At the end of Frankenstein Victor Frankenstein dies wishing that he could destroy the Monster he created. But the novel's powerful climax reveals that this is far more than a simple scary story: it is a meditation on the universal human emotions of ambition and revenge. And yet Walton describes the shocking gentleness with which the creature takes up Victor's body. The monster has shown him the other side of ambition, and he finds that the glory is not worth the pain; the thrill is not worth the terror. Overcome with despair, sickness, and exhaustion, Victor dies once his story is finished. Near the end of term, as Victor and Clerval wait to travel back to Geneva, they take a tour around Germany which rekindles Victor's love of nature and raises his spirits. The climax of Mary Shelley's 1818 masterpiece Frankenstein does far more than bring a spine-tingling horror story to a close. For some readers, the fact that the Monster grows and changes while Frankenstein continues in his destructive behavior to the end suggests that Frankenstein is the villain of the novel and bears ultimate responsibility for everything that has happened. Upon hearing the crew's demands, Victor is angered and, despite his condition, gives a powerful speech to them. {{courseNav.course.mDynamicIntFields.lessonCount}} lessons Yes, he is diabolical. Visit the Frankenstein Study Guide page to learn more. It's no coincidence that the novel ends on the barren ice of the Arctic. Successful early on, the mission is soon interrupted by seas full of impassable ice. The lady's shrieks bring Frankenstein running, another struggle ensues, and the creature fades away, overcome by Frankenstein's love for his sweetheart, in a mystical ending characteristic of no other production of Frankenstein in this century. All rights reserved. imaginable degree, area of To learn more, visit our Earning Credit Page. By contrast, the Monster demonstrates that he has learned a great deal over the course of the book. In a series of letters, Robert Walton, the captain of a ship bound for the North Pole, recounts to his sister back in England the progress of his dangerous mission. At the end of Frankenstein Victor Frankenstein dies wishing that he could destroy the Monster he created. His whole family destroyed, Victor decides to leave Geneva and the painful memories it holds behind him forever. Plot Summary. Even when poor Justine is executed. © copyright 2003-2021 Study.com. The novel's Arctic ending reveals those vital questions that many humans grapple with: what price am I willing to pay for my ambition? He tracks the monster for months, guided by slight clues, messages, and hints that the monster leaves for him. He was borne away by the waves and lost in darkness and distance. Frankenstein ends where it began: in the Arctic Circle, aboard Robert Walton's ship. Having trouble understanding Frankenstein? Letters from home go unanswered for long periods of time, and he delays sending … Anyone can earn The next morning, they encounter another sledge stranded on an ice floe. While Frankenstein dies feeling disturbed that the Monster is still alive, the Monster is reconciled to death: so much so that he intends to commit suicide. Select a subject to preview related courses: In Victor's ambition was also an ingratitude for what he already possessed. Create your account, Already registered? Justine, a servant of the Frankenstein household, is inadvertently framed for the crime by the creature and hanged by a lynch mob before anyone can prove her innocence. The two strike up a friendship (Walton is very lonely an… When is the cost too dear? Frankenstein is a frame narrative, in which the story begins and ends in roughly the same time and place, with most of the real action having occurred in the past. Frankenstein’s death suggests that he has not learned much from his own story. At the end of Frankenstein, Walton describes the monster's last move: He sprang from the cabin window as he said this, upon the ice raft which lay close to the vessel. Get all the chapter details and important facts in this free summary! Study.com has thousands of articles about every The Creature tosses Henry and he survives. Years later a wild boy is found, born from the immortal heart. Walton tells how Victor proves his tale by producing the letters of Felix and Safie. Walton then makes up his mind for good. Get the Thug Notes BOOK here! The creature himself endured a life of cold misery. Victor has been rescued by Walton, a sea captain obsessed with discovering a northern passage to the Atlantic, no matter the cost. Get the unbiased info you need to find the right school. The monster and Victor finish their conversation in a hut on the slopes of Montanvert. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley looks at what happens when one man decides to play God. This is a wronged and foolish child trying one last time to do what Victor, when he was alive, did not permit the creature to do: to be a part of a family, to behave as sons should. The novel is presented as an epistolary nested narrative, following the first-person accounts of Captain Walton, Victor Frankenstein, and the … flashcard set{{course.flashcardSetCoun > 1 ? But with Frederick and the monster swapping parts of their brains and personalities, things will never be the same. This, more even than the devouring cold of the Arctic, is what ends his life. This presents Walton with a far different view of the monster than Victor's story had permitted. Frankenstein’s death suggests that he has not learned much from his own story. 