What happens in Chapter 15 of Frankenstein?
The creature continues his story, pondering the impact of the three books he discovered in a leather suitcase in the nearby woods: The Sorrows of Werter, Plutarch's Lives, and Paradise Lost. Werter fills him with a mix of sadness and awe regarding death; Plutarch's Lives inspires him with admiration for great lawgivers like Numa, Solon, and Lycurgus; and Paradise Lost, which he reads as if it were a true account, touches him the most, prompting him to see himself as both Adam and Satan at different times. He also finds Victor's journal detailing the four months before his creation in a piece of clothing taken from the lab, and reading about his own horrific beginnings fills him with pain and self-hatred.
In spite of this despair, the creature resolves to introduce himself to the cottagers, hoping their goodness will make them overlook his appearance. He comes up with a plan: to approach the blind old De Lacey when his children are not around. On a selected autumn day, while Safie, Agatha, and Felix go for a walk in the countryside and the servants attend a fair, the creature enters the cottage. He and De Lacey engage in a lengthy, compassionate conversation where the creature subtly mentions friends who hold bias against him. De Lacey, touched by his honesty, offers to assist. Just as the creature is about to share his true identity, Felix, Safie, and Agatha come back. Agatha faints, Safie runs away, and Felix yanks the creature away from his father's side and beats him with a stick. Overcome with pain and despair, the creature flees to his hovel.
Analysis
Chapter 15 unfolds in two contrasting halves: a reflective journey through the three books, followed by a dramatic turn that leads to disaster. This shift from introspection to confrontation creates a rising-and-falling arc that mirrors the creature's emotional journey — building up hope only to have it cruelly shattered.
The three books serve as a triptych of influence. Werter evokes emotional identification and existential questions, prompting the creature to ponder who he was, what he was, and where he came from. Plutarch provides a civic and moral framework, encouraging the creature to favor peaceable lawgivers over conquerors. Paradise Lost, read "as a true history," offers the chapter's most vivid imagery: the creature swings between Adam, who had a nurturing Creator, and Satan, whose envy