Mainz

Mainz, a city on the Rhine, appears in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein as a brief but significant waypoint in Victor Frankenstein's journey down the river with Henry Clerval. It is the fifth day after their departure from Strasbourg, and the city marks a transition in the narrative: the point where the Rhine's course becomes more picturesque, and where Victor, though still haunted by his promise to the monster, experiences a rare moment of peace. The city's mention is brief, but it serves as a counterpoint to the emotional turmoil that dominates Victor's travels, offering a glimpse of the natural beauty that he can no longer fully enjoy.

A Waypoint on the Rhine

Victor and Clerval had agreed to descend the Rhine from Strasbourg to Rotterdam, where they would take shipping for London. They passed several beautiful towns, staying a day at Mannheim, and on the fifth day from their departure, they arrived at Mainz. The journey was undertaken during the vintage season, and the song of the labourers floated down the stream. Victor, depressed in mind, lay at the bottom of the boat, gazing at the cloudless blue sky, and felt a tranquility he had long been a stranger to. This moment of peace is notable because it is one of the few times Victor allows himself to be soothed by the external world, even as he is inwardly consumed by the task ahead.

The course of the Rhine below Mainz becomes much more picturesque. The river descends rapidly and winds between hills that are not high but steep and of beautiful forms. Ruined castles stand on the edges of precipices, surrounded by black woods, high and inaccessible. The landscape is singularly variegated: in one spot, rugged hills and ruined castles overlook tremendous precipices, with the dark Rhine rushing beneath; on a sudden turn of a promontory, flourishing vineyards with green sloping banks, a meandering river, and populous towns occupy the scene. This description, rendered with a painter's eye, contrasts sharply with the desolate and appalling landscapes Victor later encounters in Scotland and the Arctic, and it underscores the beauty that Victor is largely blind to because of his inner torment.

Contrast with Clerval's Joy

Clerval, in contrast, is alive to every new scene, joyful at the beauties of the setting sun and the shifting colours of the landscape. He exclaims, "This is what it is to live; how I enjoy existence!" and chides Victor for his despondency. Clerval's enthusiasm for the Rhine, which he declares pleases him more than all the wonders of Switzerland, highlights the difference between the two friends: Clerval, unburdened by guilt, can fully embrace the world, while Victor, haunted by his secret, can only glimpse its beauty. This contrast is a recurring motif in their travels, and Mainz serves as a setting where it is particularly pronounced.

Narrative Significance

Mainz is not a place of action or consequence in the plot; rather, it is a marker of Victor's journey into England, a journey he undertakes to fulfill his promise to create a female companion for the monster. The city's mention anchors the narrative in a real geography, lending authenticity to Victor's account. It also serves as a moment of respite before the horrors that follow: the creation and destruction of the female creature, the murder of Clerval, and the eventual tragedy of Victor's wedding night. The tranquility Victor feels at Mainz is fleeting, and the reader, knowing what lies ahead, may see it as a brief lull before the storm. In this way, Mainz contributes to the novel's exploration of the sublime and the beautiful, and the way human perception of nature is colored by inner state.