Chapter 17
The being finished speaking and fixed his looks upon me in the expectation of a reply. But I was bewildered, perplexed, and unable to arrange my ideas sufficiently to understand the full extent of his proposition. He continued,
The being finished speaking and looked at me, waiting for an answer. But I was bewildered and confused. I could not gather my thoughts enough to fully understand what he was proposing. He continued,
“You must create a female for me with whom I can live in the interchange of those sympathies necessary for my being. This you alone can do, and I demand it of you as a right which you must not refuse to concede.”
“You must create a female companion for me, someone with whom I can share the understanding I need to live. Only you can create her. I demand her as a right you must not deny me.”
The latter part of his tale had kindled anew in me the anger that had died away while he narrated his peaceful life among the cottagers, and as he said this I could no longer suppress the rage that burned within me.
The later part of his story had stirred my anger again. It had faded as he described his peaceful life among the cottagers. But as he said this, I could no longer contain the rage burning inside me.
“I do refuse it,” I replied; “and no torture shall ever extort a consent from me. You may render me the most miserable of men, but you shall never make me base in my own eyes. Shall I create another like yourself, whose joint wickedness might desolate the world. Begone! I have answered you; you may torture me, but I will never consent.”
“I refuse,” I replied. “No torture will ever force me to agree. You may make me the most miserable man alive, but you will never make me despise myself. Should I create another like you? Together, your wickedness might devastate the world. Go away! I have answered you. You may torture me, but I will never agree.”
“You are in the wrong,” replied the fiend; “and instead of threatening, I am content to reason with you. I am malicious because I am miserable. Am I not shunned and hated by all mankind? You, my creator, would tear me to pieces and triumph; remember that, and tell me why I should pity man more than he pities me? You would not call it murder if you could precipitate me into one of those ice-rifts and destroy my frame, the work of your own hands. Shall I respect man when he condemns me? Let him live with me in the interchange of kindness, and instead of injury I would bestow every benefit upon him with tears of gratitude at his acceptance. But that cannot be; the human senses are insurmountable barriers to our union. Yet mine shall not be the submission of abject slavery. I will revenge my injuries; if I cannot inspire love, I will cause fear, and chiefly towards you my arch-enemy, because my creator, do I swear inextinguishable hatred. Have a care; I will work at your destruction, nor finish until I desolate your heart, so that you shall curse the hour of your birth.”
“You are wrong,” the fiend replied. “Instead of threatening you, I am willing to reason with you. I am cruel because I am miserable. Am I not shunned and hated by all mankind? You, my creator, would tear me to pieces and rejoice. Remember that, and tell me why I should pity mankind more than mankind pities me. You would not call it murder if you could throw me into one of those cracks in the ice. You would destroy my body, the work of your own hands. Should I respect mankind when mankind condemns me? If people treated me kindly and let me do the same, I would give them every benefit instead of harm. I would weep with gratitude if they accepted my kindness. But that cannot happen. Human senses are barriers that make such a bond impossible. Yet I will not submit like a helpless slave. I will take revenge for the wrongs done to me. If I cannot inspire love, I will cause fear. Above all, I swear undying hatred toward you, my greatest enemy, because you are my creator. Beware. I will work to destroy you. I will not stop until I have left your heart desolate, so that you curse the hour of your birth.”
A fiendish 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 and proceeded—
A devilish rage came over him as he said this. His face twisted into expressions too horrible for human eyes to see. But soon he calmed himself and continued:
“I intended to reason. This passion is detrimental to me, for you do not reflect that you are the cause of its excess. If any being felt emotions of benevolence towards me, I should return them a hundred and a hundredfold; for that one creature’s sake I would make peace with the whole kind! But I now indulge in dreams of bliss that cannot be realised. What I ask of you is reasonable and moderate; I demand a creature of another sex, but as hideous as myself; the gratification is small, but it is all that I can receive, and it shall content me. It is true, we shall be monsters, cut off from all the world; but on that account we shall be more attached to one another. Our lives will not be happy, but they will be harmless and free from the misery I now feel. Oh! My creator, make me happy; let me feel gratitude towards you for one benefit! Let me see that I excite the sympathy of some existing thing; do not deny me my request!”
“I meant to reason with you. This anger hurts me, but you do not realize that you are the reason it is so intense. If any being showed me kindness, I would return it a hundred times over. For that one creature’s sake, I would make peace with the whole human race! But now I am dreaming of happiness that can never come true. What I ask of you is reasonable and modest. I demand a creature of the opposite sex, but as ugly as I am. That would be a small pleasure, but it is all I can have, and it would satisfy me. It is true that we would be monsters, cut off from the whole world. But for that reason we would be more devoted to each other. Our lives would not be happy, but they would be harmless and free from the misery I feel now. Oh, my creator, make me happy. Let me feel grateful to you for one act of kindness! Let me see that some living thing feels sympathy for me. Do not refuse my request!”
