Frankenstein's marriage to Elizabeth
Victor Frankenstein marries Elizabeth Lavenza in Geneva, a union long planned by their families and intended to restore domestic happiness after a series of devastating losses. Yet the ceremony is shadowed by the monster's explicit threat to be with Victor on his wedding-night, transforming what should be a celebration into a desperate gamble and a prelude to the final catastrophe.
The Marriage and Its Foreboding Context
The marriage of Victor Frankenstein and Elizabeth Lavenza had been the cherished plan of their parents since childhood. Elizabeth, adopted into the Frankenstein household as a young girl, was raised as Victor's "more than sister," and the expectation of their union was woven into the fabric of family life. After the deaths of William, Justine, and Henry Clerval, Victor's father, Alphonse Frankenstein, urged an immediate marriage as a means to restore domestic peace and comfort. Victor, however, consented only after agonizing reflection, knowing that the monster had vowed to be with him on his wedding-night. He interpreted the threat as aimed at his own life and resolved to face the danger, believing that if he died, Elizabeth would be safe. The ceremony was performed in Geneva, followed by a large party at the Frankenstein home, after which the newlyweds were to journey by boat to Evian, spending their first night there before continuing to Villa Lavenza on Lake Como.
The Journey to Evian
On the day of the wedding, the weather was fair and the wind favorable, and the couple embarked on their voyage across the lake. Victor, though outwardly calm, was consumed by anxiety, carrying pistols and a dagger concealed on his person. Elizabeth, sensing his unease, tried to divert both their thoughts by pointing out the beauty of the scenery—the clear waters, the fish swimming below, the majestic Mont Blanc in the distance. She spoke of the divine day and the serenity of nature, but her own mood fluctuated between joy and distraction. Victor, taking her hand, confessed that he had suffered greatly and asked her to let him enjoy the temporary peace of that day. As the sun sank and they approached the shore of Evian, Victor felt the cares and fears he had suppressed revive, clinging to him as they landed at eight o'clock.
The Wedding Night and the Murder
After landing, the couple walked briefly on the shore before retiring to the inn. A violent storm arose, with a heavy rain and a rising wind. Victor, increasingly agitated, urged Elizabeth to retire to their room while he searched the premises for any sign of the monster. He inspected every corner but found nothing. Then he heard a shrill and dreadful scream from Elizabeth's room. Rushing in, he found her lifeless body thrown across the bed, her head hanging down, her features distorted, the murderous mark of the fiend's grasp on her neck. Victor fell senseless. When he recovered, he saw the monster at the open window, grinning and pointing at the corpse. Victor fired a pistol, but the creature leaped into the lake and escaped. The search that followed was fruitless; most of the witnesses believed the apparition was a figment of Victor's imagination.
Consequences and Aftermath
The murder of Elizabeth was the final blow to the Frankenstein family. Victor returned to Geneva to find his father, Alphonse, shattered by the news; he died in Victor's arms a few days later. Victor himself was plunged into madness and was confined for many months in a solitary cell, believed to be insane. Upon recovering his reason, he was consumed by a single passion: revenge. He resolved to pursue the monster to the ends of the earth, a pursuit that would lead him across continents and ultimately to the frozen north, where he would meet Robert Walton. The marriage, intended as a source of comfort and renewal, instead became the occasion for the monster's most devastating act, completing the destruction of Victor's family and sealing his own fate as a hunter driven by vengeance.
