Chapter+2

Chapter 2

Childhood friends and memories :) "No human being could have passed a happier childhood than myself" (Shelley 39).

In chapter two, Victor's life is near perfect. Victor's family consists of Alphonse and Caroline, Victor's parents, and Elizabeth and William, his siblings. The family of five live in a house near Belrive. Victor's closest friend growing up is Henry Clerval. Victor finds a book by Cornelius Agrippa, and through it realizes his own desire to learn natural philosophy. One night, as Victor recalls, a fierce thunderstorm brews. The storm is so fierce that a bolt of lightning strikes a stump and obliterates it. Names of contributors? Trent, Malcolm


 * Allusions:**

None in this Chapter

Weather- Weather is a motif because whenever weather is present bad things occur. For example, the night that it storms so violently in Victor's childhood, a tree very near to Victor's home is struck by lightning. Say more here.
 * Motifs/Symbols:**
 * Motifs**

In this chapter, Victor talks about how lightening has struck near his home and how much of an uneasy feeling he gets when he sees this. Lightening is a symbol that sort of foreshadows what is to come in Victor's future when he sees lightening. It also symbolizes how Victor will be affected when he is around it. How will he be affected?
 * Symbol**

Happiness is probably the main theme in this chapter because Victor's childhood is where his happiest moments occur. In this chapter Victor is talking about how he spent his childhood days with his family, and how pleasant these days were. While reading this chapter, the only thing you can think of is how happy and wonderful his childhood was. This chapter also foreshadows how this type of happiness cannot last, and you see later in the book that it doesn't. What else? What do you learn about the Frankenstein family dynamics?
 * Themes:**

Victor begins the chapter as a joyous young child. He changes from a blissful young boy to one that has a thirst for knowledge. Victor realizes, as he recalls for Walton, that his imminent desire to learn foreshadows his own demise. Elizabeth plays a significant role in changing Victor's perception.
 * Character Development:**

"I feel exquisite pleasure in dwelling on the recollections of childhood, before misfortune had tainted my mind, and changed its bright visions of extensive usefulness into gloomy and narrow reflections of myself." (Mary Shelly) This quote basically is saying how much his childhood pleased him when thinking about it, and how now things are not nearly as happy and worth reminiscing about as they once were.
 * Significant Quotes and explanations:**

"Natural philosophy is the genius that has regulated my fate" This quote shows how philosophy has led him into the making of his creation and his eagerness to discover new things.


 * Art Gallery: What do these pictures signify? **