The Monster Timeline and Summary
MoreThe Monster Timeline and Summary
- The monster is created by Victor Frankenstein.
- He tries to connect with people, but even his own creator runs away from him in fear because he is so ugly.
- Victor leaves him alone in his apartment after he wakes up to see the monster smiling at him.
- The monster goes into a house, but the people drive him away.
- He enters a village and a similar thing happens.
- He hides in the hovel outside the house of a group of peasants of whom he grows fond. He lives there through the winter and into the spring.
- He watches them, stealing food from them at first until he realizes they are poor.
- After that, he gathers food in the woods, as well as firewood for the family. He does other chores, too.
- He sees his reflection in water and realizes how ugly he is, and it makes him sad.
- He watches them, learning to speak and read from them.
- He finds books in the woods, including Paradise Lost, and reads them, along with journal entries found in the pockets of Victor’s clothing.
- He learns of Victor’s horror at seeing him and his monstrous nature. He despairs.
- One day, when the young people are gone, he tries to talk to the blind old peasant in hopes of forming some sort of social connection.
- The old man is kind to him, but then the younger people return and drive him away.
- With no more hope in the goodness of humanity, the monster goes off in search of Victor.
- On the way through the woods, he saves a little girl from drowning, but her male companion assumes the monster is attacking her and shoots him in the shoulder.
- He nurses his wound for weeks before making his way to Geneva.
- He sees a boy outside Geneva in the woods who mocks him for being ugly.
- The monster wasn’t intending to hurt him, but the boy reveals himself to be William Frankenstein, and the monster, filled with rage at his creator’s indifference, kills the boy.
- He plants a picture on Justine to frame her for the murder.
- He sees Victor in the mountains and invites him to a cave to talk by his fire.
- He tells Victor about the peasants and how alone he is, as well as confessing to murdering William out of anger.
- He asks Victor to create him an equally ugly female companion, promising to take her to South America away from the rest of the world.
- Finally, he persuades Victor to make the she-monster.
- He tells Victor that he will know when she is done because he will be monitoring his progress.
- He follows Victor for the two years he travels in England and Scotland while working on the companion.
- He is looking in the window at Victor the night he destroys the companion after having second thoughts.
- He vows to be with Victor on his wedding night and swears revenge.
- The monster kills Henry.
- The monster shows up and kills Elizabeth on the big wedding night.
- He leads Victor around in a final chase lasting for months, leaving clues and trails so that Victor can follow him but never catch him.
- He weeps over Victor’s dead body aboard Captain Walton’s ship, and tells Captain Walton about himself.
- The monster leaves to build a funeral pyre and die.