Frankestein-Mary Shelley

Synopsis

The novel begins with explorer Robert Walton sealing the seas around the North Pole. As they were sailing, they saw a tall man on a block of floating ice, exhausted and almost frozen. Victor was a precocious child born in Geneva, Switzerland. His parents adopted a girl, Elizabeth, when he was an infant, and he later had two more siblings. Victor was very fond of science and was very good at it. One day, Elizabeth fell ill with scarlet fever and infected her stepmother. Elizabeth recovered, but Victor's mother died. Before she passed away, she told them both that she hoped they would marry one day. After that, Victor left for university and for two years, he became very involved in his studies, even impressing his teachers and fellow students. Ambition led him to devise a plan to recreate and reanimate a corpse. After bringing the creature to life, Victor felt guilty about bringing a new life into the world because it looked like a "monster". He quickly run away in fear and disgust from his creation. The monster wandered the countryside while Victor looked for comfort in a bar near the university. In time, Henry Clerval, his childhood friend, turned up to save Victor and look after him as he had fallen ill. After some time, Alphonse wrote to Victor telling him to return home immediately as his younger brother William had been murdered. Justine Moritz, his housekeeper, was falsely accused of William's murder and went to the gallows. Victor knew who the killer was, but he couldn´t tell his family or the police. He travelled outside Geneva to refresh his tortured soul and visited Mont Montanvert when he saw the monster who came to his maker with a proposition in exchange for making a partner for him. At the beginning, Victor refused to make a second monster, but was convinced when the monster assured him that he would leave Europe and moved to South America. Victor agreed to start work on a second creation and made plans to go to England and Scotland, with Henry Clerval, to begin his work in secret Victor settled in the Orkney Islands, off the coast of Scotland. But suddenly, he destroyed his project and went out to the sea and threw the remains there. The monster swore revenge on Victor for not fulfilling his part of the bargain. While at sea, Victor's ship was blown by a sudden storm and ended up in Ireland. Henry Clerval's body had washed up on the shores of Ireland, and Victor was to be tried for murder. Fortunately, Mr. Kirwin, a local magistrate, interceded on Victor's behalf and pleaded his case before a court, which then found Victor innocent of the crime. Victor was miserable knowing he had caused the deaths of so many people but recovered enough to finalise plans for his marriage to Elizabeth. With the wedding date set, Victor tormented himself with thoughts of the monster's threat to be with him on their wedding night. The wedding went according to the plan. Victor made sure to cover all possible entrances the monster could use, but the monster managed to get into Elizabeth's room and eventually strangled her. Victor wanted revenge and chased the monster across Europe and Russia and nearly caught the monster near the Arctic Circle when Robert Walton discovered it. Victor, now near death, is brought aboard Walton's ship. The monster appeared from the mist and ice to visit his enemy one last time. The monster entered the ship's cabin and told Walton his side of the story. Victor died and the monster told Walton that he would burn his own funeral pyre. The monster disappeared into the waves and darkness, never to be seen again.

 
Personal Opinion

I probably have nothing to say about this book that hasn't already been said. I will only say that the book has suprised me, I had imagined something different from it. Without a doubt, it invites us to reflect on how we judge other based on their appearence, without giving them the opportunity to show us how they are like.

Student's name
Paula Elzaurdi