The Gothic Universe

Here we give you some quick notes for the extracts from Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein that can be found in The Gothic Universe by Marianne Mortensen et al. 

Summary of Chapter 5 

This extract is told from Victor Frankenstein’s point of view. At this point, he is studying at university and has become obsessed with the idea of creating life, working on it for two years. 

On a dark, rainy November night, Frankenstein succeeds in animating the dead body which he has constructed using body parts from corpses. However, his excitement turns to horror at the result. Despite Frankenstein having carefully selected its features, the creature looks repulsive and wrong. Frankenstein runs to his bedroom in shock. 

In his sleep, he dreams of his beloved Elizabeth and his mother dying. He awakes to see the creature reaching for him, smiling. Frankenstein escapes. 

In the morning, Frankenstein takes no responsibility for the thing he has created and he tries to hide by walking around the streets. He runs into his best friend, Henry Clerval. Frankenstein is afraid to tell him about the creature, but ends up having a nervous breakdown that morning, although the creature has gone. 

Clerval then n...