Question

narrators
guiding questions:

• what do you learn about this narrator when reading from their point of view?
• what (if anything) do you learn about the other narrators when reading from another narrator’s point of view?

	narrator: robert walton	narrator: victor frankenstein	narrator: the monster
what do you learn about victor frankenstein from this narrator?
what do you learn about the monster from this narrator?

Explanation:

To answer these questions, we analyze each narrator's perspective in Frankenstein:

1. What do you learn about Robert Walton from this narrator?

• From Robert Walton’s narration: He is an ambitious explorer, yearning for glory (e.g., discovering the North Pole), and values friendship/connection (shown in his letters to his sister, expressing loneliness and excitement at meeting Victor).
• From Victor Frankenstein’s narration: Walton is a kind, empathetic listener who becomes invested in Victor’s story, sharing Victor’s thirst for knowledge but also showing compassion for Victor’s suffering.
• From The Monster’s narration: Walton is a secondary figure, but his role as the “frame” narrator highlights his role in preserving Victor’s tale—he is curious, idealistic, and ultimately chooses empathy over his own ambitions (abandoning the expedition).

2. What do you learn about Victor Frankenstein from this narrator?

• From Robert Walton’s narration: Victor is tormented, isolated, and driven by guilt (he warns Walton about the dangers of ambition). He is also deeply passionate and brilliant (a gifted scientist) but broken by his creation.
• From Victor Frankenstein’s narration: He is arrogant (believing he can “create life”), tormented by hubris, and racked with guilt over the deaths his creation causes. He is also a tragic figure, haunted by his mistakes and desperate for redemption.
• From The Monster’s narration: Victor is a neglectful creator, cruel (abandoning the Monster), and responsible for the Monster’s suffering. He is selfish (prioritizing his own horror over the Monster’s humanity) but also pitiable in his grief.

3. What do you learn about the Monster from this narrator?

• From Robert Walton’s narration: The Monster is terrifying (described as a “demon”), but Walton also sees his humanity (Victor’s sorrow and the Monster’s final remorse). He is a tragic figure, pitied by Walton.
• From Victor Frankenstein’s narration: The Monster is a grotesque, murderous “fiend” who destroys Victor’s life. Victor views him as an abomination, ignoring his humanity.
• From The Monster’s narration: He is a sensitive, intelligent being, yearning for love and acceptance. He is a victim of neglect (abandoned by Victor) and society’s cruelty, driven to violence by isolation and rejection. He shows remorse and complexity (not purely evil).

Answer:

1. Robert Walton:

• From himself: Ambitious, lonely, idealistic explorer.
• From Victor: Kind, empathetic, curious about knowledge.
• From Monster: Secondary, frame narrator preserving Victor’s story.

2. Victor Frankenstein:

• From Walton: Tormented, guilty, brilliant but hubristic.
• From himself: Arrogant, grief - stricken, tragic figure.
• From Monster: Neglectful, cruel creator, pitiable in grief.

3. The Monster:

• From Walton: Terrifying but pitiable, tragic.
• From Victor: Grotesque, murderous fiend.
• From himself: Sensitive, intelligent, victim of neglect.