FRANKENSTEIN Discussion Questions for High School ELA

These Frankenstein discussion questions are designed for grades 9–12 ELA. The 60 questions below are organized into four reading sets that align with the standard four-part reading schedule. A whole-novel set and six essential questions follow for end-of-unit discussion and Socratic seminar.

Pre-reading discussion questions
Set 1: Letters and Chapters 1–5
Set 2: Chapters 6–12
Set 3: Chapters 13–19
Set 4: Chapters 20–24
Whole-novel discussion questions
Essential questions for Frankenstein

Pre-reading Discussion Questions for Frankenstein

The Frankenstein anticipation guide is the best starting point for pre-reading discussion. Students respond to statements on ambition, revenge, scientific advancement, appearances, responsibility, nature vs. nurture, and more — all of the novel’s central concerns — before they encounter them in the text.

Frankenstein Anticipation Guide — Free PDF — FREE

Frankenstein Discussion Questions: Set 1

Letters 1–4 and Chapters 1–5

What type of person is Captain Walton? What motivates him in his dangerous endeavor?
What is Walton’s impression of his new friend, Victor Frankenstein?
What is Victor like as a child? How is he different from the other children? What clues are there about his future?
Why do you think young Victor is so interested in unlocking the secrets of nature?
Why does Dr. Frankenstein’s view on his creation change so suddenly and severely?
How might Dr. Frankenstein have handled the situation differently?
Why doesn’t the doctor explain the secrets of his discoveries?
Is Frankenstein’s mistake due to fate or his own choices? How culpable is he?
Why do you think Shelley chose to frame the story of Dr. Frankenstein within the story of Captain Walton?
How would you describe Shelley’s writing style? Use examples in your answer.
How does Shelley create anticipation and tension for the story?
Why does Shelley include multiple references to “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner”?

Frankenstein Discussion Questions: Set 2

Chapters 6–12

Why do you think Victor feels “tormented” by discussions of science and his accomplishments? What is the root of this anguish?
What is Victor’s relationship to the natural world?
What are some instances where Dr. Frankenstein is irresponsible?
Why does Victor hesitate to return to his hometown when his journey is nearing its end?
How does Shelley describe the appearance of the monster? Why does she give us such a vague picture?
What reasons does Dr. Frankenstein offer for keeping the truth of William’s murder to himself? Do you believe his reasons?
In what ways does Victor accept responsibility? In what ways does he deny it?
Can we believe everything the doctor says? What should we question?
Based on the novel so far, what does Shelley think of the justice system?
Choose an excerpt that demonstrates Shelley’s word choice — figurative language, imagery, mood, or tone — and analyze it.
How does Shelley use descriptions of natural scenes in the novel?
Describe the personality of the creature. Is he what you expected? Use examples from the novel in your response.
Based on Frankenstein alone, what does Mary Shelley think of humanity? Use examples from the text in your answer.
What are Dr. Frankenstein’s key personality traits?

Frankenstein Discussion Questions: Set 3

Chapters 13–19

How would you describe the personality of the creature?
What experiences mold the monster’s personality?
How might the creature have turned out differently under different circumstances?
Which excerpt gives the best example of Shelley’s use of imagery?
In what ways does the story of the De Lacey family fit with the conventions of Romantic literature?
Why does Shelley explore the books found by the creature? Are they important?
What insight does the creature gain from Plutarch’s Lives?
What insight does the creature gain from The Sorrows of Young Werther?
What insight does the creature gain from Milton’s Paradise Lost?
Which of the three books makes the greatest impression on the creature? Explain.
In your opinion, how does the creature perform in his attempt to introduce himself to the De Lacey family?
Why does Shelley include the incident with the drowning girl?
Why do you think the murdering of William satisfies the creature so?
What reason does the monster give for punishing Justine? What is his logic?
How does the creature persuade the doctor to create a companion?
How does Clerval compare to Dr. Frankenstein?
How is Shelley using allusions to Paradise Lost to impact the reader?

Frankenstein Discussion Questions: Set 4

Chapters 20–24

Do you find the doctor’s thoughts and actions frustrating? Explain.
Why does the doctor decide to destroy his second creature?
Do you believe that the doctor really fell asleep in the sailboat? Explain.
Is there anything incredible — hard to believe — about where the monster leaves Clerval’s body?
Romantic authors often include extreme cases of coincidence. Choose one from the novel to examine.
In what ways is the doctor courageous? In what ways is he cowardly?
How does Shelley build suspense leading up to Elizabeth’s murder?
Why doesn’t the doctor protect Elizabeth on their wedding night?
Analyze one reference to the Bible used in Frankenstein.
How does the magistrate respond to the doctor’s request for help?
In what ways do the doctor and the creature mirror one another?
What evidence is there that the doctor is insane? Could it all be his fantasy?
How does the creature aid the doctor in his pursuit? Why does he do this?
Who suffers more, the doctor or the creature? Explain.
Did you find the resolution of Frankenstein satisfactory? Why or why not?
Does the doctor truly take responsibility for his actions? Explain.
Does the captain make the right choice in cancelling the voyage? Explain.
Explain the relevance of Shelley’s full title, Frankenstein; Or, The Modern Prometheus.
What is the most important theme of Frankenstein?

