Victor Frankenstein, driven by a desire to transcend natural limits, assembles a humanoid creature from dead matter. Horrified by his creation, he abandons it, prompting the being to seek revenge for its isolation. The narrative follows the catastrophic fallout of this broken bond, moving from the icy Arctic to the serene Swiss Alps, as creator and creation are locked in a mutual pursuit of ruin.
As night fell, he found himself at the entrance of the cemetery where William, Elizabeth, and his father reposed. Approaching the tomb, the silence of the scene, broken only by the wind, evoked a sense that the spirits of the departed flitted around the mourner. The deep grief this scene excited quickly gave way to rage. Kneeling, Victor kissed the earth and swore by the sacred ground and the shades of the dead to pursue the demon until he or the fiend perished in mortal conflict. He called upon the spirits of the dead to aid him, vowing that the cursed monster would drink deep of agony.
Victor’s adjuration began with solemnity, but as he concluded, the furies possessed him. He was answered through the stillness of the night by a loud and fiendish laugh that echoed by the mountains, making him feel as if all hell surrounded him with mockery. Just as he felt on the verge of frenzy, a well-known voice whispered close to his ear that the fiend was satisfied Victor had determined to live. Victor darted toward the sound, but the devil eluded his grasp. Suddenly, the moon arose and shone full upon the Creature’s ghastly shape as he fled with more than mortal speed.
Thus began a pursuit that lasted for many months. Guided by slight clues, Victor followed the Rhine to the Mediterranean, where he saw the fiend hide himself. Victor took passage, but the Creature escaped again. Amidst the wilds of Tartary and Russia, although the fiend evaded him, Victor followed his track relentlessly. Sometimes terrified peasants informed him of the path, and sometimes the Creature himself left marks to guide him, fearing that Victor would die if the trail were lost. Victor saw the print of the Creature’s huge step on the white plains of snow.
The journey was a grueling ordeal of cold, want, and fatigue, but Victor felt he carried his eternal hell within him. Yet, a spirit of good seemed to direct his steps, extricating him from difficulties. When nature sank under exhaustion, a repast was found in the desert, coarse food that he believed was set there by the spirits he had invoked. When parched by thirst, a slight cloud would bedim the sky, shed a few reviving drops, and vanish. He generally subsisted on wild animals, using his money to buy the friendship of villagers or presenting them with food he had killed.
The original text of this work is in the public domain. This page focuses on a guided summary article, reading notes, selected quotes, and visual learning materials for educational purposes.