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alquan3
Student
High School - 10th Grade

In Frankenstein, how does the creature cause the deaths of William and Justine?

What does the murder of william tell the creature about himself

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Posted by alquan3 on Monday March 16, 2009 at 7:29 AM and tagged with characters, deaths, frankenstein, justine, william.

Answers:

  1. sampiper22
    sampiper22 Teacher
    High School - 12th Grade

    eNotes Editor

    The creature's first murder is that of William. In the creature's own words from Chapter 16, he was sleeping in the woods when William, a "beautiful" child came upon him and he was seized with the intention that he should "educate him as my companion and friend". Unfortunately William screamed when he saw the creature's "form" and unwittingly revealed his father was Frankenstein. The creature then decided to kill William and "grasped his throat to silence him, and in a moment he lay dead at my feet". The decision to make William his first victim is very deliberate and calculated.

    When dead, the creature noticed a locket around William's throat which he took. Planting the locket on Justine as she herself slept, the creature framed Justine for William's murder. As a result she was duly executed.

    The creature learns from the death of William that he can "create desolation; my enemy is not invulnerable; this death will carry despair to him, and a thousand other miseries shall torment and destroy him", therefore inspiring the creature to further crimes.

    Sources:
    http://www.literature.org/authors/shelley-mary/frankenste...

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    Posted by sampiper22 on Monday March 16, 2009 at 7:49 AM