Chapter's 1-10 (Victor's POV) - Entry #2


In Chapters 1-10, the author introduces the two major characters, Victor Frankenstein and the Creature, as well as several minor characters including Elizabeth Lavenza, Henry Clerval, and Justine Moritz. While these chapters follow Victor’s point of view, whom we find out is the stranger on board Robert Walton’s ship, the minor characters play just as a pivotal role in the story as Victor does. The three minor character’s I’ve chosen were all part of Victor’s childhood and hometownlife in Geneva, prior to his studies in Ingolstadt.
To begin, Victor Frankenstein falls within several archetype roles to include the mad scientist and the creator god. Before his departure to Ingolstadt, however, he was primarily an intellectual interested in sciences and philosophy. To exemplify Victor’s studious character before his obsession with the creature, “From this day natural philosophy, and particularly chemistry, in the most comprehensive sense of the term, became nearly my sole occupation. I read with ardour those works, so full of genius and discrimination, which modern inquirers have written on these subjects” (29), thus, he was merely a student, passionate about his field of study. However, once he did create the monster, his interests deteriorate to guilt and madness as he states, “I had desired it with an ardour that far exceeded moderation; but now that I had finished, the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart” (35). I find this aspect of Victor’s character to be a reflection of human nature. We often find ourselves intensely obsessed over subjects, objects, or even people that sometimes our obsession clouds true wants; thus, when we get whatever it is that was desired, we no longer want it.
Concurrently, I find the minor character’s in Victor’s life, primarily Henry and Elizabeth, to be sort of reflections of himself. For example, Elizabeth and their friendship is described by Victor as “Harmony was the soul of our companionship, and the diversity and contrast that subsisted in our characters drew us nearer together. Elizabeth was of a calmer and more concentrated disposition; but, with all my ardour, I was capable of a more intense application, and was more deeply smitten with the thirst of knowledge.” (18). Elizabeth portrays Victor’s calmer and compassionate side, being the pure, kind woman she is and seen as “The saintly soul [that]... shone like a shrine-dedicated lamp in our peaceful home. Her sympathy was ours; her smile, her soft voice, the sweet glance of her celestial eyes, were ever there to bless and animate us. She was the living spirit of love to soften and attract” (20).
Similarly, Henry is also seen as the generally kind and optimistic fellow, complementing Victor’s personality with juxtaposition but similarity. They both have a thirst and drive for knowledge, “Meanwhile Clerval occupied himself, so to speak, with the mortal relations of things. The busy stage of life, the virtues of heroes, and the actions of men were his theme; and his hope and his dream was to become one among those whose names were recorded in story, as the gallant and adventurous benefactors of our species.” (19). When Henry and Victor reunite in Ingolstadt, Henry clearly sees Victor’s distress and madness, thus takes care of him until he is restored, briefly, to sanity and health. “He knew that I could not have a more kind and attentive nurse than himself; and, firm in the hope he felt of my recovery, he did not doubt that instead of doing harm, he performed the kindest action that he could towards them.” (39).
While Elizabeth is seen as the radiantly pure and kind heart, Justine Moritz is recognized as an innocent who went through great misfortune. We learn about Justine through Elizabeth’s letters to Victor stating, while Justine was treated poorly by her own family after her father’s death, she was asked to be a servant in the Frankenstein home as Elizabeth says “My aunt observed this, and when Justine was twelve years of age, prevailed on her mother to allow her to live at our house… A servant in Geneva does not mean the same thing as a servant in Franke and England. Justine, thus received in our family, learned the duties of a servant; a condition which, in our fortunate country, does not include the idea of ignorance, and a sacrifice of the dignity of a human being… When my dearest aunt died, every one was too much occupied in their own grief to notice poor Justine, who had attended her illness with the most anxious affection.” (41). Similarly, Justine nursed her own mother who also ended up dying, as well as all her brothers and her sister. After the announcement of William’s death, Victor rushes back to Geneva to find his family in deep grief and Justine blamed for the murder while Victor is quite certain it was, in fact, his creature that murdered his brother. Furthering the innocent bystander trope character, Justine is found guilty and sentenced to death row for a crime Victor and Elizabeth do no believe she committed.  
Finally, the character the novel is famously known for, the creature is also introduced within these first ten chapters. The eerie weather of “the rain pattered dismally against the panes” (35) is an obvious cue to the reader that the creature follows a spooky atmosphere. The first scene with the creature is when Victor realizes he is indeed coming to life, “I saw the dull yellow eye of the creature open; it breathed hard, and a convulsive motion agitated its limbs… His limbs were in proportion, and I had selected his features as beautiful.” (35). The physical features, quite different from pop culture's description of Frankenstein, are the first things the reader is taught about this character. When Victor frantically leaves the monster alone in his apartment and returns to find it gone, the creature disappears from the reader’s knowledge and the story focuses on the human beings in the novel. However, the reappearance of the monster is right before Victor’s return to his home, thus, he is sure his creation is the cause of his brother, William’s, death.

The concluding chapter 10, is the most the reader is exposed to the creature thus far. Victor, on a trip in the mountains to refresh his soul, is confronted by his monster and is willing to destroy him right then and there. However, the creature, seeking more sympathy than a few blows that Victory would probably fail at since the creature is stronger, asks simply for Victor to listen to his tale. Ironically, while Victor was seeking peace in the mountains he was confronted with the one thing, or rather obsession, that drove him mad several times to begin with. The setting surely emphasizes this statement but the creature’s almost calm and collected disposition to have his maker listen to him shows he is more than just a “monster” but something capable of greater understanding. “How can I move thee? Will no intreaties cause thee to turn a favourable eye upon thy creature, who implores thy goodness and compassion? Believe me, Frankenstein: I was benevolent; my soul glowed with love and humanity; but am I not alone, miserably alone?” (69), is a perfect example how while the reader knows the creature is a supposed to be a sort of “monster”, we really don’t know much about him at all. I began to feel sympathy for him and felt compelled to reevaluate if he even was a monster or if the use of that word to describe him through the novel thus far has formed my opinion. The following chapters follow his narrative, since he does manage to persuade Victor to listen to story, which will hopefully answer the questions of his whereabouts and actions.

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