"The desert mountains and dreary glaciers are my refuge. I have wandered here many days, the caves of ice, which I only do not fear, are a dwelling to me, and the only one which man does not grudge...If the multitude of mankind knew of my existence, they would do as you do, and arm themselves for my destruction...I am miserable, and they shall share in my wretchedness" (Shelley 89-90).
What is happening here? How would you describe Shelley's tone? (Again, another reference to nature--what is the author suggesting about the power of nature?)
This passage narrates the monsters frustration with the inevitable response he receives from society. The rejection and isolation he is forced under allows the monster to find emotional security in nature. He finds nature free of judgment and rebuke. When the monster is within the vastness of nature his wretchedness and power is minimal in comparison. He hides in the icy caves, because there he is no longer forced to show himself to the world. He has been hurt from the way society instantly misinterprets his nature and now he suffers. Because he feels that he is being treated unfairly, he hopes that those who witness him also suffer in their fear. The tone of this passage could be considered as accusatory but rather solemn. He is carefully pointing at society for their foul judgments and their injustice, yet he is not demonstrating superiority because he realizes that nature encompasses more power than he himself is capable of obtaining.
ReplyDeleteI'm curious why you refer to the creature as "monster". But I think you make some valid points here. I like the part you said about his realizing he is not superior--just longing to be a part of something.
ReplyDeletei totally agree with what Molly said about how the creature or creation finds security in nature, how nature isn't judgmental of his appearance and that in nature he is more calm, but i also feel that when he is surrounded by nature it makes him realize how alone he is and how ugly he is compared to the beauty of nature and that is why he in turn becomes aggravated and decides he wants to get revenge on people for turning back on him because he is ugly.
ReplyDeletewhich actually in my opinion makes him even more unattractive because he is becoming ugly on the inside too.
This is a response to the monster comment rather than the question.
ReplyDeleteI find myself involuntarily calling the creature a "monster" as well. I think this is because of the way I think we would react if the creature walked into our English classroom right now. Because we hate ugliness and strange things, we would probably all be frightened and refer to it as a monster.
I do agree with Jessica about how nature makes him feel uglier about himself which, in turn, leads him to take revenge on people in the novel. However, on the other hand, could it be true that he finds that nature brings out the beauty that he was made with? Could he actually feel more attractive and feel as if he fits in with nature because of the fact that he is so different from the other people? I'm just wondering what other people think.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Jessica about the two sides of nature. While he finds security in nature because it is the only thing that doesn't cast him away, it also makes him realize his isolation. About Clays question,In my opinion, I don't know if it "brings out the beauty he was made with" but I think it makes him feel more ugly. Being able to look at all these beautiful things around him make him feel more outcast and different.
ReplyDeleteI agree with with Molly's answer, that the creature finds "emotional security" in nature because it is nonjudgmental. Also I think the creature is saying he is more powerful than nature and mankind. Although he has gone through hardships with nature and mankind, they cannot conquer him. The tone of the chapter could be described as Molly said, solemn, because the creature's story is being explained in a factual yet stern way towards Victor.
ReplyDeleteShelley's tone for this passage is somber. The creature is expressing to Victor, his creature, what great distress that he has put him just by simply bringing him into this world. He tells him that the only place that he feels welcome or at home, is where there are no people. No one to cast judgments upon him or fear him. A place where he is completely alone. Nature is the only place that the creature feels at peace with himself.
ReplyDeleteThis quote is explaining the monster's feelings towards Victor and humanity and their aversion to ugliness.
ReplyDeleteI call him a monster not just because of his ugliness, but also because of the way that he can so easily destroy and man's life and his lack of self-control. The way that he looks does not make him monster, it is the way that he goes about his life and the way that he treats his creator that makes him a monster in my eyes. What Victor did was wrong, but what the monster did to Victor was even worse.
I agree with Jessica on the point that nature is the monster's refuge as well as another place that can mock his existence and ugliness. I don't believe that nature would make him feel more beautiful, in fact if I were the monster it'd just make me feel even uglier. Not only is man prettier than him, but so is the world in which man inhabits.
I don't agree with the tone that Stephanie has said, I believe that the tone of this passage is one of fierce bitterness, that humanity looks on anything that lacks beauty with an aversion and the monster is feeling the brunt of this greatly.
I think that the tone of this passage is angry. The monster explains that he only has the glaciers and the mountains to turn to for refuge, because society has alienated the monster from it's inner workings.
ReplyDeleteThis is more of a response to clays comment than answering the question. I think that he does feel more comfortable in nature because when the creature goes to civilization and tries to reach out to other people the creature has received rejection on every occasion. So I think that the creature enjoys nature mainly because he is not rejected by nature.
ReplyDeleteThe creature feels so judged by society that he finds security in nature. Whenever he tries to fit into society they throw him right back out, because they are so judgmental.
ReplyDeleteClay says, "I do agree with Jessica about how nature makes him feel uglier about himself which, in turn, leads him to take revenge on people in the novel."
ReplyDeleteThe creature discovers life through its interaction with Mother Nature and learns to appreciate it. It utilizes nature to acquire new skills and regards it as benevolent towards it.
With that being said, the way the creature is able to find comfort in nature is somewhat unconventional. He finds the deserts and the glaciers as places of "refuge." Now, these settings are not usually equated with "comfort" and "beauty." Yet, the creature finds refuge there because he finds empathy from the ugliness of nature. It recognizes its own wretchedness and, consequently, is able to relate to the miserable, wretched existence of deserts and freezing glaciers.
So in conclusion, I do not think the creature finds refuge in nature's beauty, but rather its ugliness. We avoid hot deserts and freezing glaciers, just as society avoided the creature.
Because Shelley was married to a romantic writer and was writing during the Romantic period, one could definitely make a connection between God and nature; in this case, God is nature, and nature is God, and nature (God) is the only thing/one that will accept the creature.
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