5.2.3

Chapters 5-6

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Chapter 5

Victor finally finishes his creation, but he is horrified by the Monster's vile appearance and quickly abandons it in his apartment.

Victor creates the Monster

Victor creates the Monster

  • Victor informs Walton of his success in creating new life in November as the Monster "agitated its limbs" with a "convulsive motion", echoing the notes from Luigi Galvani’s 1780 experiment with a dead frog’s legs.
  • Rather than being overjoyed by his scientific triumph, Victor is horrified by the inhumane creation he has brought to life.
Victor's dream

Victor's dream

  • When Victor finally falls asleep, having left his creation in his workshop, he has a vivid nightmare.
    • In the dream, Victor goes to kiss Elizabeth, only for her to transform into the rotting corpse of his mother.
  • Victor wakes up to find the creature standing over his bed, so he rushes out of the house and spends the night pacing restlessly.
Henry Clerval

Henry Clerval

  • Victor comes across Henry Clerval, who has just arrived from Geneva to begin his studies and whom Victor is very pleased to see.
  • Victor brings Clerval back to his now-empty apartment.
Victor's illness

Victor's illness

  • Victor, weakened by both hard work and shock, falls ill with a nervous fever that lasts several months.
    • Clerval nurses him back to health and gives him a letter from Elizabeth.
Tragedy is self-inflicted

Tragedy is self-inflicted

  • Shelley demonstrates the impact Victor's creation has had on both his physical and mental health, as an effect of his own pursuits.
    • There is the suggestion that Victor's problems are self-inflicted, foreshadowing that tragedy occurs due to a person's own failings.

Chapter 6

Victor reads the letter from Elizabeth and longs to return to Geneva, although this is made impossible by the winter weather, among other occurrences.

Elizabeth's letter

Elizabeth's letter

  • Elizabeth expresses concern for Victor's health and urges him to write home as soon as possible.
  • Elizabeth relays how Justine Moritz, a girl who had previously lived with the family, has returned following her mother's death.
    • Justine is "clever and gentle" and Elizabeth loves her dearly.
Victor's recovery

Victor's recovery

  • Victor introduces Clerval to his professors at university, but now hates anything associated with natural philosophy.
  • He turns, like Henry, to the study of language and literature and uses nature as a restorative tool, having a walking holiday in Ingolstadt with Clerval.
    • "A selfish pursuit had cramped and narrowed me until your gentleness and affection warmed and opened my senses".
  • Victor here is benefiting greatly from the restorative and calming power of nature.
Influence of Romanticism

Influence of Romanticism

  • As a Romantic, Shelley is almost presenting the "selfish pursuit" as the Age of Enlightenment which preceded and was the catalyst for the Romantic movement.
  • The Romantics favour nature over man and felt like nature could take us back to a more natural, happier sense of being than the greedy, industrialised world that was growing in the 19th century.
Jump to other topics
1

Narrative Structure

1.1

Narrative Structure

1.1.1Narrative Structure1.1.2Narrative Distancing1.1.3End of Topic Test - Narrative Structure
2

Character Summaries

2.1

Walton & Frankenstein

2.1.1Walton2.1.2Victor Frankenstein2.1.3End of Topic Test - Walton & Frankenstein
2.2

The Monster

2.2.1The Monster2.2.2The Monster 22.2.3End of Topic Test - The Monster
2.3

Elizabeth, Justine & Henry

2.3.1Elizabeth Lavenza2.3.2Justine Moritz2.3.3Henry Clerval2.3.4End of Topic Test - Elizabeth, Justine & Henry
2.4

Families & Other Characters

2.4.1The Frankenstein Family2.4.2The De Lacey Family2.4.3Other Characters2.4.4End of Topic Test - Families & Other Characters
3

Intertextuality & Allusions

3.1

Intertextual References

3.1.1The Modern Prometheus3.1.2The Rime of the Ancient Mariner3.1.3The Bible3.1.4Mutability & Tintern Abbey3.1.5End of Topic Test - Intertextual References
3.2

Philosophical & Scientific Theories

3.2.1Edmund Burke3.2.2Thomas Paine3.2.3John Locke3.2.4Jean-Jacques Rousseau3.2.5Historical Figures3.2.6End of Topic Test - Philosophy & Science Theories
4

Biographic Context

4.1

Biographic Context

4.1.1Shelley's Parents4.1.2Loss & Maternal Anxiety4.1.3Literary Legend4.1.4End of Topic Test - Biographical Context
5

Chapter Summaries

5.1

Letters

5.1.1Letters 1 & 25.1.2Letters 3 & 45.1.3End of Topic Test - Letters
5.2

Chapters

5.2.1Chapters 1-25.2.2Chapters 3-45.2.3Chapters 5-65.2.4Chapters 7-95.2.5Chapters 10-115.2.6Chapters 12-155.2.7Chapters 16-195.2.8Chapters 20-235.2.9Chapter 24 & Walton’s Last Letters5.2.10End of Topic Test - Chapters 1-65.2.11End of Topic Test - Chapters 7-155.2.12End of Topic Test - Chapters 16-235.2.13End of Topic Test - Chapter 24 & Walton's Letters
6

Key Themes

6.1

Key Themes

6.1.1Curiosity & Knowledge6.1.2Science & Society6.1.3Loss & Companionship6.1.4Connection to Nature6.1.5Injustice
6.2

Key Locations

6.2.1Extreme Landscapes6.2.2Industrialised University Cities6.2.3End of Topic Test - Key Themes & Locations
7

Recap: Main Quotes

7.1

Characters Quotes

7.1.1Walton - Quotations7.1.2Victor Frankenstein - Quotations7.1.3The Monster - Quotations7.1.4The Educational Texts - Quotations7.1.5Elizabeth Lavenza - Quotations7.1.6Justine Moritz - Quotations7.1.7Henry Clerval - Quotations7.1.8Alphonse Frankenstein - Quotations7.1.9The De Lacey Family - Quotations
7.2

Quotes by Chapters

7.2.1Letters 1 & 2 - Quotations7.2.2Letters 3 & 4 - Quotations7.2.3Chapters 1-6 - Quotations7.2.4Chapters 7-13 - Quotations7.2.5Chapters 14-20 - Quotations7.2.6Chapters 21-24 & Waton's Last Letters - Quotations

Practice questions on Chapters 5-6

Can you answer these? Test yourself with free interactive practice on Seneca — used by over 10 million students.

  1. 1
    How does Victor feel about his creation in Chapter 5?Multiple choice
  2. 2
    Events of Chapter 5: True / false
  3. 3
    How does Elizabeth describe Justine Moritz in her letter?Multiple choice
  4. 4
    What kind of holiday does Victor go on in Chapter 6?Multiple choice
Answer all questions on Chapters 5-6

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Chapters 3-4

Chapters 7-9