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The monster continues with his story.
When he first opened his eyes he was confused by all the
different senses and could not distinguish between them. He
roams about the forest and discovers water to quench his thirst
and berries to fill his stomach. He is dazzled by the sun’s
light and enjoys the singing of the birds though he finds that
he cannot emulate them. One day he finds a fire left behind by
some travelers and learns how to cook. He also enters a cottage
and takes refuge there after its occupant sees him and runs
away. Then he decides to go in search of a shelter, which will
protect him from the elements. He tries entering a house but the
neighbors attack him and drive him away. Finally he finds a
hovel adjoining a cottage and covers it with straw and starts
residing in it. From his refuge he can sees the events taking
place in the hut. He sees that there are three occupants in the
hut, an old man, his son and his daughter. He sees them eating
their dinner and then go to bed. |
He feels great pleasure in seeing them
interacting in this way and pain at not being able to join them. He starts
observing these people and how they live. He sees that they are very poor
and that the children sometimes go hungry so that their old father may
eat. When he sees this he is very moved and stops stealing their food. He
also sees that a great deal of the son’s life is spent in searching for
firewood so every night he chops some and leaves it on their doorstep so
that he has time to attend to other duties. In time he also masters the
language that they speak and awaits the opportunity where he can present
himself to them as a loving being rather than a hideous monster. |
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One day he sees a beautiful lady with dark hair come to the home. He finds
out that her name is Safie and she is an Arab. She cannot speak the
language and Felix, which is the young man’s name, starts teaching her.
In the process the monster also picks up the language and studies other
subjects as well. He slowly comes to know about the history of the family.
He finds out that the old man is called DeLacy and they are from a well to
do family in France. The father of Sahie is the cause of their downfall.
The government had imprisoned her father and condemned him to death. It
was Felix who had helped him to escape. He had fallen in love with Safie
and she also reciprocated his feelings. Seeing this the Arab promises to
marry her to Felix. But he breaks his promise and has decided to take
Safie with him. But Safie’s mother was a Christian and has made her
realize the importance of being independent. She does not like the
prospect of going back to Turkey and living an oppressed life. She was
keen on marrying Felix so she has left her father and come back to Felix.
From the stories he has heard he realizes to love virtue and despise vice.
Then one day he comes across three books, Paradise Lost, Plutarch’s
lives and Sorrows of Werter. His view of the world is broadened and he
learns of high thoughts, domestic manners and gentleness. He finds a
parallel with himself and the people in the novel. Sometimes he wonders if
he is not like Satan as he feels envy when he sees the happy family. But
he feels that he is even worse than Satan because At least Satan has
followers and he has none.
One day when the children are out he approaches the old man as he feels
that he is blind and will not be prejudiced by his hideous looks. He tells
him that he is a traveler who has no one and then finally tells the old
man that his is the family he seeks. The old man is surprised but before
he can say anything the children enter and seeing the hideous creature at
the old mans feet Felix thinks he means his father harm and beats him. The
creature does not fight back even though he is tempted to and rushes back
to the safety of his hovel. The next day they all leave the cottage and
never return again. He is very upset because the only people he knew had
left and gone away. In his anger he burns down the cottage and leaves the
place. In his coat pocket he has found Frankenstein’s papers and
address. He now sets out to seek the man who created him in all his
wretchedness as he feels that this is the only person who owes him
something. He begins his journey towards Geneva, the hometown of his
creator. His journey is long and difficult, as it is very cold.
One day he sees a girl slip and fall into the water and rescues her only
to be shot in the shoulder by the rustic with whom she was running. As he
nurses his shoulder wound he is angry that this is the reward he has been
given for his kindness. When he reaches Geneva, he hides in the forest. It
is here he sees William Frankenstein and decides to seize him and educate
him as his companion so that he may not be alone. But William is so
repulsed by him that he screams out all sorts of hurtful things to him.
This angers the creature and when he hears that the boys surname is
Frankenstein he gets even more enraged as it is the name of his creator
whom he hates. He strangles him and feels a great sense of triumph that he
has the power to wreak havoc amongst those who despise him. Then he finds
the locket with the picture of Victor’s mother in it and is angry again
because he will never enjoy the love of a beautiful woman like her. He
enters the barn where Justine is sleeping and realizing that he could
never win her love he places the locket in the folds of her dress to frame
her for the murder.
The creature now tells Victor that he will continue to create havoc and
kill people unless he makes him a female companion, someone as ugly as
himself so that she will love him. He promises Victor that if he does this
then he will quit Europe forever and go and live in the jungles of South
America, far away from human habitation. At first Victor refuses but
seeing no other alternative to stop all the violence he finally agrees.
Frankenstein does not begin his work for many weeks. He is repulsed with
the idea of creating another monster. He desires permission from his
father to travel, as he wants to work but his father thinks that he wants
to go away because he does not want to marry Elizabeth and is in love with
someone else. Victor reassures him that this is not the case. His father
is keen that they get married as early as possible but Victor feels that
he must complete the terrible task ahead of him before he can get married.
Finally he does obtain the permission of his father to travel because he
does not want to work at home and put his family members to risk. His
father arranges for Clerval to go with him. They reach England and while
Clerval enjoys all the beat and sights around him Frankenstein is only
interested in gathering information for his work so that he can get on
with his terrible task.
