Returning to Robert Walton's Blog: Victor's Final Moments

I finally understood how he landed on our boat. Victor had been chasing his monster, seeking revenge. It seemed like a game to the monster, leaving him hints and clues where to go next. Now Victor laid in my cabin on the verge of death. I felt sorry for this man who had lost everything that mattered to him in his life. I briefly left the cabin and when I returned there was an enormous figure looming over Victor's dead body. I looked at the monster, but had to turn away from him because of his hideousness. The monster looked at me and exclaimed "This is also my victim! In his murder my crimes are consummated." I talked to the monster, telling him he is a hypocrite for making Frankenstein lonely. He yelled at me saying all he ever wanted was affection, but he never got it. He said that he will be forever alone and will never get any sympathy.

I stared at him, fearing the worst. I had no idea what he was going to do. I did expect what he would say next. "Fear not that I shall be the instrument of future mischief. My work is nearly complete....it requires my own sacrifice." (pg. 190) Before I knew it he had already jumped off the ship and was swept away into the waves on his way to his death.

Elizabeth is Murdered

Before I was able to return home I spent many months in jail for the murder of Clerval. The monster had murdered Clerval, but the people in the town thought I was guilty. I had grown very ill in jail and I was in terrible condition when my father finally arrived to bail me out. I was so sick that my father and I had to stay in Paris so I would be able to recover. After a long journey I was finally back in Geneva and ready to marry Elizabeth.  As our marriage day got closer I started to remember what the monster had said. He told me he would be there on my wedding day ready for revenge. No one else knew about this so I decided to keep it a secret. 

On the night after our wedding Elizabeth and I decided to stay in a cottage out in the countryside. I was nervous and scared because I knew that any moment the monster could be at the door. Elizabeth knew something was not right, but I managed to convince her to go to bed and everything was alright. "She left me, and I continued some time walking up and down the passages of the house, and inspecting every corner that might afford a retreat to my adversary." (pg. 165) I suddenly heard a shriek from the bedroom and sprinted up the stairs. There on the bed Elizabeth laid, cold and lifeless. I looked out the window and there stood the monster, yellows eyes glowing in the dark, with horrible grin on his face. I grabbed a pistol and shot at him, but he easily eluded it. A crowd of people were soon at the cottage ready to pursue the monster. We spent hours searching the woods for him, but it was no use. He was long gone and we could not find him.

Destroying the Monster

After many days of traveling and hours spent performing experiments I was nearing completion. When I initially created my first monster I never thought about what would happen after he was created. I did not know that he was going to become lonely and violent. I had never thought about that, but now I did. Once the creator came to life I would have no control over her. I had no idea how they would act or if the monsters would even get along. "They might even hate each other." (pg. 138) What would happen if that happened? Would the monster want me to create another one until I created one that liked him? Or what if they did get along and had monster offspring? "Had I the right, for my own benefit, to inflict this curse upon everlasting generations?" (pg. 138)

After serious consideration I decided it was in my best interest to destroy the monster. I knew that it would have some serious consequences, but it would be better for humanity. I stood looking out the window waiting for the monster arrive when I heard "You have destroyed the work which you began; what is you intend? Do you dare to break your promise?" (pg. 139) Before I could grab him the monster was gone and I was not able to catch him. I tried to run after him, but he was already in a boat cruising across the water.

Back to Frankenstein s Blog: The Journey Begins

After hearing the monster's story I was given a choice: either make him a female monster or he would seek revenge in my whole family. He tried tell me that it was my responsibility was the creator to make another monster for him . He also said that he was lonely and that if I made him another monster he would leave me alone for the rest of my life. This was a very tempting offer and I decided to agree to it. The monster was pleased with my answer left me to begin my creation.

I put off creating a new monster for awhile, thinking about if I should actually do it. To complete this task I would have to travel to England and leave my family and Elizabeth, my wife to be. My father wanted me to marry Elizabeth, but I felt I had to first complete my project. I promised as soon I was returned Elizabeth and I would finally get married. I arranged to have Henry Clerval accompany on my two year journey so I would have a companion and so that he could finish his studies as well.

