's parents fulfilled their duties to him as his parents and gave him the active spirit of tenderness throughout his entire infant life. His childhood was a seemingly normal and healthy.

Elizabeth is Adopted

1 CE

.Victor's mother, Caroline, meets Elizabeth at an orphanage and takes her into her family as her own. Caroline plans the future marriage of Victor and Elizabeth, and Victor begins to think of Elizabeth as his property.

Frankenstein Chapters

Period: 1 CE to 24

Henry Clerval

2

After Victor and his family settles in Geneva, he met Henry, the son of a merchant in the city. Henry loved enterprise, hardship, and danger.

A Fascination for Science

2

After experiencing being in a lightning storm, Victor's inquiries of the world of metaphysical occurrences amplifies. He is fascinated and intrigued by nature and science in the world around him.

Ingolstadt

3

Following Victor's mother's death, he goes to Ingolstadt University to pursue his education. At university, Victor gains an even deeper interest in chemistry and other natural sciences, paving the way for his future actions.

Krempe and Waldman

3

Victor's two most influential figures that he meets at Ingolstadt University are his professors, M. Krempe and M. Waldman. Krempe, a professor of natural philosophy, widens Victor's realm of education. Meanwhile, a lecture given by Waldman furthers Victor's interest in chemistry.

Death and Decay

4

As his studies of chemistry and natural philosophy continue, Victor begins on a quest for discovering the secrets of life. His fascination with life and death pushes him to become obsessed with creating a being out of dead matter.

Lonely and Obsessed

4

Victor's only concern, creating his being, causes him to become isolated from his family and friends. He loses contact with those who were once close with him, and his priority becomes only creating the undead creature.

A Monster Created

5

Victor successfully creates the creature; however, it is unlike what he had imagined. With an appearance so utterly horrifying, the creature scares Victor, and Victor abandons his creation.

Aftermath of the Creation

5

After abandoning the creature, Victor stays at Ingolstadt with his old friend, Henry Clerval. Frankenstein then grows ill, and Clerval attempts to nurse him back to health, unknowing of Frankenstein's creation.

Victor's Character Development

5

Experiencing a idyllic and relatively standard childhood, Victor's fascination with science began with an innocent yet curious mindset. Throughout the first 5 chapters of the story, his curiosity pushes him to extreme depths, ultimately ending in his evil creation.

Victor in Nature

6

"When happy, inanimate nature had the power of bestowing on me the most delightful sensations. A serene sky and verdant fields filled me with ecstasy"(p68).

The Monstrosity

7

"...its gigantic stature, and the deformity of its aspect, more hideous than belongs to humanity, instantly informed me that it was the wretch, the filthy demon to whom I had given life"(73).

Death of William and Justine

8

"I beheld those I loved spent vain sorrow upon the graves of William and Justine, the first hapless victims to my unhallowed arts" (pg. 85).

Belrive

9

"It was during an access of this kind that I suddenly left my home, and bending my steps towards the near Alpine valleys, sought in the magnificence, the eternity of such scenes, to forget myself and my sphemeral, because human sorrows"(page 89-90).

The Confrontation

10

"I perceived, as the shape came nearer (sight tremendous and abhorred!) that it was the wretched whom I had created"(p94).

Story of Creation

11

"It is with considerable difficulty that I remember the original era of my being; all the events of that period appear confused and indistinct"(pg.98).

Journey of the Monster

12

"I learned and applied the words 'fire' 'milk' 'bread' and 'wood'. I learned also the names of the cottagers themselves." (pg.107)

Safie Part.1

13

"It was a lady on horseback, accompanied by a country-man as a guide... [she] responded only by pronouncing, in a sweet accent, the name of Felix"(pg111).

Safie Part.2

14

"The government of France was greatly enraged at the escape of their victim and spared no pains to detect and punish his deliver. The plot of Felix was quickly discovered, and De Lacey and Agetha were thrown into prison." (pg.120)
"He did not succeed. They remained confined for five months before the trial took place, the result of which deprived them of their fortune and condemned them to a perpetual exile from their native country." (pg.120)

Hideous Appearance

15

The creature finally becomes aware of his outer appearance, and he becomes horrified of himself. Only knowing an isolated life, the creature seeks companionship.

William's Death

16

Following the rejection from the family whom he had been learning most from, the monster seeks revenge on his creator, travelling to Geneva. When encountering William, Victor Frankenstein's brother, the monster murders him in a crime of passion.

Another Monster?

17

After confronting Victor, the monster gives him an ultimatum; if Victor does not create a second monster to act as the first's companion, the monster vowed to be present on Victor and Elizabeth's wedding night. Victor weighs out the benefits and the risks before reluctantly deciding to agree to make a female companion for the monster

Guilt Trip to England

18

Victor, consumed with the guilt of creating the monster and all bad that happened as a result, decides it is best for him to travel to Europe when he creates the monster's female companion. Henry Clerval volunteers to accompany Victor on his travels.

Victor's Island Isolation

19

After travelling through Scotland and England with Clerval, Frankenstein leaves to a remote island elsewhere, and he isolates himself from his friend. There, he begins to create the second monster.

Victor's Character Development

20

Victor's decision (earlier on) to agree to make the monster a companion showed his ignorance, once again, exacerbating a problem. His contemplation and problem solving later on in the story, though, show his personal growth, as he strays away from making past mistakes, and begins taking responsibility for his actions.

A New Town

20

Victor spontaneously decides to quit the creation of his second monster, and, instead, gives time to himself on a boat in the calm waters. After falling asleep on his boat, the tides drift him out into the sea, until he reaches the shore of a new land. There, they accuse him of murder due to the suspicious timing of his arrival.

The Murder of Clerval

21

"The examination, the presence of the magistrate and witnesses, passed like a dream from my memory when I saw the lifeless form of Henry Clerval stretched before me"(pg.169).

Unknowing Elizabeth Helps

22

"Elizabeth alone had the power to draw me from [...] fits; her gentle voice would soothe me when transported by passion and inspire me with human feelings"(pg.181).

Elizabeth's Death

23

"She was there, lifeless and inanimate, thrown across the bed, her head hanging down and her and distorted features half covered by her hair"(pg.186).

A Life In Ruins

24

"How I have lived I hardly know; many times have I stretched my failing limbs upon the sandy plain and prayed for death"(pg.192).

Walton, In Continuation

25

'...I had rather die than return shamefully, my purpose is unfulfilled. Yet I fear such will be my fate; the men, unsupported by ideas of glory and honour, can never willingly continue to endure their present hardships"(Walton 204).

Victor's Character Development

26

Coming out of his journey and his mistakes, Frankenstein gains wisdom about the risks of blind ambition. He uses what he learns to pass on to Robert Walton, an individual similar to himself. All in all, Victor became a new person with his experiences, with a fresh perspective on life and glory.