Consider the effects of the monsters testimony. What themes does is address, what does it tell us about the monsters character? How does it make you feel about Frankenstein and the Delacey's?

Consider the effects of the monsters testimony. What themes does is address, what does it tell us about the monsters character? How does it make you feel about Frankenstein and the Delacey’s?

Frankenstein is considered to be the greatest Gothic Romantic Novel. It is also generally thought of as the first science fiction novel. I have always been amazed by the fact that Mary wrote this novel when she was eighteen years old.

The influence of Milton's Paradise Lost can be seen directly from the epigraph of the 1818 edition of Frankenstein: "Did I request thee, Maker from my clay to mould me man? Did I solicit thee, from darkness to promote me?" The spirit of Paradise Lost permeates Frankenstein throughout the novel and particularly in his testimony. In chapter seven the monster says: "The fallen angel becomes a malignant devil. Yet even that enemy of God and man had friends and associates in his desolation; I am alone." She even incorporated Paradise Lost into the novel by having it be one of the three works that the monster studied. The monster found a correlation between his condition and an aspect of the novel and stated: "Like Adam, I was apparently united by no link to any other human being...I was wretched, helpless and alone. Many times I considered Satan as the fitter emblem of my condition.”

The monster tells Victor of the confusion he experienced upon first being created. He describes his gradual acclimation to the world through his discovery of the sensations of light, darkness, hunger, thirst, and cold.

The monster learns and develops immensely within his testimony. He learns practical elements such as how a fire creates warmth but he is dismayed when he burns himself on the hot embers. He realises that he can keep the fire going by adding more wood, and also discovers that the fire can be used to cook food. It is not just the physical aspects of movement and practicability that the monster has learnt, but he has also developed his emotions. A good example of this is when he peered into the home of the De Lacey’s. The monster described with passion the family and their home, both of which the monster desired. The old man particularly won the monster’s reverence, “He smiled with such kindness and affection that I felt sensations of a peculiar and overpowering nature: They were a mixture of pain and pleasure; such as I had never before experienced… I withdrew from the window, unable to bear these emotions.” The monster had never experienced these feelings before and as his testimony progresses his emotions expand and deepen, consequently leading the monster to develop morals. He discovers that his actions have consequences: “When I found out that in doing this I inflicted pain on the cottagers, I abstained.” He realises that he was wrong to take their food when they themselves are famished. Another example of his morals developing is when he hears Felix talk about war, and from this he concluded that war and murder were wrong, it left him with disgust and loathing: “For a long time I could not conceive how one man could go forth to murder his fellow”

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Like Victor previously in the novel, the monster also quests for knowledge. It vows to understand the language that the De Laceys speak: “People possessed a method of communicating their experience and feelings to one and other by articulate sounds... I ardently desired to become aquainted with it.” It is interesting to see how speech is portrayed as a ‘Godlike science,’ drawing a parallel between himself and Victor, whose life is devoted to attaining knowledge and advancing science; thus highlighting how Victor has played God by taking creation into his own hands. The monster continues to learn throughout the duration of his testimony about the science of letters, society, family and human nature. The monster is in search of knowledge and is fascinated with the art of reading, he loved to listen to the stories the De Lacey’s told, so when the monster found some books in the nearby forest he felt ‘extreme delight.’ The books were ‘Paradise Lost,’ which relates importantly to the novel and the relationship between the monster and his creator; the ‘Sorrows of Werter’ which the monster found a ‘never-ending source of speculation and astonishment;’ and a volume of ‘Plutarch’s Lives,’ which taught him high thoughts, temporarily “elevating me above the wretched sphere of my reflections.” The monster found he related to all three novels and realised that he had experienced very little human contact, again he was just a listener and recognized that he was dependent on none and related to none: “The path of my departure was free.” These books stirred up his emotions causing the monster to ask questions concerning his existence: “Who was I? What was I? Whence did I come?”

The monster can be compared with Safie who is very similar to the monster because she knows very little of the De Lacey’s culture and language. They were “left alone, unacquainted with the language of the country and utterly ignorant of the customs of the world.” They were both learning together and this could explain one of the reasons why the monster was so fond of her.

