Question 1

SOURCE TEXT:
Read the following extract from Chapter 17 of Frankenstein and then answer the question which follows.

In this extract, the creature asks Frankenstein to create a companion for him.

'You must create a female for me, with whom I can live in the interchange of those sympathies necessary for my being. This you alone can do; and I demand it of you as a right which you must not refuse to concede.'
The latter part of his tale had kindled anew in me the anger that had died away while he narrated his peaceful life among the cottagers, and, as he said this, I could no longer suppress the rage that burned within me.
'I do refuse it,' I replied; 'and no torture shall ever extort a consent from me. You may render me the most miserable of men, but you shall never make me base in my own eyes. Shall I create another like yourself, whose joint wickedness might desolate the world! Begone! I have answered you; you may torture me, but I will never consent.'
'You are in the wrong,' replied the fiend; 'and, instead of threatening, I am content to reason with you. I am malicious because I am miserable. Am I not shunned and hated by all mankind? You, my creator, would tear me to pieces, and triumph; remember that, and tell me why I should pity man more than he pities me? You would not call it murder if you could precipitate me into one of those ice-rifts, and destroy my frame, the work of your own hands. Shall I respect man when he contemns me? Let him live with me in the interchange of kindness; and, instead of injury, I would bestow every benefit upon him with tears of gratitude at his acceptance. But that cannot be; the human senses are insurmountable barriers to our union. Yet mine shall not be the submission of abject slavery. I will revenge my injuries: if I cannot inspire love, I will cause fear; and chiefly towards you my arch-enemy, because my creator, do I swear inextinguishable hatred. Have a care: I will work at your destruction, nor finish until I desolate your heart, so that you shall curse the hour of your birth.'
A fiendish rage animated him as he said this; his face was wrinkled into contortions too horrible for human eyes to behold; but presently he calmed himself and proceeded.
'I intended to reason. This passion is detrimental to me; for you do not reflect that you are the cause of its excess. If any being felt emotions of benevolence towards me, I should return them a hundred and a hundred fold; for that one creature's sake, I would make peace with the whole kind! But I now indulge in dreams of bliss that cannot be realised. What I ask of you is reasonable and moderate; I demand a creature of another sex, but as hideous as myself; the gratification is small, but it is all that I can receive, and it shall content me. It is true we shall be monsters, cut off from all the world; but on that account we shall be more attached to one another. Our lives will not be happy, but they will be harmless, and free from the misery I now feel. Oh! my creator, make me happy; let me feel gratitude towards you for one benefit! Let me see that I excite the sympathy of some existing thing; do not deny me my request!'

QUESTION:
Starting with this extract, explore how Shelley presents the effects of loneliness and isolation in Frankenstein.

Write about:
• how Shelley presents the effects of loneliness and isolation in this extract
• how Shelley presents the effects of loneliness and isolation in the novel as a whole.

Accepted Answer

1. Begin by analysing the creature's argument in the extract. Focus on his explanation for his malice ('I am malicious because I am miserable') and his desperate desire for a companion.
2. Formulate a thesis about how Shelley presents isolation as a primary cause of monstrosity and suffering for both Victor and his creation.
3. Structure your essay to discuss the effects of isolation on the creature first. Trace his journey from hopeful 'newborn' to vengeful outcast.
4. Then, dedicate paragraphs to Victor's self-imposed isolation, showing how his secrecy and guilt separate him from human society.
5. Compare and contrast the isolation of the two characters. In what ways are their experiences similar or different?
6. Conclude by summarising how the novel serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of rejecting social responsibility and companionship.

Question 2

What mistakes do candidates make on this AQA GCSE question?

Accepted Answer

A common mistake is to focus only on the creature's loneliness and neglect Victor's isolation. A strong answer must discuss both characters. Another error is to simply blame Victor for everything without exploring the creature's own choices and actions. The novel's moral landscape is complex, and your analysis should reflect that.

How to approach this question

Full Answer

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