I was moved. I shuddered when I thought of the possible consequences of my consent, but I felt that there was some justice in his argument. His tale and the feelings he now expressed proved him to be a creature of fine sensations, and did I not as his maker owe him all the portion of happiness that it was in my power to bestow? He saw my change of feeling and continued,
I was moved. I shuddered at the possible consequences of agreeing, but I felt there was some justice in his argument. His story and the feelings he now expressed showed that he was a creature capable of deep feeling. As his maker, didn't I owe him all the happiness I could give him? He saw that my feelings had changed and continued,
“If you consent, neither you nor any other human being shall ever see us again; I will go to the vast wilds of South America. My food is not that of man; I do not destroy the lamb and the kid to glut my appetite; acorns and berries afford me sufficient nourishment. My companion will be of the same nature as 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 and will ripen our food. The picture I present to you is peaceful and human, and you must feel that you could deny it only in the wantonness of power and cruelty. Pitiless as you have been towards me, I now see compassion in your eyes; let me seize the favourable moment and persuade you to promise what I so ardently desire.”
“If you agree, neither you nor any other human being will ever see us again. I will go to the vast wilderness of South America. I do not eat what humans eat. I do not kill lambs and young goats to satisfy my appetite. Acorns and berries are enough to nourish me. My companion will be like me and will be content with the same food. We will make our bed from dried leaves. The sun will shine on us as it does on humans, and it will ripen our food. The picture I offer you is peaceful and human. You must feel that only a cruel, reckless use of power could make you deny us this life. Though you have shown me no mercy, I now see compassion in your eyes. Let me seize this favorable moment and persuade you to promise what I desire so deeply.”
“You propose,” replied I, “to fly from the habitations of man, to dwell in those wilds where the beasts of the field will be your only companions. How can you, who long for the love and sympathy of man, persevere in this exile? You will return and again seek their kindness, and you will meet with their detestation; your evil passions will be renewed, and you will then have a companion to aid you in the task of destruction. This may not be; cease to argue the point, for I cannot consent.”
“You propose,” I replied, “to leave human settlements and live in the wilderness, with only wild animals for company. But you long for human love and sympathy. How can you continue living in exile? You will return and seek human kindness again, but people will hate you. Your evil passions will rise again, and you will have a companion to help you destroy. I cannot allow this. Stop arguing, for I cannot agree.”
“How inconstant are your feelings! But a moment ago you were moved by my representations, and why do you again harden yourself to my complaints? I swear to you, by the earth which I inhabit, and by you that made me, that with the companion you bestow, I will quit the neighbourhood of man and dwell, as it may chance, in the most savage of places. My evil passions will have fled, for I shall meet with sympathy! My life will flow quietly away, and in my dying moments I shall not curse my maker.”
“How quickly your feelings change! Just a moment ago, you were moved by what I said. Why do you now turn a cold heart to my complaints again? I swear to you, by the earth where I live and by you, my maker. With the companion you give me, I will leave the company of humans. We will live wherever we find ourselves, in the wildest of places. My evil passions will be gone, for I will find sympathy! My life will pass peacefully, and when I die, I will not curse my maker.”
His words had a strange effect upon me. I compassionated him and sometimes felt a wish to console him, but when I looked upon him, when I saw the filthy mass that moved and talked, my heart sickened and my feelings were altered to those of horror and hatred. I tried to stifle these sensations; I thought that as I could not sympathise with him, I had no right to withhold from him the small portion of happiness which was yet in my power to bestow.
His words had a strange effect on me. I pitied him and sometimes wanted to comfort him. But when I looked at him, I saw a filthy mass that moved and spoke. My heart sickened, and my pity turned to horror and hatred. I tried to suppress these feelings. I thought that, since I could not sympathize with him, I had no right to deny him the small measure of happiness I could still give him.
“You swear,” I said, “to be harmless; but have you not already shown a degree of malice that should reasonably make me distrust you? May not even this be a feint that will increase your triumph by affording a wider scope for your revenge?”
“You swear,” I said, “that you will do no harm. But haven't you already shown enough malice to give me reason to distrust you? Could this promise be a trick to give you more opportunity for revenge and make your triumph even greater?”
“How is this? I must not be trifled with, and I demand an answer. If I have no ties and no affections, hatred and vice must be my portion; the love of another will destroy the cause of my crimes, and I shall become a thing of whose existence everyone will be ignorant. My vices are the children of a forced solitude that I abhor, and my virtues will necessarily arise when I live in communion with an equal. I shall feel the affections of a sensitive being and become linked to the chain of existence and events from which I am now excluded.”
“What is this? I will not be toyed with, and I demand an answer. If I have no bonds and no love, hatred and wickedness must be my fate. Another’s love will remove the cause of my crimes, and no one will know that I exist. My wickedness is the result of a forced solitude that I hate. My virtues will surely emerge when I live with an equal. I will feel the love and affection of a sensitive being. I will be connected to the chain of life and events from which I am now excluded.”
