Throughout the chapters William is described as; “lovely boy”, “sweet boy”. This again shows the love the child receives. Justine who was the housekeeper had been taken ill, no doubt from the shock of these events. The death of they boy had an affect on peoples physical health.
Justine was found containing a precious locket, which had been around Williams’s neck before the murder. People had concluded that the locket was the motive of the murderer. With this evidence showing the cause of murder, Justine was charged with murder and confirmed suspicion by her confusion of the manner. Because Justine couldn’t comprehend what was going on, her confusion led others to believe she was guilty, so she was hanged. This was an absurd trial conclusion and misuse of facts.
Justine was executed, the creature had framed her. Not only did he murder William, an innocent sweet child he also, devised a ploy which caused the trial and execution of Justine. Reader have sorrow for poor William and Justine, they are only filled with hate and contempt whenever they think about the creature.
The creature from this point is known to be intelligent to devise a ploy; he had a purpose, a goal to achieve, it was to show Victor. The creature had proved his point by murdering and framing Victor’s brother (William) and framing the Justine (the house keeper). The creature is created from criminals and from what we can tell he shows no respect to life. Victor, though he had only created the creature, has to be blamed for not being careful. The guilt of these deaths lie on his shoulders, the readers fell sorry for his loss of his “beloved” brother and innocent Justine but despises him for not monster he has created.
(3) In chapter 10 Victor finally encounters his creation. The creature’s appearance on the snow filled mountains comes to a surprise to Victor. (Victor had been beckoned to come to the mountains, he then witnessed the creature.) The creature advances towards victor at a superhuman speed. The creature appears to be a formidable creation, strong and agile. “I was troubled; a mist came over my eyes and I felt a faintness seize me”. The sight of the creature affects Victor even after not seeing this creation for along time. Victor begins to describe what lay before his eyes. He uses strong words full of detest and grotesque description. “Its unearthly ugliness rendered it almost too horribile for human eyes”.
The creature had murdered William and framed Justine, with these things embedded into Victor’s mind we can understand that he has nothing but hate and rage for this creature though he also is afraid of this “thing”.
“Devil” Victor says, showing hi furious contempt he has with the creature. He continues talking to the creature with a fearless tone. “Do you dare approach me?” A rhetorical question, Victor knows the answer. He says it mockingly to the creature, how it dares to confront victor expecting a pleasant audience when the creature had already murdered his brother and Justine. “And do not you fear the vengeance of my arm wreaked on your miserable head” Victor taunts the creature. Its obvious that Victor is blinded by rage and hatred and has no sympathy for his creation. Readers will be siding with victors rage as it also asks how the creature do the crimes he committed. “Be gone, vile insect! Or rather, stay, that I may trample you to dust! And, oh! That I could, with the extinction of your miserable existence, restore those victims whom you have so diabolically murdered!” Victor persists on labelling the creature with harsh words, “vile insect” And continues to taunt him. Victor wants nothing to do with the creature, however he rather wishes him to pay for his actions. Victor wants redemption for his brother and Justine.
Victor’s words make readers think what state of mind Victor is in. It is clear that he is enraged however he wishes nothing to do with the creature. If the creature kept persisting to continue affecting Victor’s life, Victor said he would kill him. The creature begins to speak back to Victor. Up until now we have hated the creature for the actions he has done and the fact that his appearance is grotesque.
“I expected this reception” Already the creature knew what to expect, he had come for a purpose. “All men hate the wretched: how then must I be hated, who am miserable beyond all living things! Yet you, my creator, detest and spurn me, thy creature, to whom thou are bound by lies only dissoluble by the annihilation of one of us. You purpose to kill me, how dare you sport thus life? Do your duty towards me and I will do mine towards you and mankind. If you comply with my conditions, I will leave them and you at peace, but if you refuse I will glut maw of death, until it be satisfied by the blood of your remaining friends.”
The perspective the readers had viewed the creature has turned. Readers come to realise that Victor isn’t the only one suffering in this novel. The creature has endured pain; it’s a surprise to the readers that the creature can feel pain and emotion. The creature talks to Victor in a calm tone, he had explained that he knows suffering “miserable beyond all living things”. He has been detested ad spurned by everyone and even his creator. The reader can begin sympathize for the creature. However the creature threatens Victor if he does not give what the creature asks for, he will take on the role of death and make Victor pay with his friend’s blood. ”Glut the maw of death”.
“Abhorred monster! Fiend that thou art” Victor continues to talk to the creature insulting him. He showed no curiosity or sympathy for the creature. Victor begins to attack the creature, blinded by the fury. While the creature easily eludes his attacks he continues to ask Victor to listen to him before Victor chooses to do anything. “Have I not suffered enough” the creature asks Victor.
The creature asks mercy from Victor, he does not want to be enemies with him and even though clearly he can destroy Victor if he wished. The readers are surprised and amazed at the creature’s sincerity. This then sparks the curiosity of what the creature’s proposal is.