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Sociology 110: Cultural Studies & Diversity in the U.S. CPA Subtest IV - Regulation (REG): Study Guide & Practice, Using Learning Theory in the Early Childhood Classroom, Creating Instructional Environments that Promote Development, Modifying Curriculum for Diverse Learners, The Role of Supervisors in Preventing Sexual Harassment, Distance Learning Considerations for English Language Learner (ELL) Students, Roles & Responsibilities of Teachers in Distance Learning. Summary. Frederick joins Ilsa in matrimony. It is a story that has captured audiences' imaginations for two centuries, but the novel is far more than a blood-curdling good time. ( 24.71) The monster speaks and acts as a grieving son would. Because of them, everyone Victor loved was murdered. Frankenstein is a novel by Mary Shelley that was first published in 1818. Written in the form of an epistolary novel, or story told through letters, Frankenstein is also a frame narrative, beginning and ending in roughly the same time and place, in the Arctic aboard Robert Walton's ship, with most of the action occurring in flashbacks. 7 chapters | A chase ensues as Victor tries to capture and kill the creature who has tormented him for several years. The Monster’s decision to kill himself also confirms the importance of companionship. A few days after the Creature vanishes, the ship becomes trapped in pack ice, and several crewmen die in the cold before the rest of Walton's crew insists on returning south once it is freed. What is the Difference Between Blended Learning & Distance Learning? Everyone gets a nice reward at the end of Young Frankenstein. We know that the Monster is clever and persuasive: it’s possible that he announces his intention to kill himself so that Walton won’t pursue him. Walton has traveled to Russia to fulfill his lifelong dream of embarking on a voyage to the Arctic, where he hopes to make important scientific discoveries. The novel ends shortly after Victor's death, when his creature boards Walton's ship and claims Victor's body with all the tenderness and reverence of a grieving son. Earn Transferable Credit & Get your Degree. After sailing steadily north for a while, Walton and his crew find themselves surrounded by ice and witness a strange sight: a huge man in a dogsled sp… Log in here for access. Mary Shelleys Frankenstein begins with a series of letters from English explorer Robert Walton to his sister, Margaret Saville. Frankenstein is able to achieve his dream. credit by exam that is accepted by over 1,500 colleges and universities. It all boils down to relationships. Summary Read a Plot Overview of the entire book or a chapter by chapter Summary and Analysis. The novel is also an epistolary novel, meaning that it is told in the form of fictional letters from Walton to his sister. Sticking close to the original novel, Director Sir Kenneth Branagh guides us through the story of Frankenstein's quest for … Frankenstein and the Scientific Revolution. The Frankenstein family servant, Justine, is accused of killing him. Victor magically intuits that his monster is the real killer, but thinking that no one would believe the "my monster did it" excuse, Victor is afraid to even propose his theory. Elizabeth pairs off with the monster. This lesson is a summary of chapter 23 from Mary Shelley's ''Frankenstein''. Shortly after Victor dies, the monster, who apparently has been monitoring his creator all along, boards Walton's ship. Final Letters. The monster was the physical embodiment of Victor's ambition. The creature turns into a monster when Dr. Frankenstein rejects him. Victor chases the monster from Geneva south to the Mediterranean Sea. Victor lives for his work and throws himself into his pursuit so much that he shuts off all contact with the outside world. Victor views nature as a Romantic poet would: sublime, impenetrable, free from the burdens of fallible human life. The Beginning of the End: The Climax of Frankenstein. Summary and Analysis. Summary. Frankenstein's end goal is to show that he can make this stitched together being alive, in essence not reanimating a dead person, but rather making a live human as this creature was not human to begin with. | 2 Thus, the frame structure turns the novel into a meditation on a question, a question with which many human beings grapple at some point: how far do I go for the sake of my ambition? It is in just such a macabre outing that we first spot him, with his little hunchbacked assistant Fritz (Dwight Frye), hoping … The creature abducts Victor and demands that he make a companion for him, promising to leave his creator in peace in return. Not sure what college you want to attend yet? Angered by these taunts, Victor continues his pursuit into the ice and snow of the North. All other trademarks and copyrights are the property of their respective owners. Summary. Victor finds no relief at the end of Justine 's trial. He claims the right of a child to perform his final duties toward a lost parent. While on this expedition (which has been a lifelong dream of his), Walton corresponds with his sister by letter. In seeking more, he threw away what he had. This important chapter is where the monster confronts his maker with an all or nothing proposition:"make me a mate or I will destroy you." Victor recognizes in Walton the same foolhardy ambition that