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At the end of Frankenstein Chapter 20, the unfinished female companion Victor Frankenstein was creating dies. Victor destroys her before she is fully completed, fearing the consequences of pairing his original creation with a mate.
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The death in question is not a natural passing or a murder of a fully developed character. It is the deliberate destruction of the incomplete female creature Victor had begun to build at his original creation's request. This act stems from Victor's growing terror of the potential harm a pair of sentient, rejected creatures could inflict on humanity.
Next step: Jot this core event in your Frankenstein chapter tracker, linking it to Victor's prior acts of hesitation and guilt.
Action: Log the death in your Frankenstein character and event timeline
Output: A 1-sentence entry linking the destruction to Victor's core flaws
Action: Connect this event to one major theme (e.g., responsibility, hubris)
Output: A 2-sentence analysis snippet for class discussion
Action: Identify how this act changes the original creature's behavior in later chapters
Output: A bullet point list of concrete shifts in their interactions
Essay Builder
Writing an essay on Victor's choices? Readi.AI can help you refine your thesis, structure your outline, and find supporting evidence in minutes.
Action: Pinpoint the exact moment of the death in your Chapter 20 notes
Output: A clear, 1-sentence description of the event without fabricated details
Action: Pair the event with two specific character traits of Victor that drive the choice
Output: A 2-bullet list linking Victor's flaws to his actions
Action: Connect this death to one later event in the novel
Output: A 1-sentence analysis of the event's long-term impact
Teacher looks for: Accurate identification of the being who dies, plus clear understanding of the scene's context
How to meet it: Cite the core action (destruction of the unfinished female creature) and tie it to the original creation's prior request
Teacher looks for: Ability to link the death to a major novel theme with specific evidence
How to meet it: Connect the act to responsibility or hubris, using prior moments of Victor's guilt as supporting context
Teacher looks for: Clear explanation of Victor's specific fears, not just general statements
How to meet it: Reference Victor's terror of the creatures forming an isolated, violent bond as the key driver
The death occurs during Victor's time working in a remote Scottish lab, where he agreed to build a female companion for his original creation. He had already begun to doubt his choice, fearing the pair could reproduce or lash out at humanity. Use this before class to ground your discussion points.
This act shatters the fragile truce between Victor and his original creation. The creation had promised to leave humanity alone if given a mate, but Victor's betrayal pushes them into a state of total war. Write one sentence linking this impact to the novel's final chapters.
Many students mistakenly assume a human character dies, or that the female creature was fully completed. Neither is true—Victor destroys her while she is still in the early stages of construction. Add this correction to your exam study flashcards.
This destruction is not an isolated act. It fits into Victor's pattern of acting impulsively out of fear, then fleeing from the consequences. Compare this to his choice to abandon his first creation immediately after animation. Add this comparison to your essay outline if you’re writing about Victor's flaws.
Come to class with one specific question about Victor's decision-making process. For example, ask why he waits until the last possible moment to act, alongside abandoning the project earlier. Practice explaining your own opinion on whether Victor's choice was justified.
This death works well as a core example for essays on Victor's moral failure, the dangers of unchecked ambition, or the consequences of breaking promises. Tie it to specific prior events to strengthen your argument. Draft a 1-sentence thesis using one of the essay kit templates.
Victor Frankenstein deliberately destroys his unfinished female creature, who was intended to be a mate for his original creation.
Victor fears the pair of creatures could form an isolated, violent bond and inflict widespread harm on humanity, so he destroys the unfinished mate to prevent this.
No, Victor destroys her before she is fully animated or completed, so she never gains full sentience or life in the way the original creation did.
This act breaks Victor's promise and pushes the original creation into a state of unrelenting rage, escalating their conflict to the novel's final, violent conclusion.
Editorial note: This page is independently written for educational support. Verify specifics with assigned class materials and the original text.
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