- “Delighted and surprised, I embraced her; but as I imprinted the first kiss on her lips, they became livid with the hue of death; her features appeared to change, and I thought that I held the corpse of my dead mother in my arms.” (p. 51-52)
In this excerpt, Shelley is describing one of Victor’s dreams of encountering Elizabeth. Throughout the novel, the reader is slightly confused of the relationship between Victor and Elizabeth. She has been referred to as the adopted sister, cousin, and eventual wife of Victor. Never knowing the exact relationship status, one might interpret Victor's love for Elizabeth as incest - kissing her on the lips and marrying her. Victor perhaps connected Elizabeth with the “corpse of his dead mother” as Elizabeth took on the maternal duties of the household after the death of Victor's mother.
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