Frankenstein · Chapter
Chapter XX explained
Victor Frankenstein, alone in his laboratory on a remote island, reflects on the consequences of creating a female companion for the Creature.
What happens
Victor Frankenstein, alone in his laboratory on a remote island, reflects on the consequences of creating a female companion for the Creature. Tormented by visions of a race of devils and the potential for greater evil, he destroys the half-finished female creature. The Creature confronts him, threatening revenge and vowing to be with Victor on his wedding night. Victor resolves to defy the Creature, cleans his laboratory, and prepares to leave the island after receiving a letter from Henry Clerval urging him to travel south together.
Themes in this chapter
Creation and Responsibility
Victor grapples with the moral implications of creating a female companion, ultimately destroying his work to prevent a potential race of devils, highlighting the theme of creator responsibility.
Revenge and Destruction
The Creature vows revenge after Victor destroys the female creature, threatening to be with Victor on his wedding night, driving the narrative toward destruction.
Isolation and Loneliness
Victor's solitude on the island and the Creature's lament of being alone without a mate underscore the theme of isolation and the longing for companionship.
Characters to notice
- Victor Frankenstein
Victor destroys the female creature, confronts the Creature, and resolves to defy his demands despite the threat to his wedding night.
- The Creature
The Creature observes Victor's work, confronts him after the destruction, threatens revenge, and vows to be with Victor on his wedding night.
- Henry Clerval
Henry sends a letter to Victor, urging him to leave the island and join him in Perth for a journey south.
- Elizabeth Lavenza
Victor thinks of Elizabeth's sorrow if he dies on his wedding night, motivating him to struggle against the Creature.
Key passages
“I was now about to form another being, of whose dispositions I was alike ignorant; she might become ten thousand times more malignant than her mate, and delight, for its own sake, in murder and wretchedness.”
Victor fears that the female creature could be far more evil than the male, taking pleasure in violence.
Victor's moral hesitation about creating a female companion.
“Slave, I before reasoned with you, but you have proved yourself unworthy of my condescension. Remember that I have power; you believe yourself miserable, but I can make you so wretched that the light of day will be hateful to you. You are my creator, but I am your master;—obey!”
The Creature asserts his power over Victor, threatening to make his life unbearable if he does not comply.
The Creature's shift from reasoning to threats, asserting dominance.
“I will be with you on your wedding night.”
The Creature vows to appear and cause harm on the night Victor marries.
The Creature's ominous promise that foreshadows tragedy.