"I have a pretty present for my Victor—tomorrow he shall have it." And when, on the morrow, she presented Elizabeth to me as her promised gift, I, with childish seriousness, interpreted her words literally and looked upon Elizabeth as mine—mine to protect, love, and cherish.
Chapter 1 · Narrator
Context
Victor recalls his mother announcing Elizabeth's arrival as a 'present,' and how he took this literally, believing Elizabeth was given to him as his possession.
Analysis
The anaphoric repetition of 'mine' three times in quick succession hammers home Victor's sense of ownership, while the phrase 'with childish seriousness, interpreted her words literally' tries to excuse this possessiveness as innocent misunderstanding. Yet the text ironically undercuts this excuse: even as an adult narrator, Victor still describes Elizabeth as a 'promised gift' without questioning the language. The gap between what Victor thinks he's confessing (childish literalism) and what he's actually revealing (lifelong entitlement) exposes his unreliability.
Essay Tip
Use this to argue that Victor's treatment of the creature replicates his possessive view of Elizabeth—he claims to 'love and cherish' what he considers 'mine,' but this ownership model fails the moment either being acts independently, leading Victor to abandon what he can no longer control.