Bridge Phase 6: fMS box c57 chap 9Frankenstein Variorum Project2023—Distributed under a Creative Commons
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Chap. 9
Chap. 9 The creature
The creature
finished
speaking
speaking
and fixed his
eyeseyeseyeslooks
^looks
looks
on
on
me in expectation of a
nanswer.^reply. But I was
nnanswer.answer..^^^reply. ^reply. But I was
bewilde r red & perplexed
bewilde rr red & perplexed
& unable to arrange my ideas sufficiently to understand the
meaning
meaning
of his proposition. He
continued.
continued.
¶ You
You
must create a female for
me
me
with whom I can live in the interchange of those sympathies necessary for my
being –;
being ––; ^;
This you alone can
do &I
do &I
demand of you as a right which you must not
refuse.
refuse.
¶ As he said
this
this
I could no longer suppress the
anger
anger
that burned within me.
I
I
do refuse
it,
it,
I
replied, &
replied, &
no torture shall ever extort a consent from
me –
me –
You may render me the most miserable of
men
men
but you shall never make me base in my own eyes. Shall I create another like
yourself
yourself
whose joint wickedness
would
would
desolate the
world? Begone –I
world? Begone –I
have answered
you –
you –
You may
kill me
kill me
but I will never
consent.
consent.
¶ You
You
are in the
wrong,
wrong,
replied
he, &instead
he, &instead
of
threatening
threatening
I am content to reason with you. I am
wick malicious,
wickwick malicious,
because I am
miserable.
miserable.
Am I not shunned
&hated
&hated
by all mankind?
You
You
my
creator
creator
would tear me to
pieces
pieces
&
triumph –Remember that
triumph –Remember that
& tell me why I should pity man more than he pities
me.
me.
You would not call it
murder
murder
if you
precipitatedprecipitated
me into one of those
ice rifts &destroyed
ice rifts &destroyed
my frame, the work of your
^^^^own
^own
own
hands.
And shall I respect
AndAnd shall I respect
man
man
when he
con-temnscon-temns
me? Let him live with me in the interchange of
kindness and
kindness and
instead of
injury
injury
I would bestow every benefit upon him ^upon him with tears of gratitude at his acceptance. But that cannot be;
Tt he
TTt ^t he
human senses are
aninsurmountable barriers to our union.
ananinsurmountable barriers to our union.
But
But
mine shall not the submission of abject slavery. I will revenge my
injuries &
injuries &&
if I cannot inspire
love
love
I will cause
fear
fear
and chiefly towards ^towards you my
arch-enemy
arch-enemy
because my
creator; I w
creator; I wI w
do I swear
unutterableinextinguishable hatred–
unutterableunutterableinextinguishable ^inextinguishable hatred–
I will work
& destroy
& destroy
nor finish
untill
untill
I desolate your
heart
heart
so that you
so that you
curse the hour of your birth." A
fiend -ish
fiend -ish
rage animated him as he said this; his face was wrinkled into contortions too horrible for human eyes to behold; but presently he calmed
himself,
himself,
&proceeded.
&proceeded.
¶ I
I
intended to reason. This passion is detrimental to
me,
me,
for you do not reflect
that
that
you
you
are the
^sole cause
^^^sole ^sole cause
^^^^of its
excesses. ^of its
of its
excesses.
excesses. .
.
If any being felt emotions of benevolence towards
me
me
I should return
then
then
an hundred &
a
a
hundred fold; for that one
creature's sake
creature's sake
I would make peace with the whole
kind–
kind–
But I now indulge in dreams
^^^^of bliss
^of bliss
of bliss
that cannot be
realized.
realized.
What I
a ask of you is reasonable and
aa ask of you is reasonable and
moderate.
moderate.
I demand a creature of another
sex
sex
but as hideous as
myself.
myself.