I paused some time to reflect on all he had related and the various arguments which he had employed. I thought of the promise of virtues which he had displayed on the opening of his existence and the subsequent blight of all kindly feeling by the loathing and scorn which his protectors had manifested towards him. His power and threats were not omitted in my calculations; a creature who could exist in the ice-caves of the glaciers and hide himself from pursuit among the ridges of inaccessible precipices was a being possessing faculties it would be vain to cope with. After a long pause of reflection I concluded that the justice due both to him and my fellow creatures demanded of me that I should comply with his request. Turning to him, therefore, I said,
I paused for some time to think about everything he had told me and the arguments he had made. I thought of the promising virtues he had shown at the beginning of his life. Then the disgust and scorn his protectors had shown him had destroyed all his kind feelings. I also considered his power and his threats. He could live in the ice caves of glaciers and hide from pursuit among the ridges of unreachable cliffs. It would be useless to struggle against a being with such abilities. After a long pause, I concluded that justice to him and to my fellow creatures demanded that I grant his request. So I turned to him and said,
“I consent to your demand, on your solemn oath to quit Europe for ever, and every other place in the neighbourhood of man, as soon as I shall deliver into your hands a female who will accompany you in your exile.”
“I agree to your demand, but you must solemnly swear to leave Europe forever and stay away from all other places where people live. You must leave as soon as I give you a female companion who will go with you into exile.”
“I swear,” he cried, “by the sun, and by the blue sky of heaven, and by the fire of love that burns my heart, that if you grant my prayer, while they exist you shall never behold me again. Depart to your home and commence your labours; I shall watch their progress with unutterable anxiety; and fear not but that when you are ready I shall appear.”
“I swear,” he cried, “by the sun, the blue sky above, and the fire of love that burns in my heart. If you grant my request, you will never see me again as long as they exist. Go home and begin your work. I will watch its progress with unbearable anxiety. And do not fear, I will appear when you are ready.”
Saying this, he suddenly quitted me, fearful, perhaps, of any change in my sentiments. I saw him descend the mountain with greater speed than the flight of an eagle, and quickly lost among the undulations of the sea of ice.
After saying this, he suddenly left me, perhaps afraid that I might change my mind. I watched him descend the mountain faster than an eagle in flight. He quickly disappeared among the waves of the sea of ice.
His tale had occupied the whole day, and the sun was upon the verge of the horizon when he departed. I knew that I ought to hasten my descent towards the valley, as I should soon be encompassed in darkness; but my heart was heavy, and my steps slow. The labour of winding among the little paths of the mountain and fixing my feet firmly as I advanced perplexed me, occupied as I was by the emotions which the occurrences of the day had produced. Night was far advanced when I came to the halfway resting-place and seated myself beside the fountain. The stars shone at intervals as the clouds passed from over them; the dark pines rose before me, and every here and there a broken tree lay on the ground; it was a scene of wonderful solemnity and stirred strange thoughts within me. I wept bitterly, and clasping my hands in agony, I exclaimed, “Oh! stars and clouds and winds, ye are all about to mock me; if ye really pity me, crush sensation and memory; let me become as nought; but if not, depart, depart, and leave me in darkness.”
His story had taken the whole day, and the sun was nearing the horizon when he left. I knew I should hurry down to the valley, since darkness would soon surround me. But my heart was heavy, and my steps were slow. The day’s events had stirred such emotions in me that I struggled to follow the winding mountain paths and keep my footing. Night was well advanced when I reached the halfway resting place and sat beside the fountain. The stars shone now and then as the clouds moved past them. Dark pines rose before me, and fallen, broken trees lay here and there on the ground. The scene was wonderfully solemn and stirred strange thoughts within me. I wept bitterly, clasped my hands in agony, and cried, “Oh, stars and clouds and winds, you are all about to mock me. If you truly pity me, crush my senses and memory. Let me become nothing. But if you do not pity me, go away, go away, and leave me in darkness.”
These were wild and miserable thoughts, but I cannot describe to you how the eternal twinkling of the stars weighed upon me and how I listened to every blast of wind as if it were a dull ugly siroc on its way to consume me.
These were wild and miserable thoughts. But I cannot describe how the endless twinkling of the stars weighed on me. I listened to every gust of wind as if it were a dull, ugly desert wind coming to consume me.
Morning dawned before I arrived at the village of Chamounix; I took no rest, but returned immediately to Geneva. Even in my own heart I could give no expression to my sensations—they weighed on me with a mountain’s weight and their excess destroyed my agony beneath them. Thus I returned home, and entering the house, presented myself to the family. My haggard and wild appearance awoke intense alarm, but I answered no question, scarcely did I speak. I felt as if I were placed under a ban—as if I had no right to claim their sympathies—as if never more might I enjoy companionship with them. Yet even thus I loved them to adoration; and to save them, I resolved to dedicate myself to my most abhorred task. The prospect of such an occupation made every other circumstance of existence pass before me like a dream, and that thought only had to me the reality of life.
Morning had broken before I reached the village of Chamounix. I did not rest, but returned immediately to Geneva. I could not express my feelings, even to myself. They weighed on me like a mountain, and their sheer force crushed my agony beneath them. When I returned home, I went inside and faced my family. My haggard, wild appearance alarmed them greatly, but I answered no questions and barely spoke. I felt as if I were an outcast, with no right to their sympathy. It was as if I could never again enjoy their company. Yet I loved them deeply, even so. To save them, I resolved to devote myself to the task I most hated. The prospect made everything else in life seem like a dream. Only that thought seemed real to me.