Frankenstein Reading Journal (Chapters 11-16)

Chapter Ten:

• Narration has switched to the point of the creature.
• Describes how he learns to distinguish his senses. 'I distinguished the insect from the herb, and, by degrees, one herb from another'. Romantic idea of the importance of nature- a refuge. 'My sensations had, by this time, become distinct'.
• Romantic interest in the state of childhood. The creature has nobody to learn from, and has to learn for himself. Touches the fire, and realises it burns him. 'I thrust my hand into the live embers, but quickly drew it out again with a cry of pain.'
• Humanity in the creature- not so much the monster that society saw him as. Feels hunger, thirst, emotions. Also has the natural instinct to withdraw his hand from the flames- feels pain.
• Begins to observe the De Lacy family.

Chapter Eleven:

• Creature wants to be good- like the family. It is society that doesn't appear to let him. 'What chiefly struck me was the gentle manners of these people; and I longed to join them... I remembered too well the treatment I had siffered the night before from the barbarous villagers'.
• Notices the emotions the family feel- possesses the human ability to empathise with people? 'The young man... appeared to weep... I was deeply affected by it'.
• Begins to learn language. Short, basic words that highlight just how child-like the creature is. 'fire, milk, bread'.
• Admires the cottagers- wants to be like them. Envies? 'I had admired the perfect forms of my cottagers'.
• Likes spring as a season. Changes 'the aspect of earth'. The creature likes the emotions it conjures 'bright rays of hope, and anticipations of joy'.

Chapter Twelve:

• Romantic idea of how nature is seen as being a form of 'therapy'. 'My senses were gratified and refreshed by a thousand sights of beauty. '
• Introduced to Safie.
• The creature is seen to become almost bitter about his lack of childhood or love. 'But where were my friends and relations? No father had watched my infant days, no mother had blessed me with smiles and caresses'. Clearly upset by how he has apparently missed out on what the De Lacy family have.

Chapter Thriteen:

• Learn the history of the De Lacy family and Safie. How Felix had tried to free her and her mother from slavery, but resulted in his family being exiled for their 'crimes'.
• Shows how devoted the family are to each other- Felix returned to save his father and sister from the dungeons. 'His blind and aged father, and his gentle sister, lay in a npisome dungeon... this idea was torture to him'.

Chapter Fourteen:

• The creature is shown to admire the qualities present in the personalities of the De Lacy family members. 'so many admirable qualities were called forth and displayed'.
• Finds Paradise Lost, Plutarch's Lives and Sorrows of Werter. Finds similarities between himself and beings within the texts- can sympathise with them. 'Many times I considered Satan as the fitter emblem of my condition'.
• Religious contexts. Sees himself as almost an 'Adam' figure, having been created by Victor- but knowing that he had been abandoned.
• Plans to talk to the blind man, as his appearance will not shock him. He wants to 'make friends' with the family. After talking with the blind man, he is discovered by the younger family members and chased out- is yet again shown aggression by humanity, despite seeing the family had many admirable qualities. 'he dashed me to the ground, and struck me violently with a stick'.

Chapter Fifteen:

• The creature is angry with his creator (Victor). 'Cured, cursed creator! Why did I live?'. Victor had abandoned the creature, and left him to face a society that clearly loathes him.
• 'sick impotence of despair'.
• Wants to improve his situation with the family, wants to make up for his mistakes previously.
• Still sees the De Lacy family as his 'friends'. Shows that he had grown to love them, despite having only one moment of contact with them, and that had been a bad experience. But he is angry at their departure- he has been abandoned again.
• Sets fire to the cottage, as an act of revenge. Probably the outcome of the treatment he had recieved by all the people he had met, not just the family?
• Saves a woman, but is shot by a man. He suffers for his act of kindness- yet another show of hate towards him by complete strangers. 'I now writhed under the miserable pain of a wound'.
• The murder of William after discovering he is related to Victor. Originally wanted to take William to be his friend, as he believes a child would not bare the same hatred towards him as the adults. But this is not to be, as he is terrified. 'I could seize him, and educate him as my companion and friend'.
• Plants the locket on Justine, and in doing so, frames her. Shows intelligence- just as manipulative as humans beings can be. He shows his human side again- but not a nice side to the human.
• Tells Victor to make him a companion. 'one as deformed and horrible as myself would not deny herself to me'.