The gratification is
small
small
but it is all that I can
receive
receive
and it shall content me. It is
true
true
we shall be
monsters
monsters
cut off from all the
world
world
but on that account we shall be more attached to one
another
another
Our lives will not be
happy
happy
but they will be
harmless
harmless
& free from the ^the misery
thatwhich I now feel. Oh! my
thatthatwhich ^which I now feel. Oh! my
creator
creator
make me
happy– ,
^me
happy–
happy– ,
^,
,
let me feel gratitude towards you for one
benefit;
benefit;
Let me see that I excite the sympathy of
^one creature.
^^^one ^one creature.
Do not deny me my
request.
request.
¶ I was moved. I shuddered when I thought of the possible consequences of my
consent
consent
but I felt that there was some justice in his argument. His
tale
tale
and the feelings he now
expressed ap
expressed apap
proved him to be a creature of fine
sensations
sensations
and did
not I
not I ^^^^as ^as his
creator maker
creatorcreator maker
owe him all the portion of happiness that it was in
pw^pwpw^^^my
^my
my
power to bestow? He saw my change of
feeling
feeling
&
continued.
continued.
¶ If
If
you
consent
consent
neither you
or
or
any human
being creature
beingbeing creature
shall ever see us
again.
again.
I will go to the vast wilds of America. My food is not that of man; I do not destroy the lamb
or
or
the
kid
kid
to glut my
appetite.
appetite.
Acorns & berries afford me sufficient nourishment. My companion will be of the same nature as
myself
myself
and will be content with the same fare. We shall make our bed of dried leaves; the sun will shine on us as on
man
man
& will ripen our food.
You are moved. The picture I present to you is peaceful &
You are moved. The picture I present to you is peaceful &
human
human
and you must feel that you could deny it only in the
wantoness
wantoness
of power & cruelty. Pitiless as you
are
are
towards
me
me
I see compassion in your
eyes.
eyes.
Let me seize the favourable
moment
moment
&
pro persuade you to promise what I so ardently
propro persuade you to promise what I so ardently
desire.
desire.
¶ You promise,
You promise,
replied I,
to quit
to quit
the habitations of
man and
man and
to
inhabit
inhabit
those wilds where the beasts of the field will be your only
conm panions.
connm ^m panions.
How can
you
you
who long for the love & sympathy of
human beings^man human beinghuman beingss^^^man ^man
persevere in this exile? You will
return
return
and seek
for their
forfor their
kindness
kindness
& you will meet their detestation; your evil
w passions will be renewed, & you will then have a companion to aid you in
ww passions will be renewed, & you will then have a companion to aid you in
your
your
task of destruction.
Begone;
Begone;
I cannot
consent.
consent.
¶ The Monster replied with fervour, How
The Monster replied with fervour, How
inconstant are your
feelings;
feelings;
but a moment ago you were moved by my representations, & why do you again harden yourself to my complaints? I swear by the earth which I
inhabit
inhabit
& by you that made
me that
me that
with the companion you
bestow
bestow
I will quit the neighbourhood of
man
man
&dwell,
&dwell,
as it may chance, in the most savage
ofofof
places. My evil passions will have fled, for I shall meet with
sympathy.
sympathy.
My life will flow quietly
away &
away &
in my dying
momenmoments
momenmomenmoments
I shall not curse my
maker.
maker.
¶ His words had a strange effect upon me. I compassionated
him &sometimes
him &sometimes
felt a wish to console
him
him
but when I looked
on him
on him
when I saw the filthy mass that moved &
talked
talked
my heart
sickend
sickend
& my feelings were altered to
^^^^those
^those
those
horror & hatred. I tried to stifle
them
them
I
thought
thought
that as I could not
comfort^sympathize him I hsymposympacomfortcomfort^^^sympathize sympathize ^sympathize him I hhim I hsymposymposympa
I had no right to
refuse
refuse
him the small portion of happiness
that I had it
that I had it
in my power to bestow.
