He had read the journal that Victor had left in his pocket that the creature took when he left for the streets. Victor wrote the journal as he created the creature. The creature then went to find Victor. His anger was so strong that instead of just killing Victor, he killed his family and close friends one by one so that Victor could feel the pain that he had had to feel for so long. Chapters fifteen and sixteen focus mainly on the creature and his feelings.
It tells us about how he lived and survived while living in the hovel, what he got up to when he finally left and what made him kill all of Victor’s friends and family. What provoked him and how he was feeling and the thoughts he had while he proceeded through his journey to find Victor. These two chapters are important to the whole novel as it gives us a clearer insight to the creature’s life, which makes us feel sympathy and understanding towards him. Shelley encourages the reader to have sympathy towards the creature, as she does not give him an identity by calling him ‘creature’ through the novel.
She does not name him. He has characteristics of someone who has not been introduced to the world and his surroundings. He does not know what is right and wrong, good or evil. When he discusses the books he found he says, “I read of men concerned in public affairs, governing and massacring their species. I felt the greatest ardour for virtue rise within me, and abhorrence for vice, as far as I understood the signification of those terms. ” This shows that the creature has feelings for humanity.
However, these feelings change throughout the extract as he finds humans are not what he originally thought. “From that moment I declared everlasting war against the species. ” Here, the creature is telling us that he now hates all humans for the way they act towards him. We know he is talking about humans because he uses the word species. The creature feels so isolated from humans that he does not even class himself as the same species. He feels so alone that he is a species of his own.
The creature has many characteristics that show he is not just a hideous thing that everyone is scared and afraid to look at. He is intelligent as he learnt to read and gain feelings and an understanding of the world all by himself. He has also been able to gain his own thoughts and feelings towards other people. He felt safe and loved by the family in the hovel, but when he was betrayed felt hatred. This shows that he is able to think and feel for himself. His language when he goes to see the blind man in the hovel is very polite and not monstrous.
“Pardon this intrusion, I am a traveller in want of a little rest; you would greatly oblige me if you would allow me to remain a few minutes before the fire. ” This shows that he does not have the characteristics of a monster. He may look hideous but can be very well spoken like a ‘normal’ human being. “I trembled violently, apprehending some dreadful misfortune. ” The creature is worried that the family from the cottage have been hurt. His language here makes him seem kind and caring. It shows that just because people see him, as a monster does not mean that he is a monster in the inside.
