Foreshadowing: When Frankenstein is on his quest to create life, he reflects on the sense of

obsession making it seem like something he shouldnt be doing.

Allusions: When on board the ship, the captain says that he would never kill an albatross. This is
an allusion to Rime of the Ancient Mariner, wherein killing an albatross will inflict a curse upon
the killer.
Symbols: Light is a symbol in this story for knowledge and power.
Themes: The most major and outstanding theme in Frankenstein is the idea that knowledge is
dangerous. Victor wanted to use his knowledge to create life, and it backfired on him once his
being was brought to life.
Allegory: Frankenstein is an allegory to the book of Genesis in The Bible. This is because it is
the story of creation, as is Genesis.
Archetype: Victor Frankenstein makes out his creation to be the archetype of the evil villain. He
shows that the being is automatically evil, and makes it so that none can question whether or not
this character is actually evil or not.
Catastrophe: Frankenstein shows the idea of creation as a literary catastrophe. If Victor
Frankenstein hadnt the urge to push himself so hard as to create such a monster as he had, none
of the terrible things in his life would have happened.
Characterization: The characterization of Frankensteins creation is an extremely important
aspect of the novel. Victor himself makes the creature out to be the spawn of the devil. The story
shows the being in a completely different light, however. The creature is made to seem like a
child. It was brought into this world and had to make its way on its own. It was shunned and
thrown out onto the street by its father, and it learned to make its way due to its incredible
intelligence and its extreme strength.
Tone: The tone of Victor Frankensteins narration is very dark. He is very angry at the being for
the things he believed it did, and at himself as well for creating such a monstrosity.
Epic characteristics: Victor shows some of the valor and courage characteristic of an Epic Hero.
After his family is all killed by the monster, Victor goes to face it alone. He knows how strong
the creature is, and how steep of a disadvantage he has, but still he goes to try to face it.
Simile: In Chapter 2, Victor narrates The saintly soul of Elizabeth shone like a shrine-dedicated
lamp in our peaceful home.
Metaphor: The entire story is an extended metaphor towards parenting. The being is made out to
be a child who was neglected by his parents and not properly raised.
Hamartia: Victors hamartia is his unquenchable thirst for knowledge and discovery. It was only
because of this that the being came into existence in the first place.
Invocation: "Wandering spirits, if indeed ye wander, and do not rest in your narrow beds, allow
me this faint happiness, or take me, as your companion, away from the joys of life" This is one of

the few examples of invocation in Shelleys Frankenstein, as it calls for the spirits of the dead to
help protect him.
Irony: The creation of Frankensteins being in itself is situational irony. This is because
Frankensteins goal was to create life, but instead he creates a being that takes away life from
others.
Dramatic Irony: There is dramatic irony in the death of Justine Moritz and William. Victor and
his being know that Justine was innocent of little Williams murder, but still she is put to death
for the crime.
Tragic Irony: There is tragic irony as well in the death of Justine Moritz and William. Justine
Moritz is put to death for a crime of which she was innocent, when Victor was telling everyone
all along that she was innocent, but no one would believe him.
Plot: The plot of Frankenstein is extremely complex and convoluted. On the surface it is the
story of a monster killing the family of its creator, but deep down the story is a metaphor for the
birth and neglect of a child.
Crisis: Crisis occurs in Frankenstein first when William is killed. The whole town believes
Justine Moritz commits the crime, but Frankenstein knows the truth. Not only does he know the
truth, but he cant convince anyone else that she is innocent, and is thus put to death for the act.
Setting: The setting changes dramatically as the novel progresses. Victor was born and raised in
Geneva, Switzerland, which is the home of his family and where a good portion of the novel
takes place. However, Frankenstein went to Ingolstadt, Germany to study at a university, which
is where he had experimented and created the being. The beginning of the story, in the letters
from the captain, the voyage began from St. Petersburg, Russia, and he sailed deep into the North
Sea to attempt to find the North Pole.
Climax: The climax of Frankenstein is the murder of Elizabeth Lavenza on the night of her
wedding to Victor.
Denouement: The end of Frankenstein is a loop back to the beginning of the story. Victor dies
after he finishes telling the story, which depresses his creation. The being says he is going to go
kill himself out of remorse, and is never heard from again.
Protagonist: The protagonist is Victor Frankenstein. The story follows him the whole way
through, and he is always the one trying to right the situations that have gone wrong.
Antagonist: The antagonist is Frankensteins being. He is the one throughout the story who is
always causing trouble that the protagonist has to try to fix and resolve.
Satire: Satire is used to ridicule society all throughout Frankenstein. It shows that society is
asphyxiated on looks rather than on the important aspects of someones personality.