Frankenstein by Mary Shelly. Chapters 8-12.
This was perhaps the most interesting section of the book besides the creation of the monster. Victor again encounters the creature while on reprieve from his guilt. The monster is not the belligerent creature that could only murmur nonsense that it was upon its creation. The monster had developed the ability to speak and had learned some life skills. The creature recognizes that people fears him and thus stays away from people. The monster learns of suffering and poverty and seems to be almost civilized.
"I was partly urged by curiosity, and compassion confirmed my resolution. I had hitherto supposed him to be the murder of my brother, and I eagerly sought a confirmation or denial of this opinion" (Shelly, 70).
I thought it was fascinating that Victor, who responded to the creature with pure horror, and who I had come to expect to hate for suspectedly killing his brother, would ever admit to being compassionate towards the creature.
Moreover, I thought it was really cool how the creature developed and learned for it self all of the things that he experienced. Pain, hunger, cold, the creature had been touched by all of them and he had taken some lesson from that experience.
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