Question 44·Medium·Command of Evidence
In Chapter 5 of Mary Shelley's 1818 novel Frankenstein, Victor Frankenstein reacts immediately after bringing his creature to life: he is consumed by terror and remorse over what he has done.
Which quotation from Frankenstein most effectively supports this claim?
For questions asking which quotation best supports a claim, first restate the claim in your own words and pull out the key ideas (for example: timing, emotions, cause/effect). Then scan the answer choices and quickly eliminate any that are about a different time, focus on description rather than the point of the claim, or mention the wrong kind of emotion. From the remaining options, choose the one that most directly and strongly matches all parts of the claim, especially precise emotional or tonal words that align with it.
Hints
Focus on what the claim is saying
Underline the important parts of the claim: it’s about Victor’s immediate reaction right after the creature comes to life and how he is consumed by very strong negative emotions toward what he has done.
Look for emotion, not just description
Check each option and ask: does this line show how Victor feels, or is it mainly describing the creature’s body or the time spent working?
Check the timing of each quote
Some lines may describe Victor’s feelings during his work or before the creature comes to life. You need the one that clearly reflects his feelings after the creature is alive.
Match key ideas: terror and remorse
Among the options that show emotion, look for the one that best matches strong horror and regret at the result of his actions, not just nervousness or effort while he is still working.
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand the claim in the question
The claim says that right after Victor brings the creature to life, he is consumed by terror and remorse over what he has done.
Break that into key ideas:
- Timing: It must be an immediate reaction, right after the creature comes to life.
- Emotion: It must show very strong negative feelings—terror, horror, disgust, regret, or remorse.
We need the quotation that most clearly matches both of these.
Scan for quotes that show Victor’s feelings (not just description)
Look at each answer and ask: Does this tell us how Victor feels right after the creature lives, or is it about something else?
- Some choices might describe the creature’s body (appearance), not Victor’s emotions.
- Some might describe Victor’s work process or time passing, not his reaction.
- Some might describe earlier anxiety while working, not his feelings afterward.
Eliminate any option that does not clearly state Victor’s strong emotional reaction in that moment.
Eliminate options that don’t match both timing and emotion
Go through the specific choices:
- “His yellow skin scarcely covered the work of muscles and arteries beneath.” This focuses on the creature’s physical appearance, not on Victor’s emotional reaction.
- “I beheld the accomplishment of my toils with an anxiety that almost amounted to agony.” This shows anxiety before or at the moment of success, not the horror and regret he feels after seeing the living creature.
- “Winter, spring, and summer passed away during my labours; but I did not watch the blossom or the ripening corn.” This is about how long he worked and what he neglected, not his reaction when the creature finally lives.
These three do not fully match the claim of immediate terror and remorse.
Identify the quotation that directly shows immediate horror and regret
The remaining quotation is:
“The beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart.”
This line:
- Clearly happens right after the creature comes to life (the “dream” of his project disappears in that moment).
- Uses strong emotional words—“horror” and “disgust”—to show Victor is overwhelmed by terror and revulsion at what he has done, capturing the idea that he is consumed by terror and remorse.
Therefore, this is the quotation that most effectively supports the claim.