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Of what materials was I made, that I could thus resist so many shocks, which like the turning of the wheel, continually renewed the torture?
In Chapter 21, Victor is driven to illness by the revelation that his creature has now killed his dearest friend, Henry Clerval. It’s not the first time Victor’s health has been compromised by an emotional shock—he was also bedridden and feverish following his monster’s creation, suggesting Victor’s illnesses are, at least partly, psychological. Stricken by guilt over the deaths of Clerval, Justine, and William, Victor wonders why his body doesn’t simply give out and characterizes life as an endless agony.
At these moments, I often endeavored to put an end to the existence I loathed; and it required unceasing attendance and vigilance to restrain me from committing some dreadful act of violence.
Victor’s self-hatred continues in Chapter 21 after he leaves prison. Though he is technically free, having been released owing to a lack of direct evidence, Victor is haunted by the deaths he feels responsible for and knows he will never be free of his guilt. He believes he may as well still be in prison and often wishes to die.