My Hatred for Humanity

I spent so many hours admiring this family that I was heartbroken when they did not accept me. I vowed to hate man kind for the rest of my life because they judged me based on appearance and refused to accept me for who I was. I had not harmed anyone and yet people still hated me. The more I thought the angrier I got. I became filled with rage and even burned down the family's cabin. I then sought out revenge against Victor, my creator. I hated him for not only creating me how I was, but for also abandoning me.  As I started my journey to find my creator I stumbled upon a young girl drowning. I managed to pull her out of the water, saving her life. Even though I had just save her, I was immediately shot by a man because he believed I was a monster trying to attack her. Even when I did something good I was still viewed as evil.

As I approached Geneva I stumbled upon a young boy. I realized that he was young and that if anyone would accept me it would be him. I grabbed him and told him that he was going to live with me. Immediately he started screaming how I was a hideous monster and that he was going to get his father, Frankenstein. It was then I realized that this young boy was my creator's brother. I knew that his death would cause Victor great grief and it was then that I strangled him to death.

Some time passed before I was able to confront Victor and ask him to create me another monster, a female just for me. If not I said I would seek revenge on him and his whole family.

Learning about Myself

The more I watched this family, the more I longed to be a part of it. I dreamed of the day I would be able to present myself to them, hoping that they would accept. I did not know how I would do it, but it was all I thought about. I wanted to be accepted and have a family just like Felix, Agatha and the old man had. One day after performing one of my usual chores at night I found three books: Paradise Lost, Plutarch's Lives, and Sorrows of Werter. "I can hardly describe to you the effect of these books. They produced in me an infinity of new images and feelings, that  sometime raised me to ecstasy, but more frequently sunk me into the lowest dejection." (pg. 103) I started comparing my situations to the books and comparing how I felt. I tried to relate to the characters, but I soon realized that i was "hideous, and my stature gigantic." (pg. 104) I learned why people feared me and why I was so different from mankind. After realizing this I knew it would be very difficult to have the family accept me. I also wondered why my creator built me like this. I started to resent him for not only creating me how I was, but for also abandoning me.

One night the old man was all alone. Since he was blind I knew that he could not be driven off by my appearance. I decided this was the time I would finally present myself and try to become accepted by the family. I spoke to the man about my problems and how I longed to be accepted by my friends. While I was speaking to the man the door opened and in walked Felix, Safie and Agatha. I broke down in tears asking for the old man to save, but Felix sprinted over and attacked me. I could have easily killed Felix, but I was so heartbroken that I let him hit me until I ran away.

The Family

As I spent my days hiding the hovel I started observe the family. There was an old man, a young man and a young woman. I grew intrigued with the family and studied the way they acted. During the day the young man would be out doors performing laborious tasks while the young woman would be inside preparing meals and taking care of the old man. I was amazed at the love and respect the young people showed to the old man. His need came before theirs and the helped him in any way possible. I was jealous of them, but at the same time could not figure out why they seemed to always be a little miserable. It took me awhile to realize that they were poor and that I had been stealing food from them. From that point on I did anything I could to help them. I stopped stealing food and helped with chores outside of the house.

I also started to study how the communicated. They spoke strange sounds and their neighbors even understood them. I listened to when they spoke and started to learn the language. I could identify certain items, but it was not able to become fluent until Safie arrived. Safie was a woman that Felix, the young man, was in love with. She spoke a different language so Felix decided to teach her. While he taught her how to talk and read I would listen and participate like he was teaching me. I learned at a faster pace than Safie and I soon understood everything they said.

