Frankenstein: Quiz on Letters 1 & 2

Instructions: Answer the following questions based on Walton's opening letters in Frankenstein.

Multiple Choice

1. Who is Robert Walton writing his letters to?
A) His mother
B) His sister, Margaret Saville
C) His friend Victor
D) His captain

2. From which city does Walton write his first letter?
A) London
B) Moscow
C) St. Petersburgh
D) Archangel

3. What is the main goal of Walton's expedition?
A) To find treasure
B) To discover a passage near the North Pole and uncover the secret of the magnet
C) To map South America
D) To rescue a lost ship

4. Whose library of voyage stories first inspired Walton's love of exploration as a child?
A) His father's
B) His sister Margaret's
C) His Uncle Thomas's
D) His lieutenant's

5. Why did Walton not become a sailor earlier in life?
A) He was afraid of the sea
B) His father's dying wish forbade his uncle from allowing it
C) He couldn't afford it
D) He failed the training

6. What personal ambition did Walton pursue and fail at before turning back to exploration?
A) Becoming a doctor
B) Becoming a poet like Homer or Shakespeare
C) Becoming a lawyer
D) Becoming a painter

7. What allowed Walton to finally afford his expedition?
A) A loan from the government
B) His inheritance from a cousin's fortune
C) Selling his family estate
D) Winning a prize at sea

8. According to Letter 2, what does Walton say he lacks most on his voyage?
A) Money
B) Food and supplies
C) A friend who can sympathize with him
D) Sailors

Short Answer

9. Describe the story Walton tells about his ship's master and the young Russian lady. What does this story reveal about the master's character?

10. In Letter 2, Walton admits he is "self-educated" and feels "illiterate" compared to schoolboys. Explain why he feels this way, using details from the text.

11. Based on Letters 1 and 2, what qualities does Walton say he is looking for in an ideal friend? Why might this desire be important to keep in mind as the novel continues?

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Answer Key

1. B) His sister, Margaret Saville
2. C) St. Petersburgh
3. B) To discover a passage near the North Pole and uncover the secret of the magnet
4. C) His Uncle Thomas's
5. B) His father's dying wish forbade his uncle from allowing it
6. B) Becoming a poet like Homer or Shakespeare
7. B) His inheritance from a cousin's fortune
8. C) A friend who can sympathize with him

1. Sample answer: The master had loved a young Russian woman, but when he learned she loved someone else (who was poor), he gave up his claim to her, gave the poor rival his farm and remaining prize money, and even convinced her father to let them marry. This reveals the master to be selfless, kind-hearted, and honorable.

1. Sample answer: Walton explains that he ran wild as a child and only read his Uncle Thomas's voyage books until age fourteen. He only discovered great poets afterward and never formally studied other languages or subjects, so at 28 he feels less educated than many 15-year-old schoolboys, even though his imagination and ambitions are grand.

1. Sample answer: Walton wants a friend who is gentle yet courageous, has a cultivated and capacious mind, shares his tastes, and can help "regulate" his overly ardent and impatient nature. This desire matters because it foreshadows Walton's later relationship with Victor Frankenstein, whom he may see as this longed-for companion.