the affections
In these late frames Victor's ramblings tend to touch on themes
represented early in the novel and subsequently rather shunted to the side
by the pressure of events. Thus, Victor's underscoring of the domestic
affections as the arena for human life's most cherished actions reflects
the nostalgic view of his childhood expressed in his first chapter (1.1.4, 1.1.5), and strongly reinforced by his
bitter recriminations over his withdrawal from this arena at Ingolstadt (1.3.8 and note). That the novel's actual focus is
rather the opposite has been remarked more than once by critics.
Certainly, the ultimate value of what on the surface appear to be peaceful
domestic affections is thrown into question by the behavior of the
cottagers to the Creature in Volume 2 (2.7.10) or the scapegoating of Justine
conducted by the pious burghers of Geneva in Volume 1 (1.7.5).
