Foreshadowing

Early in the novel, the creation of the monster and Victor's reaction towards the hideous creature is the first indicator of bad things to happen in the future. For example, the first major disaster after the monster's birth is the death of Victor's little brother William. He was strangled by an unknown murderer but the reader can easily infer that the killer is indeed the monster. Since the killer is nowhere to be found, authorities blame the murder on Justine, who was recently brought to the Frankenstein family. Because she acted suspiciously and there was no proof to counter the accusations, she is imprisoned and executed. This brings much grief and blame on Victor, who believes this was his fault for creating the monster. Therefore these events will eventually lead to more disaster later in the novel.