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William Frankenstein is Victor’s youngest brother, and the darling of the Frankenstein family, who is tragically killed by the monster. With his jovial nature and cherubic features, young William is the pinnacle of childlike innocence. Shelley makes this characterization explicitly clear towards the middle of the novel when the monster tells Victor that he initially wanted William to be his companion because he believed the boy was too young and naive to form any prejudices against him. However, William is terrified when the monster grabs him; he calls him an “ugly wretch,” and struggles violently to get away. The monster then learns that William is related to Victor, and he strangles the boy in a fit of rage. Symbolically, William’s death represents the end of Victor’s innocence and naivety, as a helpless child was killed as a result of Victor trying to play God. William’s death also marks a key turning point in the novel because he is the first of several victims that the monster will kill in order to get revenge on Victor. At the start of the novel, a despairing Victor tells Walton that “nothing can alter my destiny.” His fatalistic assurance that his life will be nothing but a tragedy sets the bleak and despairing tone that will persist throughout the novel. The murder of his innocent little brother at the hand of his own creation represents the moment that this fate is sealed.
