Question

Bardzo Proszę o Streszczenie Frankenstein - Mary Shelly po angielsku (tak na poziomie 1 kl liceum, nie zbyt skomplikowanie :) )

Answer 1

The story begins with the introduction of the reader to a Robert Wallace, a sea- captain who is on a voyage to the North Pole in order to find a passage from the Pacific to the Atlantic. He writes to his sister Mrs. Saville in England telling her how it has always been his dream to embark on a journey of this kind and how he is very pleased that his dream has finally materialized. In one of his letters to his sister he mentions how a very strange thing happened.

In the middle of the ocean he sees a sleigh pulled by dogs with a large figure driving it. All the crew is puzzled as to where the man is bound. Then the next day they see yet another sleigh on the brink of destruction as the sea ice has cracked. Wallace rescues him and asks the stranger what he is doing in so desolate a place. He replies that he is tracking the stranger whom they had seen the day before. When the stranger gets to know that Wallace is playing with his life for the sake of science, he decides to tell him his story so that Wallace may change his mind.

He tells Wallace that he hails from a well to do Italian family and his name is Victor. His father had helped an old friend when he was in trouble and falls in love with his daughter Caroline and marries her in spite of the age difference. They have a very happy marriage but Caroline is not in the best of health which is why they travel to many countries and the narrator is born in Italy. For many years he is the only child. Then one day they are in a poor neighborhood and see a beautiful little girl with the brightest golden hair. They find that she is an orphan and lives with a poor family who already have many children of their own to look after and so decide to adopt her and call her Elizabeth Lavenza. They are raised in the Alps of Switzerland and after a while a second son is born to their parents. The narrator describes his childhood as happy and secure. He is an introvert and his main acquaintance is with his class fellow Henry Clerval. Victor develops a passion for science and wants to learn the secret of life. At the age of 13, he reads the work of Cornelius Agrippa and though his father tells him that it is trash he still continues to be fascinated with it. He is sent to Geneva for further studies and devotes all his time to try and search for the elixir of life. He is attracted not by the wealth that would follow but the fame of it all. At the  age of seventeen he is sent to the University of Ingolstadt. Before his departure Elizabeth catches the scarlet fever and his mother nurses her day and night. In the process she catches the fever herself and dies. On her death she tells them how she hopes that someday they will be married. Shortly after he leaves for university. His friend Henry Clerval also wishes to join him but his father is a trader and wants him to follow in the same profession so he does not permit him to accompany Victor.

At the university he is very uncomfortable at first among strangers but soon gets so absorbed in his studies that he forgets everything else. He becomes very interested in Chemistry and becomes a disciple of his Chemistry professor Mr. Waldham. It is Waldham who helped him and cleared his misconceptions about Chemistry. He becomes his star pupil. For two years he does not visit his home or family. Victor continually tries to study what it is that makes a human being alive. He pillages graveyards for specimens and keeps on trying until he finally discovers the secret of life. At first he wonders what he should do next but then he decides that he will create another human being. He gets so absorbed in this work that he even stops corresponding regularly with his family. Finally he creates the being but he is so ugly and repulsive that the moment he comes alive Victor runs away out of fear of what the being will do to him. When he returns he sees that the being has disappeared and is happy that it is out of his sight. But the being continues to haunt his thoughts and he falls very ill. Then one day he sees that his old friend Henry Clerval is come to the university to study there with him. When Henry sees the state that he is in he nurses him day and night and brings him back to health.

Elizabeth writes to Victor and is full of concern for his well being. In her letter she updates them about what has been happening at home. She tells them how their serving girl Justine has been forced to return home to her stepmother until she dies and Justine is now back with them, how Earnest has decided to join the foreign service as soon as Victor returns home and how his younger brother William is also doing well. Henry realizes that Victor seems to have developed some sort of dislike for his scientific instruments and somehow convinces him to study oriental languages with him in order to occupy and distract his mind. Victor is now starting to become his old self once again. They go for a two-week trek to Geneva and this really refreshes Victor’s mind and he is cheerful once again. But on returning home he receives a horrific letter from home saying that his younger brother William has been murdered during an evening walk. Elizabeth had let him wear her locket containing his mother’s picture but that has been stolen from his corpse. Victor’s father urges him to come home as soon as possible and Victors leaves for his hometown with Clerval. He feels an unexplainable fear of returning home. He arrives home amidst a bad storm. Suddenly from behind a clump of trees is illumined the hideous figure of a man who he recognizes as the monster. He immediately realizes that it is this monster that has killed William as no one else could kill such a dear child. When he reaches home he finds that it is the servant girl Justine who is the main accused as she is found missing on the night of the murder and the stolen locket is found on her person. Victor protests her innocence and Elizabeth is also takes his side saying that she will be very miserable if Justine is taken from her.

