Frankenstein - Analysis of Volume 3 Chapter 4

Plot Summary

Victor is taken to Mr Kirwin, the Magistrate. Witnesses relate how they saw a boat resembling Victor’s not long before finding the body of the murdered man. The body had the “black mark of fingers on his neck” which makes Victor worry. Mr Kirwin sees his agitated state and takes him to the body to see what effect it would have on him. When Victor sees the body he identifies it as Clerval, meaning the murderer is likely the creature. Victor blames himself, sobbing, before falling into convulsions. He is ill for  two months “on the point of death”, ranting and raving sometimes about him being the murderer of Justine, William, and Clerval and sometimes “tormented” by ideas of trying to kill “the fiend” or being killed by him. Only Mr Kirwin understands these ravings due to the language barrier. He wakes to find that he is in prison. Kirwin has hired a nurse and physician to restore Victor’s health, as he feels compassion for him. Victor at times wonders if it would be more just to plead guilty. Kirwin tells Victor he has a visitor whom Victor assumes to be the creature. The visitor is in fact Alphonse. Victor and his father go to court and due to the lack of substantial evidence and an alibi confirming Victor’s presence on the Orkney Isles he is released. They head back to Geneva, with Victor in the throes of misery.  

Key Ideas

The following are all consequences of transgression:

·         Misery

o    “the most miserable…