I wandered like an evil spirit, for I had committed deeds of mischief beyond description horrible, and more, much more (I persuaded myself) was yet behind.
Chapter 9 · Narrator
Context
Still reflecting on Justine's death, Victor describes his mental state as he wanders Geneva, consumed by guilt over the murders his creature has committed.
Analysis
Victor compares himself to "an evil spirit," a choice that collapses the boundary between himself and the demonic creature he made. The parenthetical interruption "(I persuaded myself)" is a rare moment of self-awareness: Victor admits he is interpreting his own guilt, constructing a narrative of inevitable future horror that may serve more to excuse his inaction than to diagnose real danger.
Essay Tip
Support a thesis that Victor uses fatalistic language to avoid responsibility—by casting himself as already damned and future crimes as inevitable, he removes his own agency and transforms guilt into a passive condition he suffers rather than a problem he must solve.