Chance—or rather the evil influence, the Angel of Destruction, which asserted omnipotent sway over me from the moment I turned my reluctant steps from my father's door—led me first to M. Krempe
Chapter 3 · Narrator
Context
Victor arrives at Ingolstadt and describes his first encounter with Professor Krempe. He reflects on what led him to this particular professor rather than another.
Analysis
Victor offers two possible explanations—"Chance" or "the Angel of Destruction"—then immediately rejects the first in favor of the second, more dramatic option. The phrase "evil influence, the Angel of Destruction" stacks up apocalyptic language that vastly inflates the significance of simply meeting a rude professor. This inflation is Victor's retrospective narration shaping a mundane event into mythic tragedy, preemptively excusing what he will later choose to do.
Essay Tip
Support a thesis that Victor's retrospective narration is unreliable because he rewrites ordinary moments as fated disasters—calling Krempe the "Angel of Destruction" is Victor avoiding the fact that he made every subsequent choice himself.