Question

Frankenstein:

"Justine also was a girl of merit and possessed qualities which promised to render her life happy; now all was to be obliterated in an ignominious grave, and I the cause! A thousand times rather would I have confessed myself guilty of the crime ascribed to Justine, but I was absent when it was committed, and such a declaration would have been considered as the ravings of a madman and would not have exculpated her who suffered through me.

The appearance of Justine was calm. She was dressed in mourning, and her countenance, always engaging, was rendered, by the solemnity of her feelings, even more lovely than before. The magistrate observed me with a scrutinising eye and his companion followed him in this examination with the sly and insidious curiosity of a rival.

Justine, you may remember, was a great favourite of yours, and I recollect you once remarked that if you were in an ill-humour, one glance from Justine could dissipate it, for the same reason that Ariosto gives concerning the beauty of Angelica—she looked so frank-hearted and happy. My aunt conceived a great attachment for her, by which she was induced to give her an education superior to that which she had at first intended. This benefit was fully repaid; Justine was the most grateful little creature in the world; I do not mean that she made any professions I never heard one pass her lips, but you could see by her eyes that she almost adored her protectress. Although her disposition was gay and in many respects inconsiderate, yet she paid the greatest attention to every gesture of my aunt. She thought her the model of all excellence and endeavoured to imitate her phraseology and manners, so that even now she often reminds me of her.

When thus alone, I not unfrequently heard Grace Poole’s eerie laugh; afterwards I learned that it was the eccentric Rochester who had a craze for his strange mistress, and that she herself was sane enough, but twisted by her master’s madness. The man tasked with intervening whenever Rochester threatened to go too far was a distant relation, Mr Richard Mason, who lived in the West Indies. It in roused him; he said that he knew the name, and reminded me that it was mentioned in the letters forwarded to him by Mrs. Fairfax, and that Rochester, himself, had talked of visiting him as soon as he was of age, and being actively engaged in his pursuits abroad."

In her explanation to Elizabeth, why did Justine admit guilt to the crime?

Answer 1

Justine confessed to a crime she didn't commit in 'Frankenstein' due to coercion from her confessor, who threatened her with excommunication and hell, leading her to hope for sympathy and a lighter sentence.

Step-by-step explanation:

In Frankenstein, Justine admitted guilt to the crime she didn't commit because she was pressured and influenced by the circumstances surrounding her, particularly by the coercion of her confessor.

During her trial for the murder of William Frankenstein, despite being innocent, she faced an intense and intimidating situation in which her confessor threatened her with excommunication and hell unless she confessed. Under this extreme duress and the promise of salvation, she falsely admitted to the crime, hoping to gain sympathy and perhaps be spared from the death penalty.

In the passage, it appears that Justine admits guilt to the crime because she believes that her confession, even though false, would not save her from the dire consequences she faced. Victor Frankenstein, the narrator, expresses his internal struggle and regret that he did not confess to the crime himself, as he was absent when it occurred.

Justine's admission seems to stem from a sense of hopelessness and a belief that the justice system would not believe her innocence, especially given the circumstances and the societal perception of her actions. Her decision reflects the tragic consequences of her false confession and the complexities of justice in the narrative.