Plot Summary
Which character informed Victor of the unfortunate murder of William?.
This loyal friend is the only one who comforts Victor and shows genuine empathy after hearing about William's death.
Henry Clerval
"'Poor William!' said he. 'Dear lovely child, he now sleeps with his angel mother! Who that had seen him bright and joyous in his young beauty but must weep over his ultimate loss! To die so miserably, to feel the murderer's grasp... One only consolation have we; his friends mourn and weep, but he is at rest.' (Shelly 77).
Who attempts to defend Justine at her trial?
Elizabeth
"But when I see a fellow creature about to perish through the cowardice of her pretended friends, I wish to be allowed to speak, that I may say what I know of her character... For my own part, I do not hesitate to say that, notwithstanding all the evidence produced against her, I beleive and rely on her perfect innocence" (Shelley 88).
What emotion haunts Victor after Justine’s death?
Despair or guilt (either works).
This tragic event brings Victor back to Geneva in Chapter 7.
William's murder
This person, beloved by the Frankensteins, is wrongly blamed for William’s death.
Justine Moritz.
Why does Justine "confess" to the crime?
Her confessor pressures her and hopes confession will ease her soul and save her from damnation.
"'I did confess, but I confessed a lie. I confessed, that I might obtain absolution; but now that falsehood lies heavier at my heart than all my other sins. The God of heaven forgive me! Ever since I was condemned, my confessor has besieged me; he threatened and menaced, until I almost began to think that I was the monster that he said I was" (Shelley 91).
Victor contemplates suicide but stops because of this remaining obligation.
His responsibility to his family—especially Elizabeth and his father.
"But I was restrained, when I thought of the heroic and suffering Elizabeth, whom I tenderly loved, and whose existence was bound up in mine. I thought also of my father and survivng brother; should I by my base desertion leave them exposed and unprotected to the malice of the fiend whom I had let loose among them?" (Shelley 95-96).
Victor sees this figure near the site of William’s murder, making him suspect who the killer is.
The creature (Victor spots him near the crime scene, illuminated by lightning).
What natural occurrence (setting detail) is used to symbolize the destructive power of nature and Victor's devastating consequences?
Lightning.
"... I perceived in the gloom a figure which stole from behind a clump of trees near me; I stood fixed, gazing intently; I could not be mistaken. A flash of lightning illuminated the object and discovered its shape plainly to me; its gigantic stature, and the deformity of its aspect, more hideous than be..." (Shelley 79).
How does Elizabeth react to the guilty verdict at Justine's trial?
She is devastated, insists Justine is innocent, and condemns the injustice.
Who does Victor blame as the true cause of William and Justine's death?
Himself, or in other words, his own creation of the monster.
"I, not in deed, but in effect, was the true murderer" (Shelley 97).
Justine is accused of killing William after this piece of evidence is found on her.
William’s locket (the miniature) found in Justine’s pocket.
Why would Victor immediately assume the creature is responsible for Williams' death when spotted near the crime scene?
His deep-seated fear and guilt over creating the creature, combined with the timing and circumstances of the murder
"Two years had now nearly elapsed since the night on which he received life, and was this his first crime?" (Shelley 80).
Victor refuses to reveal the truth about the creature because he fears this.
He fears being seen as insane and not believed.
"This was strange and unexpected intelligence; what could it mean? Had my eyes deceived me? And was I really as mad as the whole world would believe me to be if I disclosed the object of my suspicions?" (Shelley 89-90).
Where does Victor find temporary peace from his feelings of despair and guilt?
Nature. More specifically, the Summit of Monanvert (The Alps).
"The very winds whispered in soothing accents, and maternal Nature bade me weep no more" (Shelley 99).
In Chapter 9, Victor’s family travels here to rest after Justine’s execution.
Belrive
What theme is reinforced when Victor realizes he may be indirectly responsible for William’s death?
Responsibility for one’s creations / the consequences of unchecked ambition.
What could be the purpose of Justine's character in regard to Mary Shelley's life?
Justine is seen as an innocent victim of societal injustice, reflecting Shelley's loss of her own children and judgment from society as a young mother.
What contrast does Shelley create between Victor's internal misery and the natural world around him?
Shelley contrasts Victor's deep internal guilt and despair with the beauty, power, and tranquility of the natural world.