The Monster's Story Begins

When I was brought to life I was overcome with sensations. "I saw, felt heard and smelt, at the same time; and it was, indeed, a long time before i learned to distinguish between the operations of my various senses" (pg. 80) I wandered aimlessly not knowing what to do until thirst and hunger took over. I found some berries which I ate and drank from a nearby brook. By this point I was exhausted and fell asleep. When I awoke I was cold and did not know what to do. I wandered until I stumbled upon a cloak on the ground. The cloaked helped, but  i was still cold. Many days passed until I stumbled upon a fire. I was delighted to find that this thing warmed me and tried to pick it up, only to have it burn my hand. I examined the fire and realized that wood would make the fire burn. The next morning I awoke and discovered that I could heat my food with the fire.

I ventured more into the country side until I stumbled upon a cabin. The was a man in the cabin and as soon as he saw me he fled. I ate his food and then proceeded to another village where, just like the old man, everyone fled at the sight of me. I decided that it was better for me to not be seen so I decided to hide next to a cottage in a hovel. This was where I met the family.

My Visit to the Mountains

I started to become depressed again so I decided to take a trip into by myself into the mountains. Nature seemed to relieve my stress the first time so I decided to do it again. I made my way up the side of the mountain until I reached the top. I sat overlooking the sea of ice until a glacier came into my view. I descended onto the glacier and proceeded to cross the sea of ice. Two hours later I was finally on the other side standing on Montanvert. I was finally at peace staring at the beauty of nature. I was back to where I was with my family and it felt amazing. As I stared out onto the sea of ice "I suddenly beheld the figure of a man, at some distance, advancing towards me with superhuman speed." I was overcome with fear and rage as the figure approached me. I knew it was my monster and I knew that I had to fight him to the death.

I screamed at the monster telling him to go away or that I would kill him. I expected him to fight, but much to my surprise he spoke back to me. "I expected this reception. All men hate the wretched; how then must I be hated, who am miserable beyond all living things!" (pg. 77). I tried to attack him, but he was too quick. He dodged everyone of my blows, but refused to fight back. Instead he yelled "Be calm! I entreat you to hear me, before you give vent to your hatred on my devoted head." I listened to him explain his reasoning for finding me and how he wanted to tell me his life story. I agreed to listen and we proceeded to cave where he had been living.

I will share the story of the monster from the monster's blog.

I Spiral Into Depression

"Nothing is more painful to the human mind, than, after the feelings have been worked up by a quick succession of events, the dead the calmness of inaction and certainty which follows, and deprives the soul both of hope and fear." (pg. 69) Innocent Justine was dead because I did not have the courage to speak. This haunted my thoughts for weeks, depriving me of sleep and filling me with guilt. My goal was to accomplish this impossible feat, but instead I created this horrible being. I was filled with guilt and every waking moment was spent thinking how I was responsible. I quickly spiraled down into depression and even contemplated suicide. My father sensed that I had slipped into depression and decided to take my family on a trip to the mountains.

The valley of Chamounix was beautiful and helped clear my thoughts. It was nice to finally leave my father's house, the place of mourning, and venture out into the countryside. I got to spend time with Elizabeth, my love since I was young. I had been secluded from my family for years during my experiments  but now it was nice to be back in their lives. It was nice to Ernest back in high spirits as well as Elizabeth and my father. We arrived back in to the cabin exhausted. We all retired to our bedrooms, but I could not sleep. I stayed up for many more hours staring at Mount Blanc, watching the storm fill the valley.

My Life Changes Forever

I will never forget this dreary night in November. I was my laboratory staring down at the lifeless body before me. It was the final step of my experiment, bringing the creature to life. Suddenly, "I saw the dull yellow eye of the creature open; it breathed hard, and a convulsive motion agitated its limbs." (pg. 38-39). I stared in awe at the monster, but my awe quickly turned into disgust. I realized that I had created this horrible, repulsive creation. What I once thought was beautiful quickly turned into a hideous beast. I sprinted out of the room and quickly made my way to the bedroom. I tried sleeping it off, but was soon awoken by a wretched face staring over me with one hand outstretched. I rushed out of my house, avoiding this monster I had created. I hid in the streets for awhile until I knew for certain that the monster had left.