The monster learnt more about the ways of the world and as his knowledge advanced like “spring advancing rapidly,” he was able to compare the novels and decipher the papers which he had discovered in his pocket. Like Victor the monster was in search for truth and knowledge and the monster's eloquence and sensitivity also link him with Victor. It is somewhat surprising that this creature, which is referred to as a demon and a monster, is so articulate and seemingly well educated. This makes it easier for the reader to identify and sympathise with the monster, while narrowing the gap between the monster and Victor and other human beings.

The monster shows great affection towards the De Lacey’s because he feels he has got to know them, even though he is just an observer. “Benevolence and generosity were ever presented before me.” This closeness could be expressed because they are the only portrayal of the human nature visible to him, and the monster is desperate to be a part of the joy that the family share together. He greatly aspires to humans: “To be a great and virtuous man appeared the highest honour that can befall a sensitive being.” This could explain his helpful and positive attitude towards the family: “I cleared their path from the snow and performed those offices that I had seen done by Felix.” He longed to introduce himself to the family he had grown to love but he kept forming pictures of their disgust to him, therefore he vowed to win their favour by learning their language. Through the majority of his testimony he continually helps the family, and is known as the ‘good spirit.’ He develops an inquisitive and curious disposition, wanting to learn the aspects of human nature he could use to gain the acceptance of the family. His passion for learning and understanding their vocabulary fills him with happiness, the “future was gilded by bright rays of hope, and anticipations of joy.”

The monster seems very sensitive and it is lovely to see his reaction to the surrounding nature. He visions nature as a “sign of comfort” when he is lonely and recognises that nature will always be there to give him a form of restoration and a renewal of spirit: “My spirits were elevated by the enchanting appearance of nature.”

He refers to nature many times within his testimony and it is obviously of great importance to him. He passionately speaks about how nature is constantly developing and his reaction to it is one of pure joy: “My senses were gratified and refreshed by a thousand scents of delight, and a thousand sights of beauty… but my chief delights were the sight of the flowers, the birds, and all the gay apparel of summer.”

Another way the monster demonstrates his kindness and positive attributes is through his efforts to save the girl from drowning: “I rushed from my hiding place, and, with extreme labour from the force of the current saved her…I endeavoured, by every means in my power, to restore animation.” He tried his hardest to help and be accepted by man but to no avail for his appearance caused the man to attack him. The monster does have a kind nature but due to rejection and abandonment he learns that by helping others he gains nothing meaning it is not entirely his fault for the events which happen later in the novel.

Despite the monster’s efforts of generosity he is still mistreated by man, however if he did not appear so hideous perhaps it would not be to the same extent. His creator Frankenstein abandoned him and left him for dead, so there are questions that the monster has no answers to, such as “Who am I?”

The first time within his testimony that he meets humans he is greeted by terrified children whose shrieking roused the whole village. They then attacked him with stones and other missile weapons as they chased him away into the countryside.

However the biggest rejection he experiences within his testimony is the rejection from the De Lacey’s whose family he wanted to be a part of. The family left to go on a walk leaving the old blind man behind. The monster talks to the man and for the first time he can talk freely because he knows the man is blind and therefore will hold no predjudice: “I am blind and cannot judge of your countenance.” If they were left for longer together I think that the old man may have accepted the monster, unfortunately for the monster they were not. To the monsters horror they were interrupted by Felix, Safie and Agatha returning and when seeing his hideous appearnce Agatha fainted, Safie ran out of the cottage and Felix darted towards the monster striking him violently with a stick. During this I felt great empathy for the monster, who did not fight back for his love to the family was too strong, he simply ran out of the cottage with feelings of great distress: “My heart sunk within me as with bitter sickness.”

Although towards the end of the novel the monster is presented as evil and unkind we are made to feel anguish towards him during the first part of his testimony. On many occasions he is described as lonely: “I was a poor, helpless, miserable wretch.” His main desire is to belong, to find someone who can return his affections, and he thought he had found that when he found the De Lacey’s: “The more I saw of them the greater the desire to claim their protection and kindness; my heart yearned to be known and loved by these amiable creatures.”