Whole-Novel Discussion Questions for Frankenstein

These questions work best after students have finished the novel. They require students to consider the whole arc of the story, compare characters across the full text, and form and defend interpretations of Shelley’s themes and craft. They work well for a final discussion session, a Socratic seminar, or a culminating conversation before a written assessment.

Who is the real monster in Frankenstein — Victor or the creature? Defend your position with evidence from across the novel.
By the end of the novel, in what ways are Victor Frankenstein and his creature more similar than they are different?
Is Victor Frankenstein a reliable narrator? What should the reader question, and why?
Does Mary Shelley want the reader to sympathize with the creature? What evidence supports your view?
What is Shelley’s central argument in Frankenstein? State it as a theme statement and explain how she develops it across the novel.
Which character in the novel do you find most morally complex? Explain your reasoning using specific evidence.
How does Shelley use the natural world throughout Frankenstein? What does nature represent, and how does its role shift across the novel?
Frankenstein is often called the first science fiction novel. Based on the novel itself, what does Shelley think of scientific ambition? Has her warning aged well?
Does Victor Frankenstein ever genuinely accept responsibility for his actions, or does he always find a way to assign blame elsewhere? Use specific evidence from across the novel.
Consider the novel’s frame structure: Captain Walton tells us the story of Victor, who tells us the story of the creature, who tells us the story of the De Lacey family. What does Shelley gain by structuring the novel this way?
How does Shelley portray women in Frankenstein? What patterns do you notice across the characters of Caroline, Elizabeth, Justine, Safie, and Agatha?
The creature requests a companion and argues that Victor owes him the chance at happiness. Was Victor right to destroy the second creature? Defend your position.
Shelley wrote Frankenstein at nineteen, having already lost a child and lived a life far outside conventional society. How does knowing this change the way you read the novel?
If you were Captain Walton, would you have believed Victor’s story? What would have convinced you?
What does Frankenstein suggest about the relationship between isolation and suffering? Which characters illustrate this most clearly?

Essential Questions for Frankenstein

These overarching questions connect to Shelley’s key themes across the entire novel. They work well as the basis for Socratic seminar, extended discussion, or essay prompts.

How dangerous is ambition?

Victor warns Captain Walton about thoughtless ambition — yet when the Arctic voyage seems about to be abandoned, he is furious. Despite everything he has experienced, the doctor cannot help but admire and encourage the pursuit of greatness. Shelley is not simply warning against ambition. She is showing how seductive it is even to those who know better.

Should scientific advancement be feared?

The Romantics questioned the value of scientific progress and industrialization. After reading about galvanism experiments, Shelley wondered what results might follow. As a cautionary tale about the unintended consequences of scientific achievement, Frankenstein is widely considered the first modern science fiction novel. The question it poses is still unresolved.

What can be gained through revenge?

By the final chapters, both the creature and his creator are consumed by revenge. The monster has succeeded in making the doctor as wretched and obsessed as himself. Both die. Neither gains any satisfaction. Shelley’s answer to this question is not subtle.

Can humans ever go beyond appearances?

Shelley uses the creature to argue that appearances are misleading — that society’s judgment of him based on his deformity is unjust and destructive. At the same time, she presents Elizabeth and Justine as beautiful because they are virtuous, and virtuous because they are beautiful. Shelley is more conflicted on this question than she may intend to be.

Do experiences determine personality?

The theories of Locke and Rousseau shaped Shelley’s thinking on personality development. The creature begins life as a tabula rasa — a blank slate — and demonstrates the innate goodness Rousseau believed in. His experiences then mold him into something else entirely. Shelley’s position is not that nature is irrelevant. It is that nurture can override it.

How important is companionship to well-being?

The doctor makes himself miserable through isolation and unwholesome pursuits. The creature believes that a single companion would guarantee his happiness. Shelley returns to this theme through the frame narrative, through the De Lacey family, through Clerval, and through the symbolic settings of frozen seas and desolate islands. For Shelley, isolation is not just unpleasant. It is unnatural and destructive.

The formatted discussion questions with Socratic seminar guidance, discussion structures, and standards alignment are part of the Frankenstein Lesson Plans product. For the complete unit including 21 lessons, reading quizzes, and a final test, see the Frankenstein Unit and Teacher Guide.