20

Chapter 20

FRANKENSTIEN
WRITTEN BY MARRY SHELLEY

Submitted By Rahma Khan

FRANKENSTEIN - CHAPTER 20

REPORT CONTENTS

Introduction
01
Summary, Analysis

Theme
02
Basic theme

Family, Society and Isolation

03

Mrs. Monster
04
Ambition and Fallibility

Prejudice, Revenge, Lost Innocence

05

01/10
FRANKENSTIEN - CHAPTER 20

INTRODUCTION
SUMMARY, ANALYSIS

02/10
 SUMMARY
Frankenstein - Chapter 20

While working one night, Victor begins to think about what might happen after he finishes his creation.
He imagines that his new creature might not want to seclude herself, as the monster had promised, or
that the two creatures might have children, creating “a race of devils . . . on the earth.” In the midst of
these reflections and growing concern, Victor looks up to see the monster grinning at him through the
window. Overcome by the monster’s hideousness and the possibility of a second creature like him, he
destroys his work in progress. The monster becomes enraged at Victor for breaking his promise, and at
the prospect of his own continued solitude. He curses and vows revenge, then departs, swearing that he
will be with Victor on his wedding night.

The following night, Victor receives a letter from Henry, who, tired of Scotland, suggests that they
continue their travels. Before he leaves his shack, Victor cleans and packs his chemical instruments and
collects the remains of his second creature. Late that evening, he rows out onto the ocean and throws
the remains into the water, allowing himself to rest in the boat for a while. When he wakes, he finds that
the winds will not permit him to return to shore. Panicking, in fear for his life, he contemplates the
possibility of dying at sea, blown far out into the Atlantic. Soon the winds change, however, and he
reaches shore near a town. When he lands, a group of townspeople greet him rudely, telling him that he
is under suspicion for a murder discovered the previous night.
FRANKESTIEN - CHAPTER 20 04/10

ANALYSIS

The monster might have been grinning in joy The monster now sees Victor only as its
at the sight of its companion. But Victor's enemy, as "Man," and vows revenge. Victor's
superficial prejudice is too powerful. He once fear for his own life shows he doesn't
again betrays the monster's trust and understand the monster's true misery:
sentences it to permanent isolation. isolation.

Victor panics in the boat because he fears A cliffhanger ending; it seems likely the
being cut off from land, from human society. It monster has already taken some revenge, but
is the same fear as the monster's, but Victor's how?
prejudice doesn't let him recognize it.
“BEGONE! I DO BREAK MY

PROMISE: NEVER WILL I CREATE

ANOTHER LIKE YOURSELF, EQUAL

IN DEFORMITY AND WICKEDNESS.”

VICTOR FRANKENSTIEN

FRANKENSTIEN - CHAPTER 20 08/10

BASIC THEME

"Shall each man," cried he, "find a wife for his bosom,
and each beast have his mate, and I be alone? I had
feelings of affection, and they were requited by
detestation and scorn. Man! You may hate, but beware!
Your hours will pass in dread and misery, and soon the
bolt will fall which must ravish from you your happiness
forever. Are you to be happy while I grovel in the
intensity of my wretchedness? You can blast my other
passions, but revenge remains -- revenge, henceforth
dearer than light or food! I may die, but first you, my
tyrant and tormentor, shall curse the sun that gazes on
your misery. Beware, for I am fearless and therefore
powerful. I will watch with the wiliness of a snake, that I
may sting with its venom. Man, you shall repent of the
injuries you inflict."

The monster loses his faith in Victor, changing the

dynamic of the relationship between the creator and the
created, when he killed his mate.

05/10

FRANKENSTEIN - CHAPTER 20
"VILLAIN! BEFORE YOU SIGN MY

DEATH-WARRANT, BE SURE THAT

YOU ARE YOURSELF SAFE."

