Timeline


The following is a timeline of the events that take place in Frankenstein, Or The Modern Prometheus. As yet it is incomplete, and a couple of the statistics are incorrect (especially most of the Creation's history), but additions and corrections will be made over time as new information is brought to light. Exact years have been added in for the sake of convenience.

1770s

1770: Victor Frankenstein is born.

1771: Elizabeth Lavenza is born. (Note: It is only stated that less than a year separates Victor and Elizabeth, and it is only really presumed that she is the younger one. She could have been born in 1769 or 1770, but 1771 seems to make the most sense.)

1771: Robert Walton is born.

1775: Elizabeth Lavenza is adopted by Caroline Beaufort Frankenstein.

1777: Ernest Frankenstein is born.

1777: The Frankensteins move to Geneva.

1777: Victor meets Henry Clerval at school, and they quickly become the best of friends.


1780s

1785: Victor witnesses a lightning storm for the first time.

1787: William Frankenstein is born.

1787: Caroline Beaufort Frankenstein dies of scarlet fever.

1788: Victor leaves Geneva for the university in Ingolstadt.


1792

1792: [Felix and Safie's history].

Summer: Victor discovers the secrets of the initiation of life, and decides to create a human being in such a manner. He collects body parts from graveyards.

November: Victor brings the Creation to life, and is instantly repulsed by it. On Henry Clerval arriving in Ingolstadt the next day, Victor goes into a nervous fit and Henry nurses him.

November - December: The Creation develops like a child (though accelerated). Utterly outcasted by society, he hides in a hut. His education begins soon after when he hears music for the first time.


1793

Early Spring: Victor, though still ill, has recovered his senses.

Spring: The Creation learns of the De Laceys' love for each other despite their poverty.

March 18th: Elizabeth writes a letter (Read by Victor late March or early April) talking about her worries about his health, of William, Justine and other minor events.

Mid Spring:  Safie reaches the De Laceys' cottage. The Creation attains an education by listening to Felix teach Safie. He also learns that he is one of a kind.

Early April: Victor, having quit his science courses, studies the Far Eastern languages with Clerval.


1794

Winter: The Creation continues his education upon finding great works of literature. In Paradise Lost he envies Adam and realises how similar to Lucifer he is. Sometime after finding Victor's journals he is outcast by the De Laceys. After burning down their cottage, he starts his trek to Geneva.

Early - Mid Spring: The Creation is shot after saving a little girl from drowning.

May 7th: Having arrived in Geneva, the Creation kills William.

May 8th: The Creation finds Justine sleeping in a barn and frames her for William's murder.

May 12th: Alphonse writes a letter to Victor telling him of William's death. On receiving it, Victor immediately sets off back home.

Mid - Late May: Justine is arrested for William's murder.

 Late May: On his way home, Victor stops at the place where William was murdered. On sighting the Creation, he becomes convinced of his guilt.

Late May: Victor arrives home, to find the entire family depressed, especially Elizabeth. Justine's arrest becomes known to him.

Late May: Justine is found guilty at her trial.

Early June: Justine falsely confesses to the murder before being executed.

June - August: Victor contemplates suicide by drowning, blaming himself for William's murder and Justine's execution.

August: Victor sets out on a tour of the Alps.

August: The Creation finds Victor, tells him his story and convinces him to make a female companion for him, in return for living in South America and leaving everyone alone.

Late August: Victor returns home. He declines his father's suggestion that he and Elizabeth should wed as he wants to make the female creation first.

October: Victor and Henry travel to England.


1795

February: Victor and Henry, having arrived in London, are invited up to Scotland.

March 27th: Victor and Henry travel to Perth from London.

Mid - Late April: Victor parts from Clerval in Perth, and heads up to the Orkney Islands.

Late April - Early May: Victor starts the work on the female creation.


1796

Late 1796: Victor finishes and then destroys the female creation. The Creation is enraged, and vows to get revenge.

Late 1796: Clerval writes to Victor, pleading for his return.

Late 1796: The Creation kills Clerval..


1797

Early 1797: Victor is arrested in Ireland for Clerval's murder.

Early 1797: Victor falsely confesses to Clerval's murder. After being imprisoned he falls into a coma.

Late Winter - Early Spring: Alphonse comes to Ireland to acquit his son. They both return to Geneva.

Spring:  Victor starts drinking laudanum every night, and dreams of the Creation.

May: Alphonse begins to believe that his son might have gone mad.

May 18th: Elizabeth writes a letter to Victor with an offer to postpone or call off their engagement. Victor decides to marry her, if only to bring his death forward.

June: Victor and Elizabeth wed and travel to Evian for their honeymoon. The Creation kills Elizabeth and escapes before Victor can kill him.

Late June: Victor returns to Geneva to protect his family from the Creation. On hearing of Elizabeth's death, Alphonse dies from shock within days.

July: Victor ends up in an asylum after going insane.


1798

Mid - Late 1798: Victor, having being released from the asylum, decides to chase after the Creation.

Late 1798: Victor starts his pursuit of the Creation across Europe.

December 11th: Walton, in St. Petersburgh, writes to his sister for the first time.

1799

March 28th: Walton’s second letter is written. The ship is ready for sail, but he is lonely.

Early - Mid July: Victor chases his creation onto the arctic icecap.

July 7th: Walton’s ship is at a quite northerly latitude.

July 31st: Walton’s ship gets trapped in ice and then the Creation is spotted in a sled.

August 1st: Victor is found and rescued, and the ice parts slightly.

August 3rd: Victor, being personally treated by Walton, can  talk again.

August 13th: Walton has tried unsuccessfully to befriend Victor, who spends as much of his time looking out for the Creation.

August 20th: Victor begins to relate his story to Walton.

August 26th: Walton is in a state of unbelief of the story to begin with, but it quickly convinced of its truth. Walton still wants to be Victor's friend, but he just wants to die.

September 2nd: Walton fears a mutiny.

September 5th: The ice clears for the most part. Though Victor wants to continue North, everyone else wants to return South.

September 7th: Walton is determined that the expedition should continue.

September 9th: After the ice fully breaks, Walton decides to head South, despite Victor's dying request that he should head north.

September 13th: The Creation comes aboard the ship to kill Victor, finds him dead and leaves to kill himself.


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