Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Study guide: As you read through the chapters of Frankenstein and prepare your
discussions each week, the following questions may help guide you. Each of you should be
conversant in discussing the following open-ended items in regard to the novel.

1) Which characters are introduced in the chapter?

2) What imagery, metaphor or symbolism can you find in Shelley’s writing?
3) Who is narrating the chapter?
4) Consider what the narrator tells you-does it foreshadow what is about to come?
5) Can you think of alternatives that the narrator (Victor or the creature) could have
pursued rather than the path he chose?
6) What is the setting of the chapter? What is the weather? Where are the
characters? Does the setting add to the tone or mood of the story?
7) With regard to science and scientific study, do you think the chapter lends to the
book as a whole condemning scientific advances, or merely warning that more care is
needed?
8) In what way does the chapter lend to the book’s underlying theme of tragedy?
9) Do you feel sympathy for Victor in the chapter? For the monster? If so, describe.
10) What roles do friendship and family play in the chapter?

These questions are guidelines for you to ask as you prepare to discuss the novel
each week. Using them will help you delve into the novel and describe it more fully.
Ultimately, the connections you make between the novel and our lives today is our
main focus.

As you read, allow yourself the luxury of contemplating what questions are raised
by Shelley in this story for our time. Can you draw parallels to subjects like stem
cell research, Artificial Intelligence, gene manipulation, DNA, cloning and other
advances in science? What is the warning of the novel in these subjects?