destroyed his own life and he tells Walton his story to spare Walton a similar fate. Once the mysterious traveler has somewhat recovered from his weakness, Robert Walton begins to talk to him. This is not a story spoken into the wind, a narrative written on dead paper. Services. The townspeople … It is a series of letters written to the sister Walton returns to in the end. His actions ultimately lead to his own downfall. Summary and Analysis Final Letters. Victor had described the monster as a fiend, a demon, the scourge, or divine punishment, for Victor's ambition and hubris, or excessive pride. The man, Victor Frankenstein, offered to tell Walton his story. Robert Walton, an English adventurer, undertakes an expedition to the North Pole. He has outgrown anger, envy and vengefulness. Create an account to start this course today. first two years of college and save thousands off your degree. Dr. Victor von Frankenstein creates a simple creature from various body parts. http://bit.ly/1HLNbLNJoin Wisecrack! I have myself been blasted in these hopes, yet another may succeed.” Rather than learning from his mistakes, Frankenstein compounds one mistake after another, leading to his death. Use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. Victor leaves Geneva forever, goaded on by the monster's laughter. Near the end of WWII, Germans transport the immortal heart of Frankenstein's monster to Japan, where it is seeming lost in the bombing of Hiroshima. At the end of Victor's narrative, Captain Walton resumes telling the story. This also relates in important ways to the epistolary form: the novel begins with Walton expressing his desire for a friend who understands him, and it ends with his decision to return home to the family who loves him. Robert Walton, the captain of a ship bound for the North Pole, writes a letter to his sister, Margaret Saville, in which he says that his crew members recently discovered a man adrift at sea. He uses this knowledge to form a hideous monster, which becomes the source of his misery and demise. 97 lessons | {{course.flashcardSetCount}} Right … Important Quotes from Frankenstein: Analysis, Quiz & Worksheet - Climax of Frankenstein, Over 83,000 lessons in all major subjects, {{courseNav.course.mDynamicIntFields.lessonCount}}, Frankenstein Frame Story Summary & Analysis, Biological and Biomedical Amid the ice floes, Walton and his crew find an extremely weary man traveling by dogsled. Victor dies on Captain Walton 's ship while running from the monster. Frankenstein Introduction + Context. Sciences, Culinary Arts and Personal This is not the inhuman monster of Victor's narrative. Terri Beth has taught college writing and literature courses since 2005 and has a PhD in literature. In the second summer Victor loses touch with his family. He recognizes that with Frankenstein dead, he is alone in the world, and he believes that without a companion there is no point in living. Victor tells Walton to learn from his mistakes, that knowledge for evil ends leads to disaster. Frankenstein's incredible Arctic ending reveals what has lain at the heart of the novel all along: the corruptions of ambition and the complexities of revenge. Log in or sign up to add this lesson to a Custom Course. The monster is brutal in his murderous revenge, but his attitude toward Victor's death also reveals him to be a wounded child, finally permitted to be whom his creator never gave him a chance to be: a son. With his final words, Frankenstein even takes back his earlier warning about the dangers of too much ambition: “Yet why do I say this? At the end of Frankenstein, Victor and the monster both come to death. In her 1818 novel Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus, Mary Shelley presents one of the most unforgettable sci-fi horror stories of all time, the tragic tale of Victor Frankenstein and his monstrous creation. Frankenstein ends where it began: in the Arctic Circle, aboard Robert Walton's ship. Haunted by the thoughts of how he ruined so many lives, he cannot sleep or rest. The townspeople go after The Creature (Boris Karloff) because of Maria's death. 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Learn what happens in Chapter 2 of Frankenstein when Victor develops an interest in science. And with that comes a whole host of other questions: what and whom do I sacrifice to get what I want? credit-by-exam regardless of age or education level. flashcard sets, {{courseNav.course.topics.length}} chapters | Trapped, Walton encounters Victor Frankenstein, who has been traveling by dog-drawn sledge across the ice and is weakened by the cold. But we see in this final scene a different image of the monster. Walton takes him aboard ship, helps nurse him back to health, and hears the fantastic tale of the monster that Frankenst… However, other readers have pointed out that Walton doesn’t actually see the Monster kill himself. Victor had long ago hardened his heart against his creation, but even before this he had grown cold to all but his ambition. Get access risk-free for 30 days, To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member. 's' : ''}}. Here's an in-depth analysis of the most important parts, in an easy-to-understand format. Summary: Chapter 24. As a frame narrative, the novel begins and ends with the same question: should Walton pursue his reckless ambition to discover a northern passage to the Atlantic, even if he must risk his life and the lives of his crew in the process?