Storytime for Grownups with Faith Moore

Episode: Frankenstein: Chapters 11-12
Date: October 2, 2025

Episode Theme & Purpose

Faith Moore continues her immersive reading of Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, covering Chapters 11 and 12. In these pivotal chapters, listeners are introduced to the narrative voice of Victor Frankenstein's creation—often mistakenly called a mindless monster. Faith not only reads from the original text but weaves in insightful literary notes and thought-provoking commentary, inviting listeners to reconsider who the true "monster" of the story is. This episode is aimed at helping readers appreciate the depth and humanity within Shelley's work, contrasting popular culture's Frankenstein with the original literary creation.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Programming and Upcoming Reads

• Faith updates listeners on the podcast's timeline, noting that the reading of Frankenstein will conclude on October 30th, just before Halloween (02:30).
• An early “Christmas Spectacular” season is announced, starting November 3rd, immediately following Frankenstein. The specific book is teased to be revealed in a trailer on October 18th (03:45).
• Faith encourages listeners to subscribe and participate in the community, sharing how to engage through reviews, recommendations, and merch (04:46).

2. Recap of Recent Events in 'Frankenstein'

• Victor is overwhelmed by guilt for the indirect deaths caused by his creation and seeks solace in the French Alps (06:53).
• The monster confronts Victor, demonstrating unexpected eloquence and humanity, and begs Victor to listen to his story—setting the stage for today’s chapters (07:43).

3. Listener Reflections and the 'True Monster' Debate

• Faith reads audience letters that question the very nature of monstrosity in Frankenstein:
  • Donald expresses surprise at the monster’s eloquence, challenging stereotypes (08:00).
  • Angela finds Victor more frightening than the creature, noting “maybe that's why…the book is named after Frankenstein, not the being he created” (08:28).
  • Linda compares Victor’s obsession with an addiction, noting his destructive quest for creation (08:50).
• These reflections drive Faith’s main analysis: Who is the real monster—Victor or his creation?

4. Literary Analysis and Thematic Commentary

• Faith emphasizes how the creature's eloquence and emotional depth overturn cultural perceptions:
  • “The moaning, inarticulate zombie man…this sort of non human human, the Halloween version of Frankenstein's monster…is just not in this book. Surprise.” (09:36)
  • The creature evokes sympathy by detailing his abandonment and capacity for love, referencing Milton’s Paradise Lost to frame himself as both Adam and the "fallen angel" (15:45).
• Notable quote:
  • Faith, quoting the monster: “I ought to be thy Adam, but I am rather the fallen angel whom thou drivest from joy for no misdeed.” (15:47)
• Faith discusses the creature’s plea and agency, recognizing that, while he has killed, “he wasn’t an evil being to begin with. He has done evil deeds because of the treatment he received.” (12:45)
• Faith draws parallels to Beauty and the Beast, highlighting the human desire to look beyond exterior appearances, and recognizing how easily society casts out those who seem different (17:33).

5. Victimhood, Responsibility, & Mirroring

• Faith explores Victor’s own sense of being undone, noting the narrative symmetry between Victor and the creature, both lamenting their isolation and ruined hopes (21:10).
  • Victor: “I had begun life with benevolent intentions…and now all was blasted.” (21:22)
• This mirroring invites listeners to view both characters as tragic and, in some measure, responsible for their fates.

6. Nature vs. Creation

• The episode emphasizes the theme of nature’s restorative power versus the unnatural horror of Victor’s experiment, underscoring Shelley’s portrayal of God—not man—being the only true creator (24:55).
  • Victor: “The sound of the river…spoke of a power mighty as omnipotence. And I cease to fear or to bend before any being less almighty than that which had created and ruled the elements here displayed…” (25:09)

Chapters 11 and 12: Summary & Literary Notes

The Monster’s Story (Read-Aloud and Faith’s Notes)

Awakening and First Experiences

• The creature recounts his first confused sensations, learning gradually to discriminate light, hunger, cold, and pleasure. He finds joy in fire and food, but quickly suffers from cold and loneliness. His childlike wonder and pain are shared in evocative language (26:19–29:00).
• Notable quote:
  • “I was a poor, helpless, miserable wretch. I knew and could distinguish nothing…but feeling pain invade me on all sides, I sat down and wept.” (27:00)

Encounters with Humanity and Rejection

• He enters a shepherd’s hut, is attacked in a village, and takes shelter in a hovel adjoining a cottage. This is both a literal and symbolic representation of being on the margins of human society (30:00–32:00).

