Chapter 1

The narrator introduces his respected Genevan father and begins the story of his father's friend, Beaufort, who fell into poverty.

The narrator's father finds Beaufort dying, but after his death, he rescues his devoted daughter Caroline and eventually marries her.

Victor describes his parents' loving marriage and his own idyllic upbringing as their only child.

Victor's mother discovers a beautiful, fair-haired girl in a poor cottage and learns of her noble but tragic origins.

Elizabeth is adopted into the Frankenstein family, and Victor immediately interprets her as a gift intended for him alone.