The creature creates an example of himself, saying how he should be like Adam but is rather the fallen angel (the devil), cast out from joy for no reason whatsoever. Readers have already felt sorry for Victor’s loss; however they cannot misjudge the creature as he has lost everything and has nothing.
“But am I not alone? Miserably alone?” This question is already answered throughout the story, and is a rhetorical question. “They spurn and hate me” The creature comments on how even the dull dark skies are more pleasant to him than human beings. Victor still replies to the creature in his hateful tone. Victor is yet to show any bit sympathy for the creature while hey have talked, yet the creature has showed mercy and patience to his creator making to different contrasts in characters. Shouldn’t the human be more merciful and patient with his creation compared to the creation itself? The readers have witnessed Victor’s behaviour and are surprised that he shows not an ounce of sorrow for the creature.
The creature convinces Victor begins to hear his tale, though Victor is reluctant he is intrigued by what the creature has to say. Victor begins to finally accepts his responsibility as a creator and that “I ought to render him happy before I complained of his wickedness”
The creature may be a murderer however the scars of the events he endured are quite severe. He may still be hated for his actions but people can still sympathize with someone they hate.
Throughout the next five chapters in the novel the creature begins to tell his tale of hardship and misery. In chapter 11 he explains how he left Victor’s apartment feeling lonely and miserable. He had covered himself with cloths but just barely enough to protect him from the dew of the night. “ I was poor, helpless, miserable wretch, I knew and could distinguish nothing; but feeling pain invade me on all sides I sat down and wept” We can understand his suffering and pain. The creature can shed tears, this is another miraculous thing the creature can do. Since the beginning of the novel we believed the creature had no emotions and was a killer, we expected him to be evil. However the creature does have emotions and can weep and suffer like any other human being
The creature continues explaining how he came across a village. However when he arrived he was welcomed by an angry crowd. The creature had only set foot next to a door of a house and children had shrieked and one of the woman fainted. “Some fled, some attacked me, until grievously bruised by stones and many other kids of missile weapons.” The creature at this time was not only lonely and miserable; he had also been attacked and bruised severely. This was all for his appearance alone. Readers begin to feel sorry for the creature.
The creature continues and explains how he met a family called “De Lacey” he explains how he generously helped the family. “During the night I often took his tools, the use of which I quickly discovered and brought home firing sufficient for the consumption of several days.” The creature had saved the youth of the family several days of work thanks to his generosity. Its emotions practically render this creature human.
The novel continues on with the creature explaining how he learned to admire the “De Lacey” family’s virtues and to appreciate their life. “My heart yearned to be known and loved by these amiable creatures”. The creature wishes to be loved and acknowledged by someone, anyone. Which is not much to ask in his case, but is hard to receive. The readers understand his desires and know what partly his proposal maybe.
The creature had took Frankenstein’s journal and read its context. He read how his creator hated his creation and hated its “odious and loathsome” looks. The creature was disgusted at what his creator wrote. “Accursed creator! Why did you create a monster so hideous that even you turned from me in disgust?” He did not ask to be created to look hideous, as he had no say in the matter of his creation. The creature still has respect for his creator “Victor Frankenstein” and calls him “creator”. Nevertheless he also called him “accursed creator”.
The creature writes to monsieur De Lacey, a blind man and father of the family. He tells the blind man how he fins humans as the most excellent creatures in the world however they are prejudiced to him, “where thy ought to see a feeling and kind friend, thy behold a detestable monster”. He wishes to have companionship. At this point of time the creature has yet to commit any acts of evil, he has been generous and out of his way to please and help this family and finally asks for there friendship. He has been hurt by villagers for no apparent reason. His friendship with the De Lacy’s becomes short lived
The creature makes companionship with the blind man and finally gets acknowledged, however Felix, the son of the blind man, sees the monster and instantly assaults him. On Felix’s mind he sees the creature as a monster and believes he is harming his father. “Struck me violently with a stick. I could have torn him limb from limb as the lion rends the antelope. But my heart sank within me with bitter sickness, and I refrained” The creature could of killed Felix yet he didn’t, he did nothing wrong yet he was beaten up. The De Lacey family was described as the most excellent type of humans in his mind yet if even the kindest people had rejected him then the creature truly is alone. The creature request Frankenstein to create another creature like him and e will depart from the land and no one will know of him.
This request thought it appears to be out of the ordinary it was quite respectable and understandable for the readers. The readers can accept the fact if the creature is given what he wants he will go away. Victor begins work on this new creature, it had taken him two years for his original creature to be created. Victor Frankenstein to the final stages of finishing this creature becomes shocked and afraid of his first hideous being that he destroys his work. This forces the creature into a rampant fury.
(5) In Chapter 20 Victor destroys the second creature, which drives the creature to murder Victor’s best friend, Henry Cleveral and his beloved wife Elizabeth. The creature had warned Victor that he will make his life a living hell and that he will be there on his wedding night. Victor is told that the body of Henry Cleveral has been found murdered.
Victor falls ill and into complete despair, he feels personally responsible for William, Justine and Henry’s deaths. He is the one to suffer the guilt for creating the creature. The readers had felt sorry for the creature, and could have forgiven the creature as he suffered enough. However the creature had killed another. Victor is the one suffering now.
