On the night that Frankenstein finally succeeded in reanimation, he stared in horror as the “demoniacal corpse” that he created awakened and let out a terrible roar. The monster had yellow skin, black hair and lips, and bones and arteries protruding from the awkward sewing of his skin. Frankenstein ran from the room in terror, unable to face what he created and no longer consumed by the need to complete his task. He lay down and dreamed of dancing with Elizabeth, but when he looked at her face, it was a skeleton. Frankenstein left his apartment, fearing that every sound was the monster pursuing him. His childhood friend, Henry Clerval, arrived in town happy to see Frankenstein but grew alarmed by his pale and sickly appearance. Frankenstein fell into a “nervous fever” for several months, and Henry took care of him.

While recovering, Frankenstein received a letter from Elizabeth, who expressed her concern over his declining health. Frankenstein did not write back, instead relying on Henry to communicate with his family for him. Elizabeth asked to hear from Frankenstein and wrote about a family friend who died due to “perpetual fretting.” That woman’s daughter, Justine, was adopted by Elizabeth’s aunt and effectively became her cousin.