In chapter 13 an Arabian woman called Safie arrives into the De Lacey household. She is taught English by the family and The monster profits from these lessons. The monster also profits from Felix’s teaching to Safie the groundings in politics, religion and various nations using Volney’s Ruins of nature. He also learns about human greatness and wealth and compares this to his own poverty and ugliness. The monster ponders over the dual nature of man “at once so powerful, so virtuous and magnificent, yet so viscious and base.” The Daemon then reflects on his own position, and orphan excluded from society. He then wonders about himself “ I saw and heard none like me” “What was I?” he asks.
In chapter 15 the Daemon is still only aware of goodness and not criminality. He finds three books, Paradise lost, , Plutarch, Sorrows of werther. From Werther the creature learns about sentiments, but questions his own identity, from Plutarch he learns about heroes of antiquity encouraging him with “high thoughts”. The book also teaches him about, virtue and wickedness. He also discovers in the clothing he took from Victors laboratory , Victors journal from the months preceding the creation. From this he learns the repulsion felt for him by his creator and curses Victor for abandoning him. The monster requires kindness and sympathy, and he desires to be known and loved by the de Lacey’s. He decides to approach the blind father so he cannot be rejected for his appearance. He is fine until Felix and the others return and Felix beats the monster violently with a stick until he leaves and returns to his hovel. Reading the sorrows of winter. This intensifies the monsters sense of alienation when he applies the story to his own feelings and condition.
The monster sees links between himself and Adam, the first man, but also acknowledges how they are different. Adam was happy and prosperous and cared for by god, his creator. On the otherhand the monster is wretched and alienated and cast out of his world without an Eve to console him. Satan is a better comparison as when the monster views others who are happy he is envious.
By showing the de laceys reject the monster Shelley is indicating that appearance is priveleged in society, and how even best of people judge things on face value.
The monster despairs at having again been rejected and is full of anguish and rage at his mistreatment. He burns down the De Lacey’s cottage. During his journey he rescues a young girl from drowning, but for his troubles a man with a gun wounds him. This further inflames his feelings of hatred for mankind. When he arrives on the outskirts of Geneva he sees a young child. He seizes him and attempts to make him a friend, believing – in conjunction of romantic poet William Blake – that as the child is young and innocent society will not yet have had sufficient time to impress prejudice upon him. However, the child turns out to be William and reveals himself to be a Frankenstein. Still desiring revenge the monster strangles William then takes a miniature of Caroline from the childs breast and takes it. He later comes across Justine sleeping in the barn and plants the miniature on her. The creature ends his narrative by demanding Frankenstein creates a female companion to be his mate.
