Frankenstein Chapter 21 Summary

  • But that's the not the body they're talking about. The town magistrate, Mr. Kirwin, makes Victor look at the body to see if he has some reaction to it.
  • Victor sure does have a reaction to it, because the dead guy is Henry.
  • So Victor is accused of murdering Henry, even though the monster did it. Although, in a way, couldn't you say that Victor really did murder Henry? You sure could.
  • We also almost forgot how attractive Henry is. So Shelley reminds us.
  • Victor falls ill and stays that way for two months.
  • Recovered, he finds himself in prison, which is not the best way to wake up from a feverish illness.
  • Mr. Kirwin is now inexplicably more compassionate towards Victor than before his illness.
  • In other surprising occurrences, his father comes to see him.
  • The court ends up finding Victor innocent of Henry's death. (Something about circumstantial evidence and shameless authorial manipulation of the plot.)
  • The point is, he can now return to Geneva with his father.