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Simile
Explanation and Analysis—Evil Spirit:
In Chapter 9, Victor uses a simile comparing himself to an evil spirit to describe the guilt he feels after Justine, who has been wrongly convicted of murder, is executed:
A weight of despair and remorse pressed on my heart, which nothing could remove. Sleep fled from my eyes; I wandered like an evil spirit, for I had committed deeds of mischief beyond description horrible, and more, much more (I persuaded myself), was yet behind.
Victor’s anguish causes him distress and unrest; he can't sleep and wanders helplessly because of the guilt he feels. He knows the Monster is the real murderer, yet because he can't reveal that fact, Justine suffers the consequences of the Monster's actions—and of Victor's misguided actions in creating the Monster in the first place. Thus Victor pays a serious price for his ambition, and indirectly causes both Justine and William’s deaths. Although Victor has grand visions to harness his scientific knowledge to help humanity progress, the creation of the Monster, ironically, leads to worsening conditions: suffering, despair, and death. The weight of this psychological turmoil makes Victor restless. He wanders like a ghost, an image that conveys he has lost some part of his soul, or even his humanity.
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