Frankenstein
Mary Shelley
In this section, Victor faces the worst grief yet: Justine's execution. Furthermore, the reader finds a possible foreshadow that could reveal Victor's only hope for resolution.
As stated in the last post, Victor blames himself for the circumstances surrounding William's murder because he accuses the creation as the murderer. Therefore, when Justine is executed as the murderer, Victor adds her to his list of victims. Obviously, if the creation is the murderer, then the family members are the victims of Victor's obsession with defeating death. However, Justine's acceptance of death and Victor's rest on his journey provide Victor and alternate attitude towards death.
Although Justine faced imminent death, it was not her greatest concern. In fact, she viewed death as a source of peace. That she lied and confessed to the murder troubled her the most. Unlike Victor, Justine approached death with a peaceful demeanor and acceptance of its universality.
Nonetheless, Victor comes to a similar conclusion while travelling. "... when I placed my head upon my pillow, sleep crept over me; I felt it as it came and blest the giver of oblivion," (Shelley, 65). While Victor was awake, he felt only remorse, pain, and guilt. However, when he was asleep, he could escape his miseries. It seemed that the lack of feeling was the only escape.
Shelley seems to suggest that, in certain dire situations, death is not an enemy, but rather the purveyor of peace.
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