Summary
The Creature's Rage—From Rejection to Murder
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
After being violently rejected by the De Laceys, the creature's grief transforms into rage. He howls in the woods, declaring 'everlasting war against the species.' In his fury, he burns down the cottage that had been his only connection to humanity. With nothing left, the creature decides to seek out Victor, his creator, in Geneva—the only being who might owe him anything. His journey is long and miserable, traveling only at night to avoid humans. Then, in a moment of spring sunshine, the creature feels brief happiness and tries to save a drowning girl. As reward for his heroism, he's shot and wounded. This act of violence after an act of kindness extinguishes any remaining hope—kindness only brings him pain. Near Geneva, the creature encounters a beautiful child (William) and thinks perhaps a young, unprejudiced mind could be his companion. But William screams 'monster!' and reveals he's a Frankenstein. The creature, realizing this is his creator's brother, strangles him in rage: 'I too can create desolation; my enemy is not invulnerable.' He takes William's locket containing a portrait of Caroline and plants it on sleeping Justine, deliberately framing her. This chapter shows the creature's complete transformation from benevolent being seeking love to calculated destroyer seeking revenge. His actions aren't random violence—they're strategic strikes designed to make Victor suffer as he has suffered. The creature's intelligence makes his vengeance more terrible.
Coming Up in Chapter 21
The creature finishes his tale, having explained how Victor's abandonment created a murderer. Now he demands a mate—and Victor must decide.
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An excerpt from the original text.(~500 words)
"ursed, cursed creator! Why did I live? Why, in that instant, did I not extinguish the spark of existence which you had so wantonly bestowed? I know not; despair had not yet taken possession of me; my feelings were those of rage and revenge. I could with pleasure have destroyed the cottage and its inhabitants and have glutted myself with their shrieks and misery. "When night came I quitted my retreat and wandered in the wood; and now, no longer restrained by the fear of discovery, I gave vent to my anguish in fearful howlings. I was like a wild beast that had broken the toils, destroying the objects that obstructed me and ranging through the wood with a stag-like swiftness. Oh! What a miserable night I passed! The cold stars shone in mockery, and the bare trees waved their branches above me; now and then the sweet voice of a bird burst forth amidst the universal stillness. All, save I, were at rest or in enjoyment; I, like the arch-fiend, bore a hell within me, and finding myself unsympathised with, wished to tear up the trees, spread havoc and destruction around me, and then to have sat down and enjoyed the ruin. "But this was a luxury of sensation that could not endure; I became fatigued with excess of bodily exertion and sank on the damp grass in the sick impotence of despair. There was none among the myriads of men that existed who would pity or assist me; and should I feel kindness towards my enemies? No; from that moment I declared everlasting war against the species, and more than all, against him who had formed me and sent me forth to this insupportable misery. "The sun rose; I heard the voices of men and knew that it was impossible to return to my retreat during that day. Accordingly I hid myself in some thick underwood, determining to devote the ensuing hours to reflection on my situation. "The pleasant sunshine and the pure air of day restored me to some degree of tranquillity; and when I considered what had passed at the cottage, I could not help believing that I had been too hasty in my conclusions. I had certainly acted imprudently. It was apparent that my conversation had interested the father in my behalf, and I was a fool in having exposed my person to the horror of his children. I ought to have familiarised the old De Lacey to me, and by degrees to have discovered myself to the rest of his family, when they should have been prepared for my approach. But I did not believe my errors to be irretrievable, and after much consideration I resolved to return to the cottage, seek the old man, and by my representations win him to my party. "These thoughts calmed me, and in the afternoon I sank into a profound sleep; but the fever of my blood did not allow me to be visited by peaceful dreams....
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Intelligence Amplifier™ Analysis
The Road of Rejection's Revenge - How Abandonment Creates the Very Thing We Fear
When abandonment or rejection transforms someone's capacity for good into calculated revenge, creating the very behavior we feared.
Why This Matters
Connect literature to life
This chapter teaches how abandoning problems when they get difficult often creates bigger, more targeted problems later.
