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In Frankenstein, Chapter 15

I cherished hope, it is true, but it vanished when I beheld my person reflected in water or my shadow in the moonshine, even as that frail image and that inconstant shade.

Monster's hope vanished when it saw its horrible image.

But what does ", even as that frail image and that inconstant shade." indicate here?

Does the "even as" and "that" in this sentence serve for?

Shih-Chun Hsiao
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Examining the sentence, which says "I beheld my person", it mentions two ways in which the speaker does that:

a) reflected in water

b) shadow in the moonshine

The two phrases further on in the sentence, about which you ask, refer to those two images, respectively:

a) that frail image (reflected in water)

b) that inconstant shade (the shadow)

What "even as" does, is to say that the speaker's appearance was horrible, even when seen indirectly in those ways.

So to paraphrase the sentence:

I hoped that I did not look awful, but even mere suggestions of my appearance were enough to destroy that hope.

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Weather Vane
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  • I'm not sure about your *What "even as" does* bit. It looks to me more like My hope vanished just as / in the same way as* my shadow and reflection vanished.* I suppose the reason his hope vanished *when / upon* seeing his image was *because* it was horrible, but that doesn't seem to be directly relevant to the words *even as*. – FumbleFingers Jul 03 '19 at 17:00
  • @FumbleFingers perhaps it was meant like that, but wouldn't there have been another verb in the phrase? For example did or disappeared as the last word in the sentence. It makes sense to me when seen as "it vanished when I beheld my person ... even as that frail image and that inconstant shade" – Weather Vane Jul 03 '19 at 17:08
  • But there are no verbs in the even as phrase. It has the same construction as But I ate that apple, even as that pear and that orange. Most people would ask, "Even as that pear and that orange *did what?" The only way that it makes sense to me is if the previous verb is elided: But I ate that apple, even as [I ate] that pear and [I ate] that orange.* Is that how you're interpreting this passage? That *he beheld* his own person, even as [*he beheld*] that frail image and [*he beheld*] that inconstant shade? – Jason Bassford Jul 03 '19 at 17:12
  • That's what I said: there is no verb in that phrase. – Weather Vane Jul 03 '19 at 17:13
  • @WeatherVane Yes. What I'm saying is that unless you assume an elided verb, it doesn't really make any sense. Are you assuming an elided verb? (Otherwise, I'd call it nonsensical—and not really interpretable.) – Jason Bassford Jul 03 '19 at 17:14
  • No, I am taking it as written: "I saw myself as a shadow." – Weather Vane Jul 03 '19 at 17:16
  • @JasonBassford: Dunno about you, but *I'm* assuming the "elided verb" here is ...even as that frail image and that inconstant shade vanished. And I'm assuming *even as = in the same way as, not despite the fact that*. – FumbleFingers Jul 03 '19 at 17:16
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    @FumbleFingers Ah! So, even better: it vanished . . .even as did* that frail image and that inconstant shade.* – Jason Bassford Jul 03 '19 at 17:18
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    @JasonBassford: Ha! Or far more stylised even as vanished* that frail image and that inconstant shade* (after all, *did* is just shorthand for *did vanish* or *vanished* here anyway). – FumbleFingers Jul 03 '19 at 17:20
  • That was what I originally suggested: to take that meaning, there needs to be a verb. – Weather Vane Jul 03 '19 at 17:21
  • @WeatherVane But your answer doesn't mention that, and your paraphrased sentence does nothing to suggest this interpretation—which I think is the most likely if we're actually to make sense of the original sentence and believe it's grammatical in some way. (You seem to be somewhat gnoring the part in bold. But that's what the question is asking about.) – Jason Bassford Jul 03 '19 at 17:24
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    Perhaps you are right, and should post answers. I did not see that possible meaning when I read the sentence. We can't ask Mary Shelley, though perhaps there are notes. – Weather Vane Jul 03 '19 at 17:26