After some months a common friend invites them to Scotland and they decide
to accept his invitation. All along the way he is melancholy. He fears
that he has neglected his task for too long. He anxiously waits for
letters from home reassuring him that everything is all right and guards
Henry very carefully so that no harm should befall him. After some days
Victor quits Henry Clerval and goes to a remote part of the Scottish
countryside to complete his work. He begins making the female monster with
a sense of horror and repulsion. One evening he realizes what his new
creation could do to mankind. He wonders if the new monster will hate her
ugly mate or whether they will have children. He decides he will never
release this scourge on mankind and tears the creation to pieces. Several
hours later the creature visits him and confronts Victor about breaking
his promise. Victor swears he will never make another creature like him
again. Hearing this the creature tells him that though Victor is his
creator, he is his master. Then he tells him that he will take his revenge
and that he will be with Victor on his wedding night. Victor spends the
rest of the night thinking how terrible Elizabeth will feel if he were to
be killed. He decides he will not fall without a struggle.
A letter arrives from Henry begging him to join him in Perth. Victor
leaves for Perth and arrives safely on the Irish shores after facing many
difficulties. As soon has he lands he is met with hostility by the people
and discovers that he is framed for the murder of a man. Some people have
seen a man in a boat similar to the one Frankenstein was in the night
before after which a fisherman found the body. Mr. Kirwin the magistrate
does not know what to believe and takes Victor before the body to see how
he reacts. Victor sees that the body is of his dear friend Henry and is
very upset. He is carried out of the room in convulsions. A fever ensues
for two months and he speaks out everything in his delusional state. When
he finally comes to his senses he sees a nurse by his side. The magistrate
comes to see him and brings along Victor’s father with him. Victor is
overjoyed to see him and asks about the safety of Earnest and Elizabeth.
He cries with joy when he hears they are all well. He is acquitted of the
murder charges and expresses a wish to return home in spite of his poor
health. They reach Paris and Victor confesses to his father that he is the
person responsible for the death of all their near and dear ones but his
father dismisses it as being a product of his delirious state. As the days
go by Victor gets calmer. Then one day he receives a letter from Elizabeth
asking him if the reason for his unhappiness is the fact that he loves
someone else. She says that if that is the case she will happily leave him
to the arms of the one he loves.
Victor wants to make his father and Elizabeth happy so he decides not to
delay his marriage to Elizabeth anymore, even though he knows that his
life is at risk. As the wedding nears he begins having fits of madness
from which only Elizabeth can soothe him. He promises to his family that
he will reveal the source of his sorrow the day after the wedding. All the
arrangements are made and the wedding takes place. They leave their
hometown and spend the night in another place. Victor is very agitated as
he remembers the monster’s threat that he will be with him on the night
of his wedding. He doesn’t want Elizabeth to see a grisly combat scene
so he bids her to retire before him while he seeks the whereabouts of the
monster. Suddenly there is a scream from Elizabeth’s room and Victor
runs up to see her lying murdered on the bed. He looks up and sees the
creature grinning at him. He fires a shot at him but misses and the
creature runs away. He joins the other people in mourning for Elizabeth
and then proceeds back to Geneva, as he is very concerned about the safety
of his father and brother. He is glad to see that they are safe but when
his father hears the sad news about Elizabeth he is overcome with grief
and dies soon after. Now Victor reveals his entire story to a magistrate
who assures him that he will find the villain. However, he adds that
finding a person of such superhuman strength would be difficult. This
enrages Victor and he decides that he will hunt him down himself. He is at
the cemetery one day mourning over the graves of his loved ones and swears
that he will avenge their deaths. Suddenly he hears the laugh of the fiend
who says he is very pleased that Victor has decided to live. Victor starts
to pursue him determined to kill the creature.
He tells the sea captain that he has been chasing him for the past many
months. The creature keeps providing him with clues as to where he is and
taunts Victor with messages inscribed on trees and at times even leaves
food for him so that he may live to fight him. For many days Frankenstein
does not see him and thinks that the creature has perished in the snow.
But one day he sees him traveling across the ice on a sledge pulled by
dogs and follows him in the same way. However the weather gets worse and
Victor looses all sight of him. The ice cracks and Victor is about to
perish when Walton rescues him. Thinking that he will die soon he asks the
captain to seek and kill the monster if he comes across him. Walton writes
a letter to his sister telling him about how the entire episode has
ended. Walton writes of a dire danger with the ice around the ship. They
are basically stuck. If they can free themselves, the crew wants to turn
back. Even though he is half conscious, Victor responds to these demands
by asking the crew how they can be so easily turned from their design,
this "glorious expedition." He basically chastises them for
giving up when they are to be hailed as the benefactors of their
species, incurring death for honor and the benefit of others. No one can
reply. Frankenstein slips into a sleepy state. Events are quickly
determined. The ice has broken, and the ship has turned back towards
England. Walton is disappointed to have lost his hopes of glory. More than
anything, however, he is sad to have lost his dear friend Frankenstein.
A few hours before he dies, Victor speaks of his primary inclinations to
create a being and look after its happiness. But he says the duties
towards his own species were greater. He fairly frees Walton of the
promises he thrust upon him by advising him to seek happiness in
tranquility and to avoid ambition, that someone may succeed where he
failed. Soon after his death, the creature appears by the corpse and
converses with his dead creator in front of Walton. He asks for pardon,
and says his being is coming to a close. He also states that his suffering
has been the greater; he did not enjoy the murders as he was fashioned to
be susceptible to love, and his heart underwent torture when it turned
violent. One more time the creature reminds the audience that he is alone,
and thus his desire remains unfulfilled. He is ready to die, and escapes
to create his funeral pyre.
Click here for
part 1 of the summary of Frankenstein
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