Learning through Observation

• Through a crack in the wall, he observes a family (“the cottagers”). He is captivated by their beauty, kindness, and music, longing to be accepted and loved (34:30–39:00).
• He adopts small acts of kindness: ceasing to steal their food, anonymously chopping their wood, aiming to earn their favor (42:00–45:00).
• The monster learns words and slowly acquires language, observing the deep affection within the family and feeling both joy and sorrow at the intensity of their bonds, which he cannot share (47:00–53:00).

Realization of His Own Difference

• He finally sees his reflection and recoils in horror at his own appearance, understanding why people reject him (56:12).
• Notable quote:
  • “When I became fully convinced that I was in reality the monster that I am, I was filled with the bitterest sensations of despondence and mortification.” (56:12)
• He continues his acts of service, hoping one day he might reveal himself to the cottagers and be accepted for his inner goodness rather than his appearance (59:02).

Emergence of Hope amid Despair

• Spring brings hope: “My spirits were elevated by the enchanting appearance of nature. The past was blotted from my memory, the present was tranquil, and the future gilded by bright rays of hope and anticipations of joy.” (61:00)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Creature’s Threat:
  • “I will glut the maw of death until it be satiated with the blood of your remaining friends.” (11:35)
• On Victor’s Responsibility:
  • “For the first time also, I felt what the duties of a creator towards his creature were, and that I ought to render him happy before I complained of his wickedness.” (19:01)
• On longing for connection:
  • “Believe me, Frankenstein, I was benevolent; my soul glowed with love and humanity. But am I not alone, miserably alone?... What hope can I gather from your fellow creatures who owe me nothing? They spurn and hate me.” (16:35)
• On the power of kindness and language:
  • “I gradually saw plainly the clear stream that supplied me with drink and the trees that shaded me…I could distinguish the insect from the herb and by degrees, one herb from another…but the uncouth and inarticulate sounds which broke from me frightened me into silence.” (29:00–30:20)

Timestamps for Important Segments

| Timestamp | Segment/Content | |-----------|----------------------------------------------------------| | 00:00 | Podcast introduction & October schedule update | | 06:36 | Recap of previous chapters | | 08:00 | Listener letters and “Who is the monster?” debate | | 15:45 | Analysis: Creature as Adam or the fallen angel | | 21:10 | Symmetry between Victor and the creature | | 24:55 | Nature vs. God and Victor’s unnatural act | | 26:19 | Read-aloud: Monster’s narration begins (Ch. 11) | | 34:30 | Discovery of the cottage family; observation begins | | 47:00 | Monster’s acquisition of language | | 56:12 | Realization of his ugliness and despair | | 61:00 | Closing: Hope and conclusion of the reading |

Tone & Engagement

Faith brings warmth, insight, and a gently playful humor to her analysis, never shying away from deep literary questions but making the experience accessible and inviting. She encourages listeners to empathize with the monster, to reflect on larger ethical questions, and to participate with their own thoughts.

Listener Action & Invitation

• Faith encourages further engagement: listeners are invited to write in with questions or reflections on the chapters for possible inclusion in the next episode (61:08).
• She closes with a call to action: subscribe, review, share with friends, check the show notes for community links and merch, and support the independent podcast if possible.

In Summary:
This episode marks a turning point in Frankenstein, as listeners are invited to see through the monster’s eyes, experience his loneliness, innocence, and yearning for connection, and reconsider the true source of monstrosity in Mary Shelley's classic. Faith Moore’s blend of narration and commentary is welcoming, thoughtful, and deeply engaging—ideal for readers rediscovering or encountering the novel for the first time.