It was to be decided whether the result of my curiosity and lawless devices would cause the death of two of my fellow beings: one a smiling babe full of innocence and joy, the other far more dreadfully murdered, with every aggravation of infamy that could make the murder memorable in horror.
Chapter 8 · Victor Frankenstein
Context
Victor attends Justine's trial for the murder of his brother William, knowing the creature he created is the actual killer. He reflects on how his experiment has led to two deaths: William and now Justine, who is being falsely accused.
Analysis
Victor pairs 'smiling babe full of innocence' with 'far more dreadfully murdered'—the first phrase soft and full of light words, the second heavy with consonants and horror. This syntactic contrast forces the reader to feel the gap between William's innocent life and Justine's cruel fate, while Victor's passive construction ('would cause the death') lets him avoid naming himself as agent, revealing how he narratively distances himself from responsibility even as he claims it.
Essay Tip
Support a thesis that Victor's self-accusatory language is undercut by his grammar—he describes consequences but never decisively acts, showing that his guilt is performative rather than transformative.