I feared the vengeance of the disappointed fiend, yet I was unable to overcome my repugnance to the task which was enjoined me.
Chapter 18 · Victor Frankenstein
Context
Victor has returned to Geneva but delays creating the female creature he promised the monster, paralyzed by conflicting emotions of fear and disgust.
Analysis
Victor uses 'fiend' to label the creature—a loaded, demonizing word that reveals how he deflects his own guilt by casting the creature as pure evil. The passive construction 'was enjoined me' distances him from agency, as if the promise were imposed on him rather than a bargain he chose to make. This evasion of responsibility runs throughout the novel: Victor repeatedly frames himself as victim rather than perpetrator.
Essay Tip
Use this to argue that Victor's diction systematically dehumanizes the creature to avoid confronting his own broken promises—calling him 'fiend' makes abandoning the task feel morally defensible rather than cowardly.