Frankenstein Justin Character Analysis

Shelley's Justine is symbolic for Victor Frankenstein’s actions throughout “Frankenstein”

In Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein,” the character Justine is used a motif for Victor Frankenstein’s foolish actions and decisions throughout the entirety of his journey through character description and other’s dialogue in the few chapter Justine appearances in. At the beginning of the trail in chapter twelve, Elizabeth describes Justin as being “tranquil, yet her tranquility was evidently constrained; and as her confusion had before been adduced as a proof of her guilt, she worked up her mind an appearance of courage.” (pg.106) This description is used right as Justine is about to present herself to the court, but it’s also reflective of Victor’s attitudes

While Victor at first appears “tranquil” and calm when he sees Henry and is talking, Victor become “evidently constrained” once they return to his apartment and believes the monster was coming to attack him. Here his “confusion had become adduced as a proof of (his) guilt” when Henry questions Victor with “How ill you are!” and asking “What is the cause of all this.” (pg.85) Elizabeth also states that Justine has “worked up (in) her mind an appearance of courage” which correlates directly with Victor’s thought process throughout these final chapters in volume one where he immediately blames his monster for murdering William. Despite being proven true at the end of the monster’s tale, it’s a pretty illogical leap for Victor to make the assumption that his monster, who he created back in Ingolstadt, would kill his brother in the woods despite seeing his figure wander around in the same area. Because of this, it can be argued that this is Victor’s way of building his courage up, so that when he does encounter the monster again, he will able to put a “courageous” face on and confront him head on the next time he sees him. This is exactly what Victor does during the scene at the end of volume one, when the two do reunite again and