Frankenstein Ch. 9-11 Discussion Questions
Ch. 9
1. Compare and contrast the effects of the trial on Victor and Elizabeth. How does Shelley establish these choices of characterization?
2. Why does Victor choose to leave Geneva? What does this reveal about his values and desires?
Ch. 10
1. Perform a close textual analysis on the first two paragraphs. What patterns emerge in the language and what effects do they produce?
2. Consider the following definition of the Sublime in aesthetics: “Whatever is fitted in any sort to excite the ideas of pain and danger, […] or is conversant about terrible objects, or operates in a manner analogous to terror, is a source of the sublime; that is, it is productive of the strongest emotion which the mind is capable of feeling.” How does the natural setting described in this passage connect with this major Romantic idea? Specifically reference particular moments in the text.
3. What do you make of the allusion to Percy Shelley’s “Mutability?” Analyze its inclusion in the text. What functions does it serve?
4. How does Victor describe the moment when he sees the monster running toward him? What literary devices are used to create this effect?
5. What request does the intruder have for Victor? What seems significant about this scene?
Ch. 11
1. How has the narrative shifted at this point? What major differences, both as a narrative and stylistically are taking place?
2. Analyze the opening paragraph of this chapter. What attitude does the speaker have towards its subject, and what literary choices does it make to advance this tone?
3. Briefly summarize the narrative given by the creature. Capture the key points of his learning process.
4. Complete the chart on the back of this page comparing the monster’s development with Piaget’s Developmental Theory.
5. Explain the significance of the scene where the monster sees his face in the water. What does this reveal about his character at this moment?
6. Describe the cottage where the monster stays. What effect does this setting have on the monster?
7. The monster says, “I hated you, Frankenstein, for bringing me into a world that would never accept me.” What does the monster mean by this statement?
8. What conclusions does the monster reach about family, fire, nature, and learning?
Rank the following characters in terms of the sympathy you feel toward them (through the end of Ch. 11).
Victor, Elizabeth, William, Justine, the monster, Henry
Fill in where Victor has been thus far in the novel.
Sensorimotor Stage
/ Quote: / 0-2 yrs / During this first stage, children learn entirely through the movements they make and the sensations that result. They learn:- that they exist separately from the objects and people around them
- that they can cause things to happen
- that things continue to exist even when they can't see them
Preoperational Stage
/ Quote: / 2-7 yrs / Once children acquire language, they are able to use symbols (such as words or pictures) to represent objects. Their thinking is still very egocentric though -- they assume that everyone else sees things from the same viewpoint as they do.They are able to understand concepts like counting, classifying according to similarity, and past-present-future but generally they are still focused primarily on the present and on the concrete, rather than the abstract.
Concrete Operational Stage
/ Quote: / 7-11 yrs / At this stage, children are able to see things from different points of view and to imagine events that occur outside their own lives. Some organized, logical thought processes are now evident and they are able to:order objects by size, color gradient, etc. understand that if 3 + 4 = 7 then 7 - 4 = 3
understand that a red square can belong to both the 'red' category and the 'square' category understand that a short wide cup can hold the same amount of liquid as a tall thin cup