He longs for a companion, someone who is like himself and who would not be disgusted by his appearance; someone who he can talk to and spend the rest of his life with: “I am alone, and miserable; man will not associate with me; but one as deformed and horrible as myself would not deny herself to me.” The only way that this could possibly happen is by Frankenstein creating another monster, again defying the laws of nature and the role of God.

However, the main empathy for the monster lies within his perception of his appearance: “I was endued with a figure hideously deformed and loathsome. The outward appearance of the monster is described by his creator: “his yellow skin , his hair was of a lustrous black, and flowing… his ” He was very different to man and his tall wide stature was frightening to anyone who saw him.

There are many references made to reflections in his testimony, both physically and emotionally. The first time he saw himself was in the reflection of a pool, at first the monster seemed shocked, unable to believe that it was his face being reflected, he then realised that what he saw was the truth and he “was filled with the bitterest sensations of despondence and mortification.” He later admitted that he cherished hope however “it vanished when I beheld my person reflected in the water.”

Even the young boy in the forest whom he thought would hold no prejudice’s because he was so young called the monster an “ugly wretch.” People are frightened when they see him, which keeps the monster from making contact with them. This inability of personal contact and the resulting isolation is what indirectly drives the monster to his crimes.

He asks himself twice in desperation: “what am I?” Emphasising his abnormality and longing to know the truth. This desperation and rejection leads the monster for the first time to become angry with his creator: “Why did you form a monster so hideous that even you turned from me in disgust? God, in pity made men beautiful and alluring, after his own image; but my form is a filthy type of yours, more horrid even from the very resemblance.” His hatred builds until the monster vows to get revenge.

Due to his desire for revenge the monster begins to change his mannerisms and behavioural patterns, he no longer wants to be of any assistance to mankind and is disgusted with his creator. If he was not rejected by the De Lacey’s I think this would have been a very different story, however a combination if this and his rejection after saving the drowning girl was too much for him to cope with. Both the content and style of the language changes along with the monster’s characteristics. The monster now desires destruction: “I was like a wild beast that had broken the toils, destroying the objects that had obstructed me.” The traits of a monster are becoming more evident as the monster rives with fury and he has finally realised a major difference between himself and man: “From that moment I declared ever-lasting war against the species.” However this was aimed more at Frankenstein, “against him who had formed me,” because Frankenstein left him alone with no answers and no one to turn to. Throughout his testimony the monster has been able to control his rage and frustration, but for the first time he looses control: “For the first time the feelings of revenge and hatred filled my bosom, and I did not strive to control them,” he turned his anger into destruction and burnt the cottage. He learnt at the beginning of his testimony how to use fire and here is a perfect example of how he is using something negatively for his own benefit, the skills which he learnt are being used for evil.

The monster needed to establish some form of justice, he wanted his questions answered and his ‘God,’ Frankenstein, was the only one he knew of who could answer them: “I determined to seek that justice which I vainly attempted to gain from any other being that wore the human form,” and the nearer he got to Frankenstein “the more deeply did I feel the spirit of revenge enkindle in my heart.”

However despite his evil thoughts the monster still has morals. He chose not to kill the De Lacey’s, even though the opportunity was there, and later he tried to rescue the girl from drowning, but unfortunately he got injustice instead of the justice he deserved and was shot at. He did not see any reason to help people again if that is what he got in return.

At the end of his testimony he tells Frankenstein about the confrontation with the boy in the forest. The little boy was screaming “monster! Ugly wretch!” and to silence him the monster squeezed the boy’s throat not knowing that his brute strength would cause the boy to die. The monster seemed triumphant about what he had done, exclaiming “I too can create desolation; my enemy is not invulnerable; this death will carry despair to him.” He discovered that he too could play the role of God, like his creator and could also cause mischief, placing the locket from the boys neck onto Justine who was sleeping in the barn.