I had been the author of unalterable evils, and I lived in daily fear lest the monster whom I had created should perpetrate some new wickedness.
Chapter 9 · Narrator
Context
Victor reflects on his ongoing terror that the creature will commit further murders, describing himself as the source of irreversible harm.
Analysis
Calling himself the "author" of evils uses a word with double meaning—both creator and writer—that quietly implicates Shelley herself in the act of making monsters. The phrase "unalterable evils" suggests Victor believes his actions have set consequences in motion that cannot be stopped, yet he takes no concrete action to stop the creature, as if naming the problem were enough.
Essay Tip
Use this to argue that Victor treats his guilt as a kind of spectator sport—he observes and narrates his own horror but refuses to intervene, suggesting that his remorse is performative rather than productive, a way of feeling tragic rather than a spur to action.