After telling his story, the monster asks Victor to create for him a female counterpart. Worrying over the safety of his family, Victor agrees as long as the monster promises to no longer harm anyone and to leave Europe. Dreading his new task, Victor starts his research and planning for the new monster. Midway through, Victor comes to the realization that giving the monster a “wife” could make the monster want children and then there would be an even greater issue than just having the one monster exist. Appalled by this realization, Victor takes apart the monster that he had started to create and takes a boat out onto the water to dump the body. The monster sees Victor doing so and becomes enraged with Victor threatening to turn up on Victor’s wedding night. Victor falls asleep in the boat and wakes up lost. When he gets to shore, he encounters strangers who accuse him of a murder. Upon seeing the murdered man, Victor realizes it is his friend Henry, who has the same marks on his neck as William did. Victor assumes this was the monster’s doing, but is accused and put into prison. Victor’s father comes to get him out and take him back home where Victor agrees to marry Elizabeth. On their wedding night, Victor hears a scream and finds Elizabeth strangled to death and sees the monster outside the window. The father dies from his grief and Victor decides to find and destroy the monster.
When the monster finds Victor taking apart the female monster, the monster yells at Victor saying, “Slave, I have reasoned with you, but you have proved yourself unworthy of my condescension. Remember that I have power; you believe yourself miserable, but I can make you so wretched that the light of day will be hateful to you. You are my creator, but I am your master; — obey!” (146). Upon first reading this passage, I was confused as to who was speaking due to the word “Slave”. Victor being the creator would make the reader think the monster would be referred to as the “slave”; however, in this case, the monster is referring to Victor as his slave. He is emphasizing his control over Victor’s actions, thus referring to himself as Victor’s “master”. Just because Victor created the monster does not mean that he can control it. Another interesting point in this passage is when the monster calls Victor “wretched”. This is the same description that Victor uses for the monster throughout the novel. Their parallel description emphasizes their similar situations that are arising. The monster is alone because he is “wretched” in appearance. In calling Victor the same thing, it foreshadows the later killing of Victor’s family, leaving Victor alone because he has become “wretched”.
After reading chapter twenty six, I am left to wonder how Victor will go about finding the monster and if he does find it, how will he destroy the monster or will he even have the nerve to do so? If he does not find the monster and destroy it, will the monster continue to kill people close to Victor until he is completely alone or merely move on and give up?
ajayne2 