1. Briefly summarize what we learn about Victor’s family and background. Remember, we are trying to see how things from his childhood would affect him to build the man he becomes.
In chapter one and two we learn several things about Victor's family and background. We learn that he was born and raised in Switzerland into a family of merchants. His Father marries late has he is a very career minded person, and ends up betrothing his friends daughter. His life long friend Beaufort loses all his riches and is forced to live in poverty, due to this poverty he gets very depressed and eventually passes away from his grief. When this happens his Father feels obligated out of duty to take his daughter Caroline into his care, and ends up marrying her. After Victor is born, and they take a family trip to see the Italian countryside. Due to being an only child for so long he becomes spoiled. During there trip they find a beautiful blonde girl that has been orphaned by her family, and Caroline decides to bring home and make her the daughter they never had and Victor's future wife. Victor and Elizabeth become the best of friends, along with their schoolmate Henry Clerval. Victor finds a novel written by Cornelius Agrippa, this begins his love for natural sciences. It did not take him long to branch out to other natural scientists such as Paracelsus and Alberta Magnas.
2. We see some immediate evidence of this old concept that people ARE their looks, or rather, that their looks are their personalities. Look for this in these chapters and evaluate.
The immediate evidence we see that people are there looks when Caroline discovers Elizabeth on the Italian countryside. Elizabeth is seen as an angel in a sense, because of her fragile features, blond hair and white comp-lactation. If you follow the mind set that people are their looks, then Elizabeth is pure.
3. Compare the personalities and essential nature of each of the three young friends - Victor, Henri Clerval and Elizabeth. A chart would be handy for this.
Elizabeth Beaufort and Henry Clerval were kind loving people. they were loyal to their friends even in the worst situations. For example, Justine accused of murder, and Victors insanity after making the monster. Victors unlike these two. He is greedy and self centered. He let Justine be accused of murder when he knew it was his creation. Also, he expected his creature to be more than he is. He abandoned it because he wasn't good enough.
4. Do some research and give me a brief outline of the three thinkers whom Victor studied in his youth: Cornelius Agrippa, Paracelsus and Albertus Magnus.
Cornelius Agrippa (1486- c.1535) was a philosopher and scientist with a deep interest with magic, astrology and other supernatural aspects. He was a critic of the church system and argued for a return to the old and new testaments as the basis of christian teachings. Paracelsus (1490-1451) was a renowned physician in the first century. Due to his studies in medicine he contributed a large amount of understanding and treatment of disease. He had a great interest in alchemy and was thought to be a fake who relied on magic and superstition as much as he did science. Albertus Magnus (c.1205- c.1278) was a very versatile scholar whose work ranged from philosophy and theology to psychology and natural science. He had a strong opinion that experimental science and christian faith were able to co-exist together without conflict. He was excused of using sorcery and magic instead of theology.
5. Describe Victor’s interest in these thinkers and consider why they appealed to him.
Victor's main interest in these thinkers was that they all were thought to use supernatural powers such as magic in their work. Magic is something that is not understood and goes against the natural way of life, defying God. Due to Victor's obsession to defeat, which goes against the natural way of life, he is appealed to this supernatural possibility of anything.
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