The trial begins the next morning. At first Justine seems calm and confident about her innocence. Then the witnesses say that she is found near the body of the victim and the locket is found in her coat pocket. When asked about this she answers unintelligibly and gets hysteric when she sees the body of William. Then she says that she had spent the night with an aunt and on the way back was asked by a stranger if she had seen William. She had rushed back to the house to see if he was all right but the gates were already locked so she spends the night in a barn. She pleads that if the body was found near her she had no idea it was so near her and as for the locket she swears she doesn’t know how it got there. Elizabeth pleads her innocence but to no avail and Justine is condemned to death. Then Justine actually makes a confession of the murder. When Victor and Elizabeth go to visit her she tells them that she has confessed a lie in order to avoid excommunication. The next day she is put to death and Victor blames himself because it is because of his creation that two innocents have been killed.

After these events Victor keeps getting pangs of guilt and this effects his health. He begins confining himself to his room and even contemplates suicide. But the thought of Elizabeth being left alone without anyone to protect her from the fiend. The entire house is in mourning and Elizabeth says that her faith in mankind has been shaken because two innocents have been killed and the murdered is still roaming free. He leaves his house and spends time in the Alps hoping that he will be able to deal with the guilt. It is on one of these trips in the alps that he spies the figure of a huge creature moving towards him and realizes that it is the monster he created He is enraged and asks the creature how he dares to approach him. The creature says that he expected this reception but begs the author to listen to his plea before he passes judgment on him.

The monster continues with his story. When he first opened his eyes he was confused by all the different senses and could not distinguish between them. He roams about the forest and discovers water to quench his thirst and berries to fill his stomach. He is dazzled by the sun’s light and enjoys the singing of the birds though he finds that he cannot emulate them. One day he finds a fire left behind by some travelers and learns how to cook. He also enters a cottage and takes refuge there after its occupant sees him and runs away. Then he decides to go in search of a shelter, which will protect him from the elements. He tries entering a house but the neighbors attack him and drive him away. Finally he finds a hovel adjoining a cottage and covers it with straw and starts residing in it. From his refuge he can sees the events taking place in the hut. He sees that there are three occupants in the hut, an old man, his son and his daughter. He sees them eating their dinner and then go to bed.

He feels great pleasure in seeing them interacting in this way and pain at not being able to join them. He starts observing these people and how they live. He sees that they are very poor and that the children sometimes go hungry so that their old father may eat. When he sees this he is very moved and stops stealing their food. He also sees that a great deal of the son’s life is spent in searching for firewood so every night he chops some and leaves it on their doorstep so that he has time to attend to other duties. In time he also masters the language that they speak and awaits the opportunity where he can present himself to them as a loving being rather than a hideous monster.

One day he sees a beautiful lady with dark hair come to the home. He finds out that her name is Safie and she is an Arab. She cannot speak the language and Felix, which is the young man’s name, starts teaching her. In the process the monster also picks up the language and studies other subjects as well. He slowly comes to know about the history of the family. He finds out that the old man is called DeLacy and they are from a well to do family in France. The father of Sahie is the cause of their downfall. The government had imprisoned her father and condemned him to death. It was Felix who had helped him to escape. He had fallen in love with Safie and she also reciprocated his feelings. Seeing this the Arab promises to marry her to Felix. But he breaks his promise and has decided to take Safie with him. But Safie’s mother was a Christian and has made her realize the importance of being independent. She does not like the prospect of going back to Turkey and living an oppressed life. She was keen on marrying Felix so she has left her father and come back to Felix. From the stories he has heard he realizes to love virtue and despise vice. Then one day he comes across three books, Paradise Lost, Plutarch’s lives and Sorrows of Werter. His view of the world is broadened and he learns of high thoughts, domestic manners and gentleness. He finds a parallel with himself and the people in the novel. Sometimes he wonders if he is not like Satan as he feels envy when he sees the happy family. But he feels that he is even worse than Satan because At least Satan has followers and he has none. 