Practice This Today
This week, notice when you're tempted to ghost someone or abandon a difficult situation - ask what monster that abandonment might create.
Now let's explore the literary elements.
Terms to Know
Foundling
An abandoned child with no known parents or family. In Shelley's time, foundlings were often left at churches or orphanages, facing a life of poverty and social rejection. The creature is essentially a foundling - created and then abandoned by his 'parent' Victor.
Modern Usage:
Today we see this in kids aging out of foster care, or anyone trying to build a life without family support or connections.
Social outcasting
The practice of rejecting and isolating someone from community based on appearance, behavior, or circumstances. In the 1800s, physical deformity or difference often meant complete social exclusion. The creature experiences this when the De Lacey family drives him away in horror.
Modern Usage:
We see this in bullying, workplace harassment, or how society treats people who look different or have disabilities.
Noble savage
The idea that beings in their 'natural' state are inherently good until corrupted by civilization. The creature starts innocent and curious, learning right from wrong by observing the De Lacey family. His evil emerges only after society rejects him.
Modern Usage:
This shows up when we talk about how 'good kids' turn bad due to their environment or how people become hardened by harsh treatment.
Moral education
Learning right from wrong through observation and experience rather than formal teaching. The creature educates himself by watching the De Lacey family's kindness and struggles, developing a sense of ethics and emotion without any guidance from Victor.
Modern Usage:
Kids today still learn values by watching their families and communities - they pick up attitudes about fairness, kindness, and behavior from what they see around them.
Deformity prejudice
The automatic fear and disgust people feel toward those who look different or abnormal. In Shelley's era, physical difference was seen as a sign of moral corruption or divine punishment. The creature faces instant rejection based solely on his appearance.
Modern Usage:
We still struggle with snap judgments based on appearance, whether it's disabilities, scars, or just looking 'different' from what society expects.
Revenge cycle
The pattern where hurt creates more hurt - one person's pain leads them to inflict pain on others, continuing the cycle. The creature's abandonment and rejection transform his capacity for love into a desire for vengeance against Victor and humanity.
Modern Usage:
This happens in families where abuse gets passed down, in workplace conflicts that escalate, or in communities where hurt people hurt people.
Characters in This Chapter
The creature
Tragic antagonist
Tells his origin story, revealing how abandonment and social rejection transformed him from an innocent being into a vengeful monster. His eloquent narrative shows intelligence and deep emotion, making his transformation more heartbreaking.
Modern Equivalent:
The smart kid who turns to crime after being failed by every system that should have helped them
De Lacey (the blind father)
Unwitting mentor figure
The only human who shows the creature kindness, because he cannot see the creature's appearance. His blindness allows him to judge based on character rather than looks, offering hope before his family's reaction destroys it.
Modern Equivalent:
The one person who gives someone a fair chance when everyone else has written them off
Felix De Lacey
Representative of societal rejection
Reacts with immediate violence when he sees the creature with his father, driving the monster away without attempting to understand. His response represents society's knee-jerk fear of difference.
Modern Equivalent:
The person who calls security or the cops the moment they see someone who makes them uncomfortable
Safie
Symbol of belonging
A foreign woman welcomed into the De Lacey family despite her differences, showing the creature what acceptance could look like. Her integration highlights the creature's exclusion even more painfully.
Modern Equivalent:
The outsider who gets accepted into the group while others remain excluded
Victor Frankenstein
Absent creator/father figure
Though not physically present, his abandonment of the creature is the root cause of all the monster's suffering and subsequent actions. The creature's story is ultimately an indictment of Victor's irresponsibility.
Modern Equivalent:
The deadbeat parent whose absence shapes their kid's entire life trajectory
Key Quotes & Analysis
"I am malicious because I am miserable. Am I not shunned and hated by all mankind?"
Context: The creature explains to Victor why he has become vengeful after telling his story of rejection
This reveals the direct connection between how we treat others and how they behave. The creature isn't inherently evil - he became malicious as a response to being treated as a monster. It's a powerful statement about cause and effect in human behavior.
