"University Museum, Oxford: proposed sketch. Wood-engraving b" is licensed under CC BY 4.0
In Volume III, a pensive Victor and his friend Henry Clerval travel to England in which they plan to visit Windsor, Oxford, Matlock, and the Cumberland Lakes. The reflective trip comes after the creature requests that Victor make him a companion whom he can share his life with.
The city of Oxford in the early 19th century, and still today, was most notable for its prestigious university of which it shares its name. The market town had a population of approximately 12,000 individuals who depended on the institution for their livelihoods; it was a primary supplier of steady jobs and a source of economic stability for the city. Oxford was also known for its towers, steeples, and gothic infrastructure.
The location of Oxford in the novel acts as a serene contrast to Victor’s emotional turmoil that he is facing over whether or not to construct a second creature. Whilst in the city, Victor describes the colleges as “ancient and picturesque,” the streets as “magnificent,” and makes note of the beauty and loveliness of the Isis plant that flows from the towers (Volume III, Chapter II). This time that he spends in Oxford provides Frankenstein with a brief moment of relief; for just this one moment, he is not thinking about the pain and bitter sufferings caused by his creation, but rather he is appreciative of the current moment and being acutely aware of his surroundings.
“Oxford | England, United Kingdom | Britannica.” Encyclopædia Britannica, 2020, www.britannica.com/place/Oxford-England.