Thursday, August 16, 2012

"'I expected this reception,' said the daemon. "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 art bound by ties only dissoluble by the annihilation of one of us. You purpose to kill me. How dare you sport thus with life? Do your duty towards me, and I will do mine towards you and the rest of mankind. If you will comply with my conditions, I will leave them and you at peace; but if you refuse, I will glut the maw of death, until it be satiated with the blood of your remaining friends.'" When looking at the quote from Frankenstein, what sorts of characterization does the Creature show?

The quotation reveals the creature to have an awareness of itself and its role in society. It also shows the creature's mix of human emotions.
The monster, who struggles to be taken seriously as a living, breathing entity, clearly displays its sense of having been wronged by its creator. It recognizes that people will hate it and understands that "All men hate the wretched." Yet, it cannot reconcile the fact that its own creator—its father, in essence—is part of that group who "detest and spurn." The creature feels most wronged by its creator's segregation of it and admits that the two are "bound by ties only dissoluble by the annihilation of one of us." In other words, it recognizes that its father will never love its hideous form, and the only way out is by death.
The creature moves from showing its understanding of human nature, specifically that of its creator, to issuing an ultimatum. Victor can choose to help his "child" or it will seek out everyone else that Victor loves and destroy them. Here, the monster shows its evil side, admitting that it is capable of murder. Its anger toward Victor for creating then spurning it, and its misery at all it has had to endure, combine to compel it to speak this way. Shelley is appealing to the reader's sympathy here. We do recognize that this is a monster speaking, but what has driven it to its actions? How is it becoming more human, driven by emotions to find its own justice?
The creature displays a capacity to compromise and a recognition of its own power. It gives Victor a choice and says that if he helps, it will leave everyone "at peace." It believes that Victor has a duty towards his creation and is willing to abide by its own duty to its creator. However, it will only do so if Victor gives in to its demands. In its mind, Victor has no choice: the right thing is to help the creature he has brought to life. It knows it has power over Victor and is willing to use that leverage.

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