Chapter 3
Victor's mother dies of scarlet fever; he departs for university at Ingolstadt with unresolved grief.
6 argumentative units
- 01Plans for university interrupted by illness
At seventeen, Victor is set to attend Ingolstadt when a first misfortune intervenes: Elizabeth contracts scarlet fever, delaying his departure and threatening his cousin's life.
- 02Mother's death from scarlet fever
Victor's mother insists on nursing Elizabeth through scarlet fever, contracts the disease herself, and dies with serene fortitude—joining their hands and charging Elizabeth to be a mother to the younger children.
- 03Grief, delay, and Elizabeth's courage
Victor mourns his mother and delays departure to see Elizabeth consoled; Elizabeth veils her own grief to comfort the family, her fortitude making her more enchanting than ever.
- 04Farewell to family and friends
The evening before departure, Victor, Elizabeth, and Clerval sit late and cannot say farewell; in the morning all gather to bless him one last time.
- 05Victor's solitary journey to Ingolstadt
Alone for the first time, Victor reflects on his isolation with melancholy, but his spirits and ambitions rise as he travels toward the university.
- 06Meeting the professors and sealing his fate
Victor meets the repulsive Krempe and the inspiring Waldman; Waldman's panegyric on modern chemistry ignites a consuming purpose in Victor's soul that will govern his destiny.