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Letters (Prologue)
The novel begins with a series of letters written by Robert Walton to his sister, Margaret. Walton is an explorer on an expedition to the Arctic. During his journey, he encounters a nearly frozen and exhausted man named Victor Frankenstein. Victor begins to tell his story to Walton.
Chapter 1
Victor Frankenstein recounts his childhood in Geneva, Switzerland. He was born into a wealthy and happy family. He tells of the arrival of Elizabeth Lavenza, who was adopted by his parents. Elizabeth quickly becomes his closest friend and companion.
Chapter 2
Victor describes his love for learning and science. From a young age, he is fascinated by alchemy and natural philosophy, studying works by alchemists like Cornelius Agrippa. His interest in these subjects grows, although his father disapproves of these old-fashioned texts.
Chapter 3
Victor leaves for the University of Ingolstadt in Germany to pursue his education. There, he meets two professors: M. Krempe, who dismisses his interest in alchemy, and M. Waldman, who encourages his scientific pursuits. Waldman’s support fuels Victor's obsession with uncovering the secrets of life.
Chapter 4
Victor becomes obsessed with his experiments, particularly with the concept of creating life. He isolates himself from family and friends, dedicating all his time to his studies. Eventually, he discovers the secret to animating lifeless matter and decides to create a living being.
Chapter 5
Victor completes his creation—a creature made from body parts he assembled. However, upon bringing it to life, he is horrified by the monster's appearance. Overcome with fear and regret, Victor flees from his creation and falls ill. His friend Henry Clerval arrives and takes care of him during his recovery.
Chapter 6
After his health improves, Victor receives a letter from Elizabeth expressing concern for his well-being. Victor introduces Clerval to his professors and begins to recover from the trauma of his creation. He resolves to forget his experiment and return to a normal life.
Chapter 7
Victor receives a letter from his father informing him that his younger brother, William, has been murdered. He returns to Geneva immediately. Upon arriving, he sees the creature lurking near the scene of the crime and realizes that his creation is responsible for William's death.
Chapter 8
A family servant, Justine Moritz, is accused of William's murder. Despite her innocence, she is convicted and executed. Victor feels immense guilt, knowing that the true murderer is the creature he created.
Chapter 9
Victor is consumed by grief and guilt. He isolates himself from his family and contemplates suicide but refrains out of concern for Elizabeth and his family. To find solace, he retreats to the mountains.
Chapter 10
While in the mountains, Victor encounters the creature. The monster confronts him and expresses his misery, blaming Victor for his su ering. The creature requests a meeting in a secluded place where he will tell his side of the story.
Chapter 11
The creature begins to narrate his experiences since his creation. He describes his initial confusion and fear upon becoming conscious and how he was rejected by everyone he encountered because of his appearance.
Chapter 12
The creature observes a poor family, the De Laceys, and learns language and human behavior by watching them. He grows fond of them and secretly helps them by gathering firewood. Despite his kindness, he remains an outcast because of his hideous appearance.
Chapter 13
Chapter 20
Victor begins to create the female monster but destroys it before completing the task, fearing that she might become as malevolent as the first creature or that they might reproduce and create a race of monsters. The creature witnesses this destruction and, in a fit of rage, vows to make Victor su er.
Chapter 21
After destroying the female creature, Victor attempts to return to Geneva but is arrested in Ireland for the murder of Clerval, who has been killed by the creature. Victor is cleared of the crime but is devastated by Clerval's death and becomes gravely ill.
Chapter 22
Victor returns to Geneva, where he marries Elizabeth, hoping to find some happiness. However, he fears the creature's threat that he will be with Victor on his wedding night.
Chapter 23
On their wedding night, the creature kills Elizabeth. Victor is devastated and vows to destroy the creature. His father dies from the shock of Elizabeth’s death, leaving Victor alone and consumed by revenge.
Chapter 24
Victor chases the creature across Europe and into the Arctic, determined to destroy his creation. He becomes obsessed with his pursuit, leading to his encounter with Walton, where he recounts his tragic tale.
Walton's Final Letters
The novel returns to Walton's letters. Walton describes how Victor, on his deathbed, urges him to continue the pursuit of knowledge but also warns of the dangers of ambition. After Victor dies, the creature appears, mourning his creator's death. The creature tells Walton of his su ering and declares his intention to end his own life. He then disappears into the Arctic, leaving his fate unknown.
Frankenstein tells the story of Victor Frankenstein, a young Swiss scientist driven by an obsession to discover the secrets of life. After years of study and experimentation, Victor successfully creates a living being by assembling parts from dead bodies. However, when the creature comes to life, Victor is horrified by its monstrous appearance and abandons it. The creature, left alone and shunned by society due to its hideous appearance, becomes bitter and angry. Initially, it seeks acceptance and understanding but is met only with rejection and cruelty. Over time, the creature's loneliness turns into a deep hatred for humanity and for Victor, who brought it into existence. The creature confronts Victor and demands that he create a female companion to alleviate its su ering. Victor initially agrees but, fearing the consequences of creating another monster, destroys the second creature before it is completed. In retaliation, the creature vows to make Victor su er and kills those closest to him, including his friend Henry Clerval and his bride, Elizabeth. Grief-stricken and filled with guilt, Victor dedicates the rest of his life to hunting down and destroying the creature. The pursuit leads him to the Arctic, where he meets the explorer Robert Walton and recounts his tragic story. Shortly after, Victor dies from exhaustion. The creature, devastated by the loss of its creator and filled with remorse, decides to end its own life, disappearing into the icy wilderness.
