Caroline Frankenstein
Daughter of M. Beaufort; mother of Victor, Ernest, and William Frankenstein; wife of Alphonse; aunt and adoptive mother of Elizabeth; mother surrogate to Justine Moritz.
Beaufort, in his decline into poverty and wretchedness, brings Caroline
with him, and during his final illness, she ministers to him for ten
months. Finally,
her father died in her arms, leaving her an orphan and a beggar. This last
blow overcame her; and she knelt by Beaufort's coffin, weeping bitterly,
when my father entered the chamber. He came like a protecting spirit to
the poor girl, who committed herself to his care, and after the interment
of his friend he conducted her to Geneva, and placed her under the
protection of a relation. Two years after this event Caroline became his
wife. (1.1.2)
Caroline Frankenstein, after adopting Elizabeth,
determines that she and Victor should marry. Before Victor leaves for his
university, however, Elizabeth is stricken with scarlet fever, and
as Caroline stays with her to care for her, she contracts the disease.
Elizabeth recovers, but Caroline's fever is fatal. On her deathbed,
She joined the hands of Elizabeth and myself: "My children," she said, "my
firmest hopes of future happiness were placed on the prospect of your
union. This expectation will now be the consolation of your father.
Elizabeth, my love, you must supply my place to your younger cousins.
Alas! I regret that I am taken from you; and, happy and beloved as I have
been, is it not hard to quit you all? But these are not thoughts befitting
me; I will endeavour to resign myself cheerfully to death, and will
indulge a hope of meeting you in another world." (1.2.1)
