It is in the barn of the house that the creature discovers he has Frankenstein’s journal, he teaches himself to read and learns of Frankenstein’s disgust and fear of his creation i.e. him. The creature has started to feel at one with the family and when he sees that they are in trouble he comes to their aid at once, this is a mistake!
The family is horrified and Felix beats and hits him out of the cabin. Once in the woods again the monster starts to ponder what he has done he starts to believe he has acted to quickly, thinking that if he returns to the cottage he could win the old man back to his party. The old man that he helped, this man was blind and could not see the creatures true appearance! He had shown him kindness and had referred to him as a ‘man’. This is the only time a human has shown the creature care and compassion, but if the man hadn’t of been blind, would he still care?
‘- We can never again inhabit your cottage. The life of my father is in the greatest danger, owing to the dreadful circumstance that I have related. My wife and my sister will never recover their horror-‘
This is what the creature is greeted by on his return to the cottage, Felix telling his landlord that he has to flee from the horror. The rejection hits the creature hard, in a soaring rage of anger he burns down the cottage and revels in his actions and dances among the ashes.
This is where the creature’s character starts to change, he becomes aggressive and there is evil brewing inside him there is still the craving for love and companionship in his unloved heart, but it is quickly deteriorating. The creature decides that he will travel to Geneva where he learned from the journal his creator was emigrating to, I think that the creature feels that he wants to kill Frankenstein but deep down I think the creature just wants to know why he was abandoned and perhaps there is a glimmer of hope that he might accept him. For who and what he is. The creature is starting to remember these human emotions and he doesn’t know how to control these feelings, not being able to control our emotions can be extremely confusing and dangerous. That’s why we need guiding, the only parent or guide he has will not take responsibility for his work and in fact child.
On the creature’s route to Geneva he comes across a young girl who falls into a river. In a heroic act, he saves her from drowning. As he is bringing the girl round her companion stumbles across this scene and it is apparent that he sees it in a different way. He is shot, rejected when he should have been praised.
‘- The feelings of kindness and gentleness which I had entertained but a few moments before gave place to hellish rage and gnashing of teeth. Inflamed by pain, I vowed eternal hatred and vengeance to all mankind. -‘
The creature’s hate starts to increase, he talks of the weather mocking him, it had been the only thing that brought him joy, a clever use of pathetic fallacy by Mary Shelly. Now he has given up on this and instead set his sights on revenge and rage. His only contented thoughts being those on inflicting pain and death on those who reject him.
It is when the creature unfortunately crosses paths with Frankenstein’s little brother William, we now realise he has changed into a cruel hearted inconsiderate monster showing no remorse for his actions the last glimmer of gentleness and the feeling of wanting to do good has gone, never to return.
When the monster met William he wanted to take him with him there was a certain desire for companionship there, but Williams’s harsh words and his mistake of unveiling Frankenstein heritage sealed his own death.
‘- I gazed on my victim, and my heart swelled with exulation and my hellish rage triumph: clapping my hands, I exclaimed, I, too, can create desolation; my enemy is not invulnerable; this death will carry despair to him, and a thousand other miseries shall torment and destroy him. -‘
And is if this isn’t enough the monster then frames Justine a close friend of the Frankenstein family. She is hanged for his murder.
‘- But she shall suffer, the murder I have committed because I am for ever robbed of all that she could give me, -‘
The monster has now seen the beauty of woman, he has gazed upon Elizabeth in the locket William was carrying and has seen Justine in the barn. This opens up a new wound. He is denied the pleasures that every other man but he can endorse. The loneliness is too much for him! He feels that if he is going to be isolated, then he should be isolated with someone as ugly and unwanted as him. This leads us to his ultimatum- create me a mate! He wants Frankenstein to make a him a friend of the opposite sex to hide out with him far away from the human eye. This isn’t about sexual love, a part of it maybe, but I feel it is more for the companionship! Someone as ugly as him is bound to accept him. Together they could make a life together and the monsters life will definitely be more worthwhile.
The chapter tells us so much about society. Considering the fact that this novel was written in the 19th century and it’s now the 21st century the morals of this story still apply to everyday life of millions. People around the world are rejected everyday because their hair might not be a nice colour or as shiny as other peoples or maybe they are struggling with weight difficulties. As we see in Frankenstein rejection can lead to terrible events. I’m sure everyone has seen a Hollywood movie when a child was rejected at school and takes his vengeance on all those who bullied and tormented them. Its extremely hurtful and it can deeply hurt our feelings and spark emotions. The hurt can even stay with us our whole life. Even when we think it’s gone the slightest memory can provoke tears.
What our are values? Things like this story are going on everyday i.e. clones and designer and testube babies. Just because we could doesn’t necessarily mean we should! We are playing around with the laws of physics and biology, creating life through machines- that isn’t right it should be left to mother nature to decide what sex our child should be. Clones will surely looked upon as freaks of society as Frankenstein creature was, rejected and unwanted leaving much room for discrimination these scientists need to stop and think about the repercussions and aftermath they could create I think they could benefit from reading this book!
‘-How can I describe my emotions at this catastrophe, or how delineate the wretch whom with such infinite pains and care I had endeavoured to form-‘
These are Frankenstein’s words as the realisation of what he had done sank in.
So should our sympathies lie with the creation or the creator? In my personal opinion I cannot make up my mind. After all everyone makes a mistake, but is it how we rectify our mistakes that counts? Frankenstein made a colossal mistake but he didn’t make it better only worse I suppose only he can be blamed for the monsters actions and hatred!