Reference no: EM133304143

Chapter Twenty Four:

1. This chapter brings another parallel between Frankenstein and Walton: they are both faced with demands from a third party. The creature demands that Frankenstein make a companion; Walton's crew demands they turn back for home before they all die. As we know, Frankenstein ultimately refuses while Walton obeys. Walton has many similarities to Frankenstein, but he ultimately falls short of Frankenstein's extremism. Compare and contrast their characters. What do they have in common? Where do they differ?

2. Just before dying, Frankenstein says, "Seek happiness in tranquillity, and avoid ambition, even if it be only the apparently innocent one of distinguishing yourself in science and discoveries. Yet why do I say this? I myself have been blasted in these hopes, yet another may succeed." Has Frankenstein learned anything from the catastrophic outcomes of his experiments? What lesson are we to take from these equivocal last words?

3. The cat-and-mouse chase ends in this chapter with Frankenstein's death, but not at the hands of his creature. Frankenstein also dies without fulfilling his dying wish. How would the lessons you learned from this story be different if Frankenstein had killed his creation before dying? What if the creature killed him?

4. Why did the creature leave clues for Frankenstein and, in a sense, keep him alive by leaving him food and furs, if they had a mutual hatred? What did they give each other that no one else could?

5. The creature appears after Frankenstein's death and speaks to the stunned Walton, explaining that even as it killed, it desired human companionship: "[S]till I desired love and fellowship, and I was still spurned. Was there no injustice in this? Am I to be thought the only criminal, when all humankind sinned against me?" Now that you have finished the novel, who do you sympathize with? Who do you think is in the wrong?

6. Both the monster and Robert Walton seek the friendship and companionship of another. They are presented with a wonderful opportunity when alone together after the death of Victor. Why do they both choose to not spark a friendship and attain that which they both have sought their entire lives? Explain.

7. When Robert Walton knew the story of the monster killing everyone of Victor's friends he still sought the companionship of the man. What can we learn about him from this action?