One day when the children are out he approaches the old man as he feels that he is blind and will not be prejudiced by his hideous looks. He tells him that he is a traveler who has no one and then finally tells the old man that his is the family he seeks. The old man is surprised but before he can say anything the children enter and seeing the hideous creature at the old mans feet Felix thinks he means his father harm and beats him. The creature does not fight back even though he is tempted to and rushes back to the safety of his hovel. The next day they all leave the cottage and never return again. He is very upset because the only people he knew had left and gone away. In his anger he burns down the cottage and leaves the place. In his coat pocket he  has found Frankenstein’s papers and address. He now sets out to seek the man who created him in all his wretchedness as he feels that this is the only person who owes him something. He begins his journey towards Geneva, the hometown of his creator. His journey is long and difficult, as it is very cold. 

One day he sees a girl slip and fall into the water and rescues her only to be shot in the shoulder by the rustic with whom she was running. As he nurses his shoulder wound he is angry that this is the reward he has been given for his kindness. When he reaches Geneva, he hides in the forest. It is here he sees William Frankenstein and decides to seize him and educate him as his companion so that he may not be alone. But William is so repulsed by him that he screams out all sorts of hurtful things to him. This angers the creature and when he hears that the boys surname is Frankenstein he gets even more enraged as it is the name of his creator whom he hates. He strangles him and feels a great sense of triumph that he has the power to wreak havoc amongst those who despise him. Then he finds the locket with the picture of Victor’s mother in it and is angry again because he will never enjoy the love of a beautiful woman like her. He enters the barn where Justine is sleeping and realizing that he could never win her love he places the locket in the folds of her dress to frame her for the murder. 

The creature now tells Victor that he will continue to create havoc and kill people unless he makes him a female companion, someone as ugly as himself so that she will love him. He promises Victor that if he does this then he will quit Europe forever and go and live in the jungles of South America, far away from human habitation. At first Victor refuses but seeing no other alternative to stop all the violence he finally agrees. Frankenstein does not begin his work for many weeks. He is repulsed with the idea of creating another monster. He desires permission from his father to travel, as he wants to work but his father thinks that he wants to go away because he does not want to marry Elizabeth and is in love with someone else. Victor reassures him that this is not the case. His father is keen that they get married as early as possible but Victor feels that he must complete the terrible task ahead of him before he can get married. Finally he does obtain the permission of his father to travel because he does not want to work at home and put his family members to risk. His father arranges for Clerval to go with him. They reach England and while Clerval enjoys all the beat and sights around him Frankenstein is only interested in gathering information for his work so that he can get on with his terrible task. 

After some months a common friend invites them to Scotland and they decide to accept his invitation. All along the way he is melancholy. He fears that he has neglected his task for too long. He anxiously waits for letters from home reassuring him that everything is all right and guards Henry very carefully so that no harm should befall him. After some days Victor quits Henry Clerval and goes to a remote part of the Scottish countryside to complete his work. He begins making the female monster with a sense of horror and repulsion. One evening he realizes what his new creation could do to mankind. He wonders if the new monster will hate her ugly mate or whether they will have children. He decides he will never release this scourge on mankind and tears the creation to pieces. Several hours later the creature visits him and confronts Victor about breaking his promise. Victor swears he will never make another creature like him again. Hearing this the creature tells him that though Victor is his creator, he is his master. Then he tells him that he will take his revenge and that he will be with Victor on his wedding night. Victor spends the rest of the night thinking how terrible Elizabeth will feel if he were to be killed. He decides he will not fall without a struggle. 