VICTOR FRANKENSTIEN

FRANKENSTIEN - CHAPTER 20 08/10

 FRANKENSTEIN - CHAPTER 20

FAMILY, SOCIETY AND ISOLATION

In its preface, Frankenstein claims to be a novel that gives a

flattering depiction of "domestic affection." That seems a strange
claim in a novel full of murder, tragedy, and despair. But, in fact, all
that tragedy, murder, and despair occur because of a lack of
connection to either family or society. Put another way, the true evil
in Frankenstein is not Victor or the monster, but isolation. When
Victor becomes lost in his studies he removes himself from human
society, and therefore loses sight of his responsibilities and the
consequences of his actions. The monster turns vengeful not
because it's evil, but because its isolation fills it with overwhelming
hate and anger. And what is the monster's vengeance? To make
Victor as isolated as it. Add it all up, and it becomes clear that
Frankenstein sees isolation from family and society as the worst
imaginable fate, and the cause of hatred, violence, and revenge.

06/10
 AMBITION AND FALLIBILITY

Through Victor and Walton, Frankenstein portrays human

beings as deeply ambitious, and yet also deeply flawed. Both
Victor and Walton dream of transforming society and bringing
glory to themselves through their scientific achievements. Yet
their ambitions also make them fallible. Blinded by dreams of
glory, they fail to consider the consequences of their actions.
So while Victor turns himself into a god, a creator, by bringing
his monster to life, this only highlights his fallibility when he is
completely incapable of fulfilling the responsibilities that a
creator has to its creation. Victor thinks he will be like a god,
but ends up the father of a devil. Walton, at least, turns back
from his quest to the North Pole before getting himself and his
crew killed, but he does so with the angry conclusion that he
has been robbed of glory. Neither Victor nor Walton ever
escapes from their blinding ambitions, suggesting that all men,
and particularly those who seek to raise themselves up in glory
above the rest of society, are in fact rash and "unfashioned
creatures" with "weak and faulty natures."
07/10

FRANKENSTIEN - CHAPTER 20
REVENGE LOST INNOCENCE

The monster begins its life with a warm, Frankenstein presents many examples of the
open heart. But after it is abandoned and corruption of youthful innocence. The most
mistreated first by Victor and then by the De obvious case of lost innocence involves
Lacey family, the monster turns to revenge. Victor. A young man on the cusp of
The monster's actions are understandable: it adulthood, Victor leaves for university with
has been hurt by the unfair rejection of a high hopes and lofty ambitions. He aims to
humanity that cannot see past its own explore "unknown powers" and enlighten all
prejudices, and in turn wants to hurt those of humanity to the deepest "mysteries of
who hurt it. As the monster says when Felix creation," but his success and his pride
attacks it and flees with the rest of the De brings an end to his innocence. He creates a
Lacey family, "...feelings of revenge and monster that reflects back to him the many
hatred filled my bosom...[and] I bent my mind flaws inherent in his own species (an
towards injury and death." But in taking unquenchable thirst for love, a tendency
revenge, two things happen to the monster. toward violence, and a bloodthirsty need for
First, it ensures that it will never be accepted justice and revenge) and in himself
in human society. Second, because by taking (prejudice based on appearance). And, in
revenge the monster eliminates any hope of turn, Victor's cruel "un-innocent" behavior
ever joining human society, which is what it also destroys the monster's innocence.
really wants, revenge becomes the only thing
it has. As the monster puts it, revenge
became "dearer than light or food."

05/10

FRANKENSTEIN - CHAPTER 20
PREJUDICE

Frankenstein explores one of mankind's

most persistent and destructive flaws:
prejudice. Nearly every human character in
the novel assumes that the monster must be
dangerous based on its outward appearance,
when in truth the monster is (originally)
warm and open-hearted. Again and again the
monster finds himself assaulted and rejected
by entire villages and families despite his
attempts to convey his benevolent
intentions. The violence and prejudice he
encounters convinces him of the "barbarity
of man." That the only character who
accepts the monster is a blind man, De Lacy,
suggests that the monster is right: mankind
is barbaric, and blinded by its own prejudice.

05/10

FRANKENSTEIN - CHAPTER 20
"IT IS WELL. I GO; BUT

REMEMBER, I SHALL BE

WITH YOU ON YOUR

WEDDING-NIGHT."

MONSTER

FRANKNESTIEN - CHAPTER 20 08/10

THANKS FOR

LISTENING

SUBMITTED TO MISS SANIA

Done By: Rahma Khan 11 IB