Tay

The Tay is a river in Scotland that appears in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein as a geographical marker on Victor Frankenstein's journey northward, specifically as part of the route he takes with Henry Clerval from Edinburgh to Perth. Its mention in the novel is brief but significant, serving as a concrete detail in the narrative of Victor's reluctant travels and his internal turmoil as he prepares to fulfill his promise to the monster.

Location and Role in the Journey

The Tay is introduced in the novel as part of the itinerary that Victor Frankenstein and Henry Clerval follow after leaving Edinburgh. The text records that they "left Edinburgh in a week, passing through Coupar, St. Andrew's, and along the banks of the Tay, to Perth, where our friend expected us." This places the Tay as a natural landmark on the route from Scotland's capital to the city of Perth, a journey that takes the travelers through the eastern Scottish countryside. The river's banks serve as a waypoint, marking the progress of their northward expedition and providing a specific, recognizable feature of the Scottish landscape that the narrative uses to ground the characters' movements in a real geography.

Context of Victor's State of Mind

The journey along the Tay occurs during a period of profound psychological distress for Victor. He has agreed to create a female companion for the monster, a task he abhors, and he is traveling to England and then Scotland to gather the necessary knowledge and materials. By the time he reaches the Tay, Victor is described as being "in no mood to laugh and talk with strangers or enter into their feelings or plans with the good humour expected from a guest." His mind is preoccupied with the impending work and the threat of the monster, and he is impatient to reach a remote location where he can begin his loathsome task in solitude. The river, therefore, is not a source of scenic pleasure for Victor but rather a stage in his reluctant and troubled passage. It is immediately after this journey, upon reaching Perth, that Victor tells Clerval he wishes to make the tour of Scotland alone, setting the stage for his subsequent isolation on the Orkney Islands.

Contrast with Clerval's Experience

The mention of the Tay also highlights the contrast between Victor's despair and Clerval's more appreciative engagement with the world. While Victor is consumed by his secret burden, Clerval is described as being "alive to every new scene" and finding joy in the landscapes they traverse. Earlier in their journey, Clerval had expressed his delight in the scenery of the Rhine and other places, and his enthusiasm for travel stands in stark opposition to Victor's gloom. The Tay, as part of the shared journey, thus becomes a point where the two friends' divergent responses to the same experience are implicitly contrasted, underscoring Victor's isolation even in the company of his dearest friend.

Narrative Significance

In the broader structure of the novel, the Tay serves as a minor but functional element of the travel narrative that moves Victor from the familiar world of Geneva to the desolate Orkney Islands, where the central crisis of the female creature's creation and destruction occurs. The river's appearance is a brief, factual detail that contributes to the novel's sense of realistic, geographical progression. It also marks a transitional phase in Victor's psychological journey, as he moves from the relative comfort of Edinburgh and the company of Clerval toward the solitary and horrific labor that will culminate in his breaking of the promise to the monster. The Tay, therefore, is not merely a place name but a marker of Victor's descent into the isolation and moral conflict that define the latter part of his story.