IY ou swear,
IIY ^Y ou swear,
I said,
to
to
be
harmless
harmless
but have you not already
shown
shown
a degree of
malise
malise
that
would
would
reasonably make me distrust you? May not
eve n
eve n ^n
this be a feint that will
encrease
encrease
your triumph
& desire of revenge& desire of revenge& desire of revengeby affording a wider scope
to
your
revenge. ^by affording a wider scope
by affording a wider scope
to
to
your
revenge.
revenge. ¶ How
How
is
this, cried he;
this, cried he;
I thought
I thought
I
had moved your compassion, and yet you still refuse to
had moved your compassion, and yet you still refuse to
givegivegivebestow on
^bestow on
bestow on
me the only benefit that can
^can
can
soften my
soften my
heart
heart
and render me harmless.
and render me harmless.
If I have no ties & no
affections
affections
hatred & vice must be my
portion.
portion.
The love of another will destroy the cause of my
crimes
crimes
& I shall become a
thing
thing
of whose existence every one will be ignorant. My vices are
ch the children of
chch the children of
^^^^a
^a
a
forced solitude that I
abhor
abhor
and my virtues will necessarily arise when
sh I
sh sh ^sh I
shall receive the sympathy of
shall ^shall receive the sympathy of
an equal. I shall feel
humanhumanhumanthe
^the
the
syf affections
sysyff affections
^^^^of a
living being ^of a
of a
living being
living being &become
&become
linked to the chain of existence &
events
events
from which I am now
excluded
excluded
¶ I paused some time
^^^^to
^to
to
reflect on all he had
related
related
and the various arguments
thatthatthatwhich
^which
which
he had
usedemployed .
usedusedemployed ^employed .
I thought of
✗—promises& threats —✗ the
✗—promises& threats —✗ the
variousvariousvariouspromise of
^promise of
promise of
virtues which ^which he had displayed on the opening of his
existence;
existence;
and
th eire
th eireire ^e
subsequent blight
caused byof all caused bycaused byof all ^of all kindly
feelings
by ^kindly
kindly
feelings
feelings
by the
detestation
detestation
&
horror
horror that histhat histhat hisinspired by
^inspired by
inspired by
protectors had manifested towards him. His power & threats were not
ommitted
ommitted
in my
calculations;
calculations;
a creature who could exist
among
among
the
ice caves
ice caves
of the
glaciers
glaciers
& hide himself from
persuit in
persuit in
the ridges
^the ridges
inaccessible
precepieces was a powerful cre being.
precepieces was a powerful cre being.a powerful cre being.
was a being possessing faculties it would be vain to cope
with; I thoughtAndaA fter
with; I thoughtI thoughtAndAndaaA ^A fter
a long pause of
reflection
reflection
I
concluded
concluded
that the justice due both to him & my
f ellow creatures
f ^f ellow creatures
demanded of me that I should comply with his request. Turning to
him therefore
him therefore
I
said.
said.
¶ I
I
consent to your
demand
demand
on
you
you
solemn oath to quit Europe
&every
&every
other place in the neighbourhood of
mam
mam
as soon as I shall deliver into
you
you
hands a female who
is to
is to
accompany you in your
exile.
exile.
¶ I swear,
I swear,
he cried,
by the sun & by the cloudsblue sky of heaven
by the sun & by the cloudscloudsblue sky of heaven ^blue sky of heaven
that while they exist you shall never behold
me.
me.
Depart
then to your
then to your
home
home
& commence your
labours.
labours.
I shall
th watch their progress with
thth watch their progress with
utt unutterable
uttutt unutterable
anxiety
anxiety
and fear not but that when you are ready
for me but that I shall
for me but that ^but that I shall
appear.
appear.
¶ Saying
this
this
he suddenly quitted
me fearful perhaps
me fearful perhaps
of any change in my sentiments. I saw him descend the mountain with greater speed than the flight of
the eagle
the eagle
and quickly lost
him
him
among the undulations of the sea of ice. ¶ His tale had occupied the whole
day
day
and the sun was upon the
ve verge of the horizon when he departed. I knew that I ought to hasten
veve verge of the horizon when he departed. I knew that I ought to hasten
to descend to
to descend to
the
valley
valley
as I should soon be encompassed in
darkness.
darkness.