A letter arrives from Henry begging him to join him in Perth. Victor leaves for Perth and arrives safely on the Irish shores after facing many difficulties. As soon has he lands he is met with hostility by the people and discovers that he is framed for the murder of a man. Some people have seen a man in a boat similar to the one Frankenstein was in the night before after which a fisherman found the body. Mr. Kirwin the magistrate does not know what to believe and takes Victor before the body to see how he reacts. Victor sees that the body is of his dear friend Henry and is very upset. He is carried out of the room in convulsions. A fever ensues for two months and he speaks out everything in his delusional state. When he finally comes to his senses he sees a nurse by his side. The magistrate comes to see him and brings along Victor’s father with him. Victor is overjoyed to see him and asks about the safety of Earnest and Elizabeth. He cries with joy when he hears they are all well. He is acquitted of the murder charges and expresses a wish to return home in spite of his poor health. They reach Paris and Victor confesses to his father that he is the person responsible for the death of all their near and dear ones but his father dismisses it as being a product of his delirious state. As the days go by Victor gets calmer. Then one day he receives a letter from Elizabeth asking him if the reason for his unhappiness is the fact that he loves someone else. She says that if that is the case she will happily leave him to the arms of the one he loves. 

Victor wants to make his father and Elizabeth happy so he decides not to delay his marriage to Elizabeth anymore, even though he knows that his life is at risk. As the wedding nears he begins having fits of madness from which only Elizabeth can soothe him. He promises to his family that he will reveal the source of his sorrow the day after the wedding. All the arrangements are made and the wedding takes place. They leave their hometown and spend the night in another place. Victor is very agitated as he remembers the monster’s threat that he will be with him on the night of his wedding. He doesn’t want Elizabeth to see a grisly combat scene so he bids her to retire before him while he seeks the whereabouts of the monster. Suddenly there is a scream from Elizabeth’s room and Victor runs up to see her lying murdered on the bed. He looks up and sees the creature grinning at him. He fires a shot at him but misses and the creature runs away. He joins the other people in mourning for Elizabeth and then proceeds back to Geneva, as he is very concerned about the safety of his father and brother. He is glad to see that they are safe but when his father hears the sad news about Elizabeth he is overcome with grief and dies soon after. Now Victor reveals his entire story to a magistrate who assures him that he will find the villain. However, he adds that finding a person of such superhuman strength would be difficult. This enrages Victor and he decides that he will hunt him down himself. He is at the cemetery one day mourning over the graves of his loved ones and swears that he will avenge their deaths. Suddenly he hears the laugh of the fiend who says he is very pleased that Victor has decided to live. Victor starts to pursue him determined to kill the creature. 

He tells the sea captain that he has been chasing him for the past many months. The creature keeps providing him with clues as to where he is and taunts Victor with messages inscribed on trees and at times even leaves food for him so that he may live to fight him. For many days Frankenstein does not see him and thinks that the creature has perished in the snow. But one day he sees him traveling across the ice on a sledge pulled by dogs and follows him in the same way. However the weather gets worse and Victor looses all sight of him. The ice cracks and Victor is about to perish when Walton rescues him. Thinking that he will die soon he asks the captain to seek and kill the monster if he comes across him. Walton writes a letter to his sister telling him about  how the entire episode has ended. Walton writes of a dire danger with the ice around the ship. They are basically stuck. If they can free themselves, the crew wants to turn back. Even though he is half conscious, Victor responds to these demands by asking the crew how they can be so easily turned from their design, this "glorious expedition." He basically chastises them for giving up when they are to be hailed as the benefactors of  their species, incurring death for honor and the benefit of others. No one can reply. Frankenstein slips into a sleepy state. Events are quickly determined. The ice has broken, and the ship has turned back towards England. Walton is disappointed to have lost his hopes of glory. More than anything, however, he is sad to have lost his dear friend Frankenstein. 

A few hours before he dies, Victor speaks of his primary inclinations to create a being and look after its happiness. But he says the duties towards his own species were greater. He fairly frees Walton of the promises he thrust upon him by advising him to seek happiness in tranquility and to avoid ambition, that someone may succeed where he failed. Soon after his death, the creature appears by the corpse and converses with his dead creator in front of Walton. He asks for pardon, and says his being is coming to a close. He also states that his suffering has been the greater; he did not enjoy the murders as he was fashioned to be susceptible to love, and his heart underwent torture when it turned violent. One more time the creature reminds the audience that he is alone, and thus his desire remains unfulfilled. He is ready to die, and escapes to create his funeral pyre.

 

 

Wiem, że długie ale krócej nie umiem.