NOTES

it never presented itself to my mind with the force of reality

The uncanny coincidences by which Victor comes upon the scene of Clerval's death, as if enmeshed in a logic over which he has no control, reinforce his larger sense that he has no independent will to exercise in his life's narrative. These coincidences may likewise remind us of the crucial role played by narrative, or having a firm control over interpretation of the narrative, throughout the novel.