Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus
by Mary Shelley
Contents
Chapter XX
Overview
Victor, horrified by the potential consequences of a second creation, destroys the female he is building. The Creature confronts Victor and vows to be with him on his wedding night. After secretly disposing of the remains at sea, Victor is blown off course to Ireland, where he is detained for a recent murder.
Summary
At dusk on the Orkney isle, Victor debates finishing the female Creature and imagines catastrophic outcomes: the pair might reject each other, reproduce a race of monsters, or defy any promise to flee mankind. Seeing the Creature watching at the window, Victor is seized by revulsion and tears the unfinished body apart, vowing never to resume the work.
The Creature enters and demands fulfillment of Victor’s promise, recounting his hardships in pursuit. Victor refuses, calling a second creation wicked. Enraged, the Creature swears revenge and warns, “I shall be with you on your wedding-night,” then departs by boat. Victor, shaken yet resolute, fears for Elizabeth but resolves to resist.
A letter from Henry Clerval urges Victor to meet him at Perth. Before leaving, Victor gathers his instruments and the mutilated remains, planning to prevent discovery by the islanders. That night he rows offshore and sinks the basket of body parts, then, exhausted, falls asleep in the skiff and is carried far by wind and current.
By morning the sea threatens to overwhelm the boat; after hours of fear and thirst, Victor sights land and reaches a small Irish town. Expecting relief, he is met with hostility, seized by locals, and told he must answer before Magistrate Mr. Kirwin for the murder of a gentleman found there the previous night.
Who Appears
- Victor FrankensteinProtagonist; destroys the female creation, defies the Creature, disposes of remains, and is detained in Ireland for murder.
- The CreatureConfronts Victor, demands a mate, and vows revenge, threatening to be with Victor on his wedding night.
- Henry ClervalAppears through a letter, urging Victor to meet him at Perth before departing on business.
- Mr. KirwinIrish magistrate to whom Victor is taken to account for a local gentleman’s murder.
- Irish townspeopleReceive Victor with suspicion and hostility, detain him, and escort him toward the magistrate.