I thought this would be the last I ever saw of my monster, but I was mistaken. I had almost completely forgot about the monster until I received the letter from my father. One night when my father went walking with my niece and two brothers, Ernest and William. Apparently Ernest and William had ran ahead as my father stayed behind. After a few minutes Ernest returned asking where William was. This sent the entire town into a panic, searching all night for my beloved brother. It was not until the next morning that William was found lifeless, lying on the ground with fingerprints around his neck.

This haunted me for days because I knew who did this. I wanted to be wrong, but deep down I knew that i was responsible for it because it was my monster who had murdered him. I wanted to tell my father, but for some reason I could not. This lead to the unfair prosecution of Justine, an innocent girl convicted and executed for a crime she did not commit. I never imagined that the monster, my creation, would appear back in my life and play a part in the deaths of two people I love.

Dr. Victor Frankenstein: My Story Begins

My obsession of science came when I was young. I started studying Natural Philosophy, which triggered my interest in human life. I was fascinated in the idea of a philosopher's stone and dreamed of finding a cure for diseases and creating life eternal. I dreamed of the "glory [that] would attend the discovery, if i could banish disease from the human frame, and render man invulnerable to any, but a violent death." I bestowed my ideas to my life long friend and lover Elizabeth. I trusted her with my secret and she eagerly agree.

I spent the next years of my life obsessed with this goal. The more I read, the more I became fascinated. I meticulously studied the human body, inspecting all the organs and the human frame. To understand life, I had to first understand death. I learned how the body decayed and figured out the causes. I had conducted hundreds of studies and it looked like that I could be the one to discover the secret of life.

Our Conversations

I have become very fond of the stranger on my ship. We are constantly talking to each other and I am amazed at his wisdom. He has made some suggestions about my journey, which I will take into great consideration.  I once mentioned my desire to find a friend and he agreed with me saying, "I agree with you in believing that friendship is not only a desirable, but a possible acquisition." (pg. 16)

We continued to speak and one day he came up to me saying that he was once like me. He told me he too sought glory and wisdom and that his strange experiences would relate to mine. I said I did not need his story, but he persisted I heard his story. He was very serious about this so I decided I should try to learn from his mistakes and it would be interesting to learn about his life at the same time.

I will now start posting excerpts from Dr. Victor Frankenstein's (the stranger) blog.

A Stranger Boards My Ship

            It was early one morning after I had seen a mysterious figure traveling by dog sled across the frozen ice. I thought it was strange, but did not think much of it. I approached the deck of the ship when one of my men ran to me, speaking of an explorer aboard the ship. When I first saw him, I swore he was dead. “His limbs were nearly frozen, and his body dreadfully emaciated by fatigue.” (pg. 13) We led the stranger back to my cabin, where he slept for the next two days.

            He was still very weak, but I was finally able to talk to him on the third day. For the past couple day I had been trying to figure out why this man was by himself near the North Pole and I finally had the chance to ask him. He said that he was trying to find a man who fled from him on a dog sled. I told him I had seen him a few days ago and that he was much farther ahead than we were. Upon hearing this news, the stranger immediately wanted to go to the deck. I somehow managed to keep him in the cabin until he was fully recovered.

The Adventure Begins

Hello, my name is Robert Walton. I am currently on my way to the North Pole in my search for glory. I do not know what I will find or what I am looking for, but all I know is something is out there.

            Ever since I was a kid I have always dreamed of finding glory and being admired worldwide. I spent my childhood self-educating myself and spent my years as a young adult trying to become a world renowned poet. I tried for many years, but poetry was not the right career for me.  

Now my goal has changed and I am prepared to finally achieve my glory. I have been studying and training on my boats that travel close to the North Pole, hoping to train my body and adjust to the frigid temperatures. This trip could be extremely dangerous and there is a possibility that I may not return. I understand this and this is the risk I am willing to take to achieve my life long goal. It will not be easy, but with determination I think I will find what I am looking for in this barren land of ice and snow.