Reuss

The Reuss is a river in central Switzerland, most notably flowing through the city of Lucerne. In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, it appears only briefly, yet it serves as the backdrop for a pivotal episode in the novel's backstory: the downfall and death of Beaufort, and the subsequent rescue of his daughter, Caroline, by Alphonse Frankenstein. This event shapes the character of Caroline and sets the stage for the Frankenstein family's domestic happiness, which Victor later describes as the foundation of his own childhood. The river is thus a geographical marker of a crucial moral and emotional turning point in the narrative, connecting the themes of pride, ruin, and benevolent intervention that recur throughout the book.

The Beaufort Family's Ruin

The Reuss is introduced in the context of Beaufort's misfortunes. A once-flourishing merchant and intimate friend of Alphonse Frankenstein, Beaufort fell into poverty through numerous mischances. His proud and unbending disposition would not allow him to live in obscurity in the same country where he had once been distinguished, so he retreated with his daughter to the town of Lucerne, where he lived unknown and in wretchedness. Alphonse, deeply grieved by his friend's retreat and the false pride that motivated it, spent ten months searching for him before discovering his abode, which was situated in a mean street near the Reuss.

Caroline's Vigil and Alphonse's Arrival

When Alphonse finally reached the house by the Reuss, he found misery and despair. Beaufort had saved only a small sum from his ruined fortunes, enough for a few months' sustenance, but his grief deepened with leisure for reflection, and within three months he lay on a bed of sickness. His daughter, Caroline Beaufort, attended him with the greatest tenderness, but their funds dwindled. She possessed a mind of uncommon mould, and her courage rose to support her in adversity; she procured plain work, plaited straw, and by various means earned a pittance scarcely sufficient to support life. In the tenth month, her father died in her arms, leaving her an orphan and a beggar. Overcome by this final blow, she knelt by Beaufort's coffin weeping bitterly when Alphonse entered the chamber. He came like a protecting spirit to the poor girl, who committed herself to his care, and after the interment of his friend, he conducted her to Geneva and placed her under the protection of a relation. Two years later, Caroline became his wife.

Narrative Significance

The Reuss, as the site of this tragedy and rescue, underscores the novel's early themes of benevolent duty and the consequences of pride. Alphonse's devotion to his friend and his compassion for Caroline contrast sharply with Beaufort's self-destructive pride, which led him to conceal his suffering rather than accept help. This episode also establishes Caroline's character as one of fortitude and gratitude, qualities that later define her role as a devoted mother and her desire to act as a "guardian angel" to the afflicted, a trait she passes on to her son Victor. The river thus marks the beginning of the Frankenstein family's story, a domestic idyll that Victor will later describe as the foundation of his own childhood, making the Reuss a quiet but significant origin point for the novel's central tragedy.