In Today's Words:
I'm mean because everyone treats me like garbage. What do you expect when the whole world hates me?
"My heart was fashioned to be susceptible of love and sympathy, and when wrenched by misery to vice and hatred, it did not endure the violence of the change without torture."
Context: The creature describes the painful transformation from loving to hateful
This shows that becoming cruel isn't easy or natural - it's a violent change that causes internal suffering. The creature had the capacity for good but was forced into evil by circumstances, making his story tragic rather than simply frightening.
In Today's Words:
I was born to love people, and turning into someone full of hate has been agony.
"I had feelings of affection, and they were requited by detestation and scorn."
Context: The creature reflects on his attempts to connect with humans and their rejection
This captures the fundamental tragedy - the creature offered love and received hatred in return. It shows how our responses to others can either nurture their humanity or destroy it completely.
In Today's Words:
I tried to care about people, and all I got back was disgust and rejection.
Thematic Threads
Abandonment
In This Chapter
Victor's complete abandonment of his creation leads directly to the creature's transformation from innocent to vengeful
Development
Evolved from Victor's initial flight to this deeper exploration of abandonment's long-term psychological consequences
In Your Life:
You might recognize this when a colleague or family member becomes increasingly difficult after being consistently ignored or dismissed.
Social Belonging
In This Chapter
The creature's desperate desire to belong to the De Lacey family shows the fundamental human need for acceptance
Development
Introduced here as the creature's core motivation and deepest wound
In Your Life:
You see this in your own need to fit in at work or in social groups, and how rejection from these groups affects your behavior.
Identity Formation
In This Chapter
The creature learns who he is through others' reactions - fear, horror, violence - shaping his self-concept
Development
Builds on earlier hints about the creature's nature, now showing how identity forms through social interaction
In Your Life:
You might notice how others' treatment of you - as competent or incompetent, valuable or disposable - shapes how you see yourself.
Class Exclusion
In This Chapter
The creature is permanently excluded from human society based on his appearance, regardless of his intelligence or capacity for feeling
Development
Introduced here as a form of ultimate social exclusion based on physical difference
In Your Life:
You might experience this through economic class barriers, educational background, or other markers that keep you out of certain social circles.
Responsibility
In This Chapter
Victor's refusal to take responsibility for his creation's wellbeing directly causes the creature's turn to violence
Development
Deepens the theme from Victor's earlier avoidance to show the real-world consequences of shirking responsibility
In Your Life:
You see this when parents, bosses, or leaders create problems then refuse to help solve them, leaving others to deal with the fallout.
You now have the context. Time to form your own thoughts.
Discussion Questions
- 1
What specific experiences transformed the creature from innocent to vengeful, and what was the final breaking point?
analysis • surface - 2
Why did the creature's intelligence and eloquence make his rejection more painful and his revenge more calculated?
analysis • medium - 3
Where do you see this rejection loop playing out today - at work, in families, or in communities?
application • medium - 4
How would you intervene early if you noticed someone starting down this path of escalating rejection and retaliation?
application • deep - 5
What does the creature's story reveal about the responsibility we have for how our treatment of others shapes who they become?
reflection • deep
Critical Thinking Exercise
Map Your Own Rejection Points
Think of a time when you felt rejected or excluded from something you wanted to belong to. Map out what happened: What did you want? How were you rejected? How did it change your behavior toward that person or group? Did you become more defensive, angry, or withdrawn? Now consider someone in your life who might be experiencing rejection. What small gesture could interrupt their rejection loop before it hardens into something destructive?
Consider:
- •Notice how rejection changes your behavior toward the rejector - do you become what they expected?
- •Consider whether your defensive reactions sometimes create more rejection
- •Think about times when one person's acceptance helped you recover from others' rejection
Journaling Prompt
Write about a relationship where you might be unknowingly creating the very behavior you're complaining about through rejection or dismissal. How could you break this cycle?
Coming Up Next...
Chapter 21: The Creature Demands a Mate
The creature finishes his tale, having explained how Victor's abandonment created a murderer. Now he demands a mate—and Victor must decide.