On victors wedding night with Elizabeth, Victor and his companions are armed. They are preparing for the creature’s arrival as he had said to Victor he will be there on his wedding night. However with Victor’s best efforts to prepare for this creature, it wasn’t enough to stop what happened next. “Best hope and purest creature on earth” Victor describes his wife. “She was there, lifeless and inanimate, thrown across the bed.” The creature had murdered her. This cruel act makes the readers think how evil this creature is.
“Elizabeth, my love, my wife, so lately living so dear, so worthy” We can realise how much victor loves Elizabeth, that she was the only reason that was keeping victor happy. Victor was in agony and despair.
Victor sees the creature again “A grin was on the face of the monster, he seemed to jeer” We are appalled at how he is acting happy over death. This causes the readers to rethink about there hatred they had towards this creature.
Victor says how “no creature had ever been so miserable as I was”. This was not entirely true; the creature has also suffered same or even more than Frankenstein. With all the deaths and shocks Victor father has over the past few months, he becomes seriously ill, and dies from the grief.
The creature has made reader hate it for the misery it has brought to Victor. Not only that the creature has murdered innocents to get back at victor. Readers may have felt sympathy for him as he had no friends or companions to love him, so he made Victor feel the same way. We can choose to hate the creature or side with him but with all the things he has done it makes readers puzzled over the complexity of this creature. How can we sympathize for him when he killed innocents? Yet how can we hate him when he has no one in this world?
(6) After the murders of his brother William, execution of Justine, death of his best friend Henry cleveral and his beloved wife murder. Victor vows to destroy his creation and redeem the souls of those who have lost there lives to the creature.
In the final chapter of the novel we learn how victor and the creature feel about there behaviours. The whole novel is being explained through victor, he tells his tale to a man named “Captain Walton”. Victor has only been surviving to fulfil his vows to destroy the creature. Nothing but pure hatred for the creature is in his mind. Victor refers to the creature with the word “devil” which shows his continuous hate for the creature ever since this creature awoke.
Though it does not appear so, the creature is helping Frankenstein in his pursuit. He offers Frankenstein food to keep him alive and to continue on his chase. The creature is enjoying the chase and continues to elude Victor Frankenstein’s grasp.
Frankenstein begins to explain to Captain Walton how “during these last days I have been occupied in examining my past conduct” Victor accepts no responsibility for the creature. He has come to believe that he had done the right thing in refusing the creatures request. The request which could of saved his friend and his wife’s lives. Victor shows how selfish he can be, not taking responsibility and also believing that choosing the decision that ended his wife and friend’s lives was the correct thing to choose. At this point and time, the readers are choosing who deserves the sympathy, Victor or the creature?
It then comes to victor requesting captain Walton, the person he has told this epic tale, to carry out a final request. To continue the pursuit of the creature on Victor’s behalf. It was a selfish request, though reasonable. The creature is unpredictable, if it isn’t stopped now who knows what it may do. This personal vendetta is between the creature and Frankenstein alone, and shouldn’t be handed to a person who has other responsibilities, such as maintaining his crew and getting them home safely. Victor also advises Walton to “avoid ambition”. If it wasn’t for Victors ambition to create a perfect being (an angel) all this would not have come to pass.
Victor soul can finally rest, as he passes away from the living world. Though he died with the path of vengeance on his mind, and years of torment, a small smile was left by his deceased body. The reader’s can easily blame him for the events that have happened throughout the novel, however he has suffered enough and deserves sympathy. Frankenstein’s views maybe wrong, but his acts were just.
The creature sees victor’s deceased body and even now he can show remorse for his creator. He is sincere and sorry for what he has done. Captain Walton tells him that the creature’s repentance is a little too late. The creation begins to speak of his actions; he talks about how he felt so guilty and stricken with misery for doing such an act that he travelled to the ice lands of Sweden as a punishment. The creature continues and says that he had pitied Frankenstein, even after murdering Cleveral he was heart broken and overcome.
The readers though despise him for his actions can feel sympathy for him as he does feel guilty and heartbroken. The creature wishes to repent for his actions and the readers understand this. Some may even sympathize for the creature more than Frankenstein as the creature even pity’s Frankenstein. He still holds his respect to his creator. The creature says that the devil himself, enemy of god and man has friends and associates in his desolation, yet the creature, who also has been portrayed as a devil, does not have friends or associates.
The creature’s final act, in respect for his creator he decides to make a funeral pyre for his creator. The creator, his final victim, has passed away. The creator decides to find rest in his own death as there is nothing left for him in this world.
There is a wide contrast between the creature and Victor Frankenstein. Victor who has murdered no one, but created the creature, only feels hatred and disgust for him. The creature who has been abused since he has brought into existence has murdered friends and family of Victor and made others fall into great despair. But feels pity and remorse for victor and suffers for the actions he has done. We expected to see Victor to show some responsibility for his creation, however he had never forgiven him, and this makes it easier to actually accept the creature in this late part of the story.