Lettere (Prologo)
Il romanzo inizia con una serie di lettere scritte da Robert Walton a sua sorella Margaret. Walton è un esploratore in spedizione nell'Artico. Durante il viaggio, incontra un uomo esausto e quasi congelato, di nome Victor Frankenstein. Victor inizia a raccontargli la sua storia.
Capitolo 1
Victor Frankenstein narra della sua infanzia a Ginevra, in Svizzera. Nasce in una famiglia benestante e felice. Racconta dell'arrivo di Elizabeth Lavenza, adottata dai suoi genitori. Elizabeth diventa subito la sua migliore amica e compagna.
Capitolo 2
Victor descrive il suo amore per lo studio e la scienza. Fin da giovane è a ascinato dall'alchimia e dalla filosofia naturale, studiando testi di alchimisti come Cornelio Agrippa. Nonostante il disappunto di suo padre, la sua passione per questi argomenti cresce.
Victor è tormentato dal dolore e dal rimorso. Si isola dalla sua famiglia e pensa al suicidio, ma desiste per il bene di Elizabeth e dei suoi cari. Alla ricerca di pace, si rifugia sulle montagne.
Capitolo 10
Durante la sua permanenza in montagna, Victor incontra la creatura. Il mostro lo a ronta, esprimendo la sua miseria e incolpando Victor per la sua so erenza. La creatura chiede un incontro in un luogo appartato dove potrà raccontare la sua versione dei fatti.
Capitolo 11
La creatura inizia a raccontare le sue esperienze dalla sua creazione. Descrive la sua iniziale confusione e paura al risveglio, e come sia stato rifiutato da tutti a causa del suo aspetto.
Capitolo 12
La creatura osserva una povera famiglia, i De Lacey, e impara il linguaggio e i comportamenti umani osservandoli. Si a eziona a loro e li aiuta segretamente raccogliendo legna per il fuoco. Nonostante la sua bontà, rimane un emarginato a causa del suo aspetto.
Capitolo 13
La creatura impara di più sulla società umana e sulla cultura attraverso i De Lacey. Si rende conto della sua solitudine e desidera disperatamente avere compagnia. Impara anche a conoscere il dolore del rifiuto e della solitudine.
Capitolo 14
La creatura scopre la storia della famiglia De Lacey e apprende che un tempo erano ricchi ma furono esiliati per aver aiutato un mercante turco. Questa scoperta aumenta la sua ammirazione per loro e il desiderio di essere accettato.
Capitolo 15
La creatura trova un libro e alcuni vestiti nel bosco, tra cui Paradise Lost , che ha un profondo impatto su di lui. Comincia a vedere paralleli tra sé e i personaggi di Adamo e Satana della storia. Decide di rivelarsi alla famiglia De Lacey nella speranza di essere accettato.
Capitolo 16
Quando la creatura si rivela al vecchio cieco De Lacey, l'incontro sembra andare bene. Tuttavia, quando gli altri membri della famiglia tornano e lo vedono, sono inorriditi e lo cacciano. Devastata, la creatura giura vendetta contro l'umanità, specialmente contro Victor, che incolpa per la sua miseria.
Capitolo 17
La creatura chiede a Victor di creare per lui una compagna femminile, qualcuno che lo accetti e lo capisca. Promette di lasciare in pace l'umanità e vivere in isolamento se Victor esaudirà la sua richiesta. A malincuore, Victor accetta.
Capitolo 18
Victor ritorna a Ginevra e pianifica un viaggio in Inghilterra per raccogliere i materiali necessari alla creazione della compagna. Cerca di ritardare il lavoro, ma la creatura gli ricorda costantemente la sua promessa. Victor diventa sempre più ansioso e combattuto riguardo alla creazione di un altro mostro.
Capitolo 19
In Inghilterra, Victor e Clerval viaggiano in Scozia, dove Victor intende completare il lavoro in un luogo isolato. È sopra atto dall'angoscia e dai dubbi sulle conseguenze della creazione di una seconda creatura.
Capitolo 20
Victor inizia a creare il mostro femmina, ma lo distrugge prima di completarlo, temendo che possa diventare malvagia come il primo o che possano riprodursi e creare una razza di mostri. La creatura assiste alla distruzione e, in preda alla rabbia, giura di far so rire Victor.
Capitolo 21
Dopo aver distrutto la creatura femmina, Victor cerca di tornare a Ginevra ma viene arrestato in Irlanda per l'omicidio di Clerval, che è stato ucciso dalla creatura. Victor viene assolto, ma è devastato dalla morte di Clerval e si ammala gravemente.
Capitolo 22
Victor ritorna a Ginevra, dove sposa Elizabeth, sperando di trovare un po' di felicità. Tuttavia, teme la minaccia della creatura, che aveva promesso di essere con lui la notte delle nozze.
