Frankenstein
Chapters 13-18
Chapter 13
• Baroque language: diction that elevates
seemingly ordinary events to the level of the
spectacular
– romantic landscape: cloudless skies, a thousand
delightful scents, a thousand beautiful sights
– Safie: “shining raven hair”
• Shows how much the creature idealizes the
cottagers – he worships them and longs for
their love and acceptance
Creature’s humanity
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Feels sympathy, affection, desire
Capable of aesthetic appreciation (music)
Mastered language
Capable of self-analysis and reflection
Ruin of Empires
• Reminder that humanity is monstrous: people
commit unspeakable violence against one
another
• Exploit those who do not possess money or a
noble birth
• Creatures horror shows his essential goodness
• also echoes the disgust with which the villagers
saw the creature
Who is the monster?
• Frankenstein is neglectful and selfish
• The monster is good and yet suffering
Outcasts
• Frankenstein and the monster are becoming
more similar (both possess knowledge)
• Both are outcasts by what they know
• Both long to return to a state of former
innocence
Chapter 14
• The History of the Creature’s Friends
• Shows his attachment to the family
• He has written down the family’s story –
history is important
The De Lacey’s story
• Shows the goodness and evil of mankind
• Every person is capable of good and evil (the 2
contrary aspects of human nature)
– Felix: strong sense of justice leads him to aid the
merchant; his love for his family makes him return
to Paris despite facing punishment
– Merchant: is a victim of bigotry and hatred; yet
betrays Felix, who risked his life to help him
Racism of the 19th Century
• Muslim: lying and duplicitious
– Not capable of human kindness
• Christian: nobility of spirit (Safie gets this
from her Christian mother)
Chapter 15
• Discovery of the satchel of books
– The Sorrows of Young Werther
– Paradise Lost
•• two of the greatest books in the history of world
literature
• they are a symbol of the highest beauty that
mankind is capable of producing
- Plutarch’s Lives
** exalts the work of heroes – another example of
human virtue and accomplishment
Creature is Learning
• Knowledge of civilization
• Knowledge of the triumphs and suffering of
men
• “teaches him to admire the virtues and
deprecate the vices of mankind” – moral
education (can distinguish between good and
evil)
• Sees books as true histories (even fiction) –
shows innocence
Paradise Lost
• The struggle between God and the Devil –
epic battle between the forces of good and
evil
• Sees himself like Adam – forsaken
• Sees himself like Satan – outcast completely
without guidance or protection
• Sees himself most like Satan
• The struggle within Paradise Lost between
good and evil is an allegory for the struggle
within every person (and within the creature)
Man or Monster?
• Which will the creature choose?
• Felix beats him – creature chooses not to fight
back
• Creature has innate humanity
• When he later behaves as a monster, the
reader understands why: he has been abused
and reviled by those he loves and trusts
• Despite his essential goodness, he is hated –
so he hates mankind in return
Chapter 16
• The creature sets the cottage on fire – gives
vent to the “hell he [bears] within [himself]”
• Fire consumes cottage with its “forked and
destroying tongues” – alludes to fire of hell
and Satan
Pathetic Fallacy
• Weather reflects and determines the
creatures mental state
– Winter: the De Lacey’s abandon him (barren and
desolate countryside)
• Heavens pour rain and snow
• Violent winds
• Symbolize
the fury the creature will
unleash on mankind
– Spring: creature is filled with joy and benevolence
• Irony: the encounter with the girl and her father – he
permits himself to be happy, hopes for an end to his
suffering, but is confronted with unreasonable horror
• Saves the child from death – still has sympathy for
mankind at this point
Murder of innocents
• Creatures murder of William and
mistreatment of Justine are the result of his
longing for human connection
– Wants William as a companion
– Falls in love with Justine (feels desire)
• he can’t have either (won’t overlook his
appearance)
Desire for a companion
• Asks Frankenstein for a female companion
• Crimes are a result of loneliness
• Shelley suggests isolation would drive one
mad – therefore the creature is not
responsible for his actions
Chapter 17
• Frankenstein agrees to the creature’s request
– Reasonable tone
– Noble desire for a companion – will lead a
blameless life
– Uses guilt: by aligning his maliciousness with his
misery, the creature is blaming Frankenstein for
what he has become
– Makes Victor responsible – he made the creature,
therefore he should help him
Syntax
• Biblical tone
– “shall” (prophecy / command) – Victor really has
no choice
Chapter 18
• Victor decides to marry Elizabeth
– Foolish – doesn’t know if he can trust the creature
– Marriage represents the fulfillment of all the family’s
hopes and expectations – will restore order to the
household
– Union represents life continuing as usual
– Gives creature cause for vengeance: marriage is
offensive – the creature has been deprived of all love
and companionship
– Victor’s marriage is dependent upon the creature’s
Victor and his creation are linked
• Their happiness is bound together
• Victor feels like a slave to his creation
• Both suffer from solitude – both feel like “a
miserable wretch” unfit for human society
• Romantic happiness is dependent upon the
compassion of another
• Questions who is the creator and who is the
creation – this confusion will continue until
the conclusion
Questionable ethics
• Conceals his reasons for travelling to England
• Expresses fear that he may be exposing his
family to danger – but doesn’t alert them to
the threat
– Selfishness???
Foreshadowing
• Chapter ends speaking of Clerval in the past
tense (a memory) – foreshadows catastrophic
consequences of his secrecy