Mary Wollstonecraft died days after Mary Shelley's birth. How does that fact sharpen a major concern in Frankenstein?

Shelley had little formal schooling but educated herself by reading in her father's library. Which part of Frankenstein best connects to that context?

Before writing Frankenstein, Shelley had lost an infant daughter. What concern in the novel does that context help illuminate?

Mary Shelley was the daughter of William Godwin and Mary Wollstonecraft, both writers of radical ideas. What does that background help explain?

Wollstonecraft argued for women's education, and Shelley grew up reading her work. Which connection to Frankenstein is strongest?

Shelley began Frankenstein at eighteen while surrounded by older, famous male writers. Which claim avoids a common authorship error?

The cold, rainy summer of 1816 kept the Geneva circle indoors. What literary event grew out of that setting?

At Villa Diodati, Byron's challenge asked the guests to write ghost stories. What came from Mary Shelley's attempt?

Shelley's 1831 introduction describes a waking dream after talk of life and animation. What image from that dream became central?

The Villa Diodati circle included Byron, Percy Shelley, Mary Shelley, Claire Clairmont, and John Polidori. Which statement is accurate?

The group read ghost stories and discussed new science before Shelley found her idea. How does that origin shape Frankenstein?

When Frankenstein first appeared in 1818, how did its title page identify the author?

Readers compare the 1818 Frankenstein with the revised 1831 edition. What is the best publication-history takeaway?

Percy Shelley wrote the preface to the anonymous 1818 edition. What should a careful reader conclude?

The 1831 edition includes Shelley's introduction explaining the novel's origin. How should that introduction be treated?

The subtitle The Modern Prometheus recalls the Titan punished for giving fire to humanity. What does the allusion emphasize?

Why is Victor often read as the novel's 'modern Prometheus'?

In the subtitle, what does the word 'modern' add to the Prometheus allusion?

Prometheus can be seen as a benefactor, but Victor abandons his creation. What contrast does the subtitle invite?

Which feature is specifically signaled by the subtitle The Modern Prometheus?

Luigi Galvani's experiments made dead frogs' legs twitch with electricity. How does that context function in Frankenstein?

Public demonstrations in Shelley's era sent current through dead animals or bodies. Which reading does that context support?

Galvanism and Volta's battery belonged to fast-changing science around 1800. What does that help explain about Victor's studies?

Frankenstein hints at instruments and a 'spark' of life but withholds technical details. What is the effect of that craft choice?

Some thinkers in Shelley's time debated whether life was a material process or a special vital principle. How does Frankenstein use that debate?