But my heart was heavy, and my steps slow. The labour of winding among the little paths and fixing my feet firmly
a as I
aa as I
advanced teazed me
advanced teazed me
occupied as I was by the
feelings
feelings ^^^thatwhich ^thatthatthatwhich ^which the
occurences
occurences
of the day had produced.
It had long been night
It had long been night
when I came to the
half way resting place
half way resting place
& seated myself beside the fountain. The stars shone at
intervals
intervals
as the
dark clouds passed from over
darkdark clouds passed from over
them —
them —
The dark pines rose before
me
me
& every here and there a broken tree lay
listlesslistlesslistlessof^ofof^^^on
^on
on
the
ground;
ground;
it was a scene of wonderful
solemnity &✗—moved me —✗
solemnity &✗—moved me —✗
stirred strange thoughts within me. I wept
bitterly
bitterly
and
and
clasping my hands in
agony
agony
I
exclaimed— Oh
exclaimed— Oh
stars,
stars,
& clouds, ^& clouds, and
wind
wind
ye are all about
ye to mock
yeye to mock
me —
me —
If ye really pity crush me but if
not depart depart
not depart depart
& leave
^^^^me
^me
me
to darkness. Wild to darkness. WildWild
These were wild & miserable
thoughts
thoughts
but I cannot describe to you how the eternal twinkling of stars weighed upon me, and I listened to every blast of
wind
wind
as it were a dull ugly siroc
kkk
on its way to consume me. ¶ It was morning
It was morning
before I arrived at the village of
Chamounix —
Chamounix —
but my
but my
presence
presence
so haggard &
so haggard &
strange
strange
hardly calmed the fears of my
hardly calmed the fears of my
family
family
who had waited the whole night in anxious expectation of my return.
who had waited the whole night in anxious expectation of my return.
✗—What could I say to them or how account for my disappearance and present miser —✗The following day we returned to Geneva. The
✗—What could I say to them or how account for my disappearance and present miser —✗¶ The following day we returned to Geneva. The
purpos intention of my father in coming had been to divert my
purpospurpos intention of my father in coming had been to divert my
mind
mind
& to restore
& to restore
to me
to me
my lost
my lost
tranquillity.
tranquillity.
But the
But the
medecine
medecine
had been
had been
fatal &
fatal &
unable to account for the excess of misery I appeared to
unable to account for the excess of misery I appeared to
suffer
suffer
he hastened to return
he hastened to return
home
home
hoping
hoping
that the quiet &
that the quiet &
calm
calm
of a domestic life would by degrees alleviate my sufferings from
of a domestic life would by degrees alleviate my sufferings from
whatsoever
whatsoever
cause they might spring. For
cause they might spring. ¶ For
myself
myself
I was passive in all their
I was passive in all their
arrangements,
arrangements,
and the gentle affection of my beloved Elizabeth was inadequate to draw me from the depth of my despair. The promise I had made to the dæmon weighed upon my
and the gentle affection of my beloved Elizabeth was inadequate to draw me from the depth of my despair. The promise I had made to the dæmon weighed upon my
mind
mind
like
like
Dante's
Dante's
iron cowl on the
iron cowl on the
head
head
of the hellish hypocrites. all pleasures of earth
of the hellish hypocrites. all pleasures of earth
or
or
sky passed
sky passed
before me
as
as
a
dream
dream
& that
one thought only had to me the reality of life.
one thought only had to me the reality of life.
Can you
Can you
wonder
wonder
that sometimes a kind of insanity possessed
that sometimes a kind of insanity possessed
me or that I saw
me or that I saw
about me a multitude of filthy animals inflicting on me incessant
about me a multitude of filthy animals inflicting on me incessant
torture
torture
that often extorted
that often extorted
from screams
fromfrom screams
&bitter groans.
&bitter groans.
By
¶ By
degrees however
degrees however
these feelings became calmed. I entered again into the
these feelings became calmed. I entered again into the
every day
every day
of
of
life
life
if not with
if not with
interrest
interrest
at least with some degree of tranquillity.
at least with some degree of tranquillity.
