"La Tour Eiffel vue de la Tour Saint-Jacques, Paris." by Yann Caradec is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, Paris appears in Volume 3 as a stopping point of Victor Frankenstein's journey. He and his father stay in Paris for a little bit after being proven not guilty for Henry's death. At this point, Victor receives a letter from Elizabeth before reaching Geneva. He does not stay in Paris long. I do not think there was much description for Paris in the novel.
During the time this novel was written, Paris was growing rapidly and celebrated for its architecture and innovation. Paris is the capital of France, and is one of the most important areas of commerce and culture. It was known as "the City of Light" during the Enlightenment era has continued to be an important area for educational and intellectual pursuits.
I feel like my research on Paris has not helped me understand the novel more. I feel like I just learned about Paris as a place in general, not Paris as a place in the novel.
Ardagh, John Anthony Charles, Ehrlich, Blake, Daul, Kimberly. "Paris". Encyclopedia Britannica, 18 Feb. 2026, https://www.britannica.com/place/Paris. Accessed 22 February 2026.
Wikipedia contributors. "Paris." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 22 Feb. 2026. Web. 23 Feb. 2026.