The creature continues his story. He relates how one day a beautiful woman came to the family's door. Felix was ecstatic to see her, and the entire family's mood improved with her presence. The creature heard that her name was Safie, and she was trying to learn to read and speak the language being spoken in the cottage. Applying the same procedures that she was, the monster was able to expand his vocabulary and enable himself to read. By listening to Felix reading out loud and holding conversations, he learned of history,society, and families. The creature began to realize that he had no place in the human community.
By observing the cottagers, Frankenstein's monster continued to learn the difference between right and wrong, and originally valued goodness.
Eventually, he heard of the family's history. The old man was named De Lacey. The family used to be wealthy residents of Paris. However, after Safie's father was condemned to death by the government, Felix wanted to help the man. The father promised rewards, and, though he denied them, Felix desired to marry Safie. The monster had several letters Safie had written to Felix through an interpreter, expressing her wish to marry Felix. Safie, her father, and Felix fled the country. Safie's father intended to take her with him, as he didn't want her to marry Felix, as he was a Christian, where her father was of a different religion.
De Lacey and Agatha were imprisoned for Felix's crime of aiding a criminal. Felix decided to return to Paris to give himself in to authorities, and planned to meet Safie later. Unfortunately, the entire family remained in prison for five months, and after a trial, were deprived of their fortune and exiled. They moved to the cottage in Germany, while Safie and her father left, without offering aid to the family. Thus Felix had a melancholy personality.
Safie's father had commanded her to forget Felix. He told her that the French government was after him, so left her with a servant to follow along behind him. Instead, Safie and the servant left for Germany and came to the cottage.
Switching topics, the creature tells of how one day, he found a suitcase full of clothes and books. He read the books, and they produced mixed feelings in him; he enjoyed the stories, but they made him question his origin and identity.
He reads of God's creation, but compares himself to Satan. Later, he finds Victor's journal in a pocket of the clothes he stole. In it the four months before the creature's creation was recorded. He hated Victor for designing him as an ugly being, then abandoning him. He thought that the cottagers would tolerate him if he introduced himself, but waited until he knew their language better.
It had been a year since his creation when the monster, when Safie, Felix, and Agatha had gone for a walk, entered the cottage, pretending to be a traveler. He was able to talk to De Lacey, as he was blind. He said that he was deserted and alone, but was going to see his only friends - except they didn't know and hadn't seen him. He said that they would see him as a monster, even though he had been kind to them. De Lacey assures him that if the friends have good hearts, they won't abandon him, but would see his good characteristics. Upon hearing Safie, Felix, and Agatha approaching, the creature revealed that they were the friends he sought. However, upon seeing him, Safie fled, Agatha fainted, and Felix beat him with a stick. The monster escaped to the hovel.
He could have killed Felix and the others, but didn't. In his rage, he ran through the forest howling. Later, he despaired. As no human would help him, he declared them enemies, above all his creator.
Thinking that he could make amends, he returned to the cottage. He saw Felix and another man approach. Felix was giving the cottage back to the landlord, as he thought his father's life was in danger, and his wife (Safie) and sister were frightened. The creature never saw the family again.
Wanting revenge, the creature destroyed the garden and burned the cottage to the ground. In his journal, Victor had mentioned that he lived in Geneva, so with limited geographical knowledge, the monster traveled there.
One day, as he was walking through a forest, he saw a young girl fall into a river. He rescued her, and tried to revive her consciousness, but she was torn away from him by a man. He carried her away into the forest, and the creature followed. The man shot the monster in the shoulder. This "injustice and ingratitude" rekindled the monster's hatred of humankind.
Upon reaching Geneva, a young child - William - ran into the monster's hiding place. Thinking that an ignorant child might ignore his deformity, he grabbed him, saying he must come with him and never see his father again. William struggled and screamed, calling the creature an ogre. He mentioned that his father was Mr. Frankenstein. Learning that he was the child of his enemy, the monster choked William to bring sorrow to Victor. He took the portrait from William's neck. Looking at it, he hated that all women were disgusted by him. Coming across a woman sleeping in a barn (Justine), he put the portrait in the fold of her dress.
Still desiring companionship, the monster asked Victor Frankenstein to make him a female of the same species of himself.
At this time, the narration returns to Victor's point of view. The monster told him that with a companion, it would eliminate the cause of his crimes, so he would be kind, and retreat from the presence of humans, but move to South America. Victor initially refuses, saying that he would still want to be accepted by people, so would reveal himself, then be rejected again, and then would wreak more havoc with two creatures. However, he was empathetic and compassionate, and felt obligated to the monster. So he agreed.
Victor returned to Geneva, disheartened. However, his health and mood improved, and he couldn't bring himself to relinquish that by starting to work on another creature.
Victor's father thinks Victor's occasional unhappiness is due to an aversion to marrying Elizabeth. Victor denies this, so the father proposes that they be married immediately. As an excuse, Victor said he wanted to go to England first. He wants to marry Elizabeth, but not before he has completed the female monster.
It was arranged that Henry Clerval accompany Frankenstein. The two toured eastern Europe, until they received a letter from a man who had visited the Frankensteins, inviting Clerval and Victor to his home in Scotland. Fearing that the monster would murder Clerval or his family due to the delay, Victor decides to tour Scotland alone in order to work, then meet Henry later.
Victor found the most remote island off of Scotland, bought a hut, and worked on constructing the creature.
Thoughts
I observed that there was another change in Victor's feelings towards the monster. He loved, feared, then hated him, but now has sympathized with him, and for the first time, feels compelled to help him. This shows that the creature must be fairly eloquent and persuasive.
There is also yet another change in Victor's relationship with Elizabeth. She was once a playmate and a sister, and only now in the book is it disclosed that they are arranged to be married. I wonder why this information wasn't included earlier?
Victor Frankenstein once states that he suffered many problems, though he was guiltless. In my opinion, it was his responsibility to care for his creature, no matter what it looked like. Originally, the creature's nature was like that of an innocent child - it was only after he had been rejected so many times by humanity that he became bitter. If Victor had fulfilled his duty (or not created the monster in the first place) William and Justine wouldn't have died as they did.
I also have a comment on the writing style. I noted that when the monster was speaking, the text was mostly concise and clear. On the other hand, when Victor narrates, he gives long speeches about how miserable he is and how terrible his circumstances are, without relaying many events at all.
Lastly, I predict that the monster will kill Henry Clerval in one of the upcoming chapters. Frankenstein once digressed (in the present, as he is speaking with Robert Walton) that though Clerval was dead, his spirit still comforted him. Furthermore, at the end of chapter nineteen, he speaks about having "forebodings of evil". I have already predicted that more people would die, as the monster had sworn to kill more people and harm Victor, so I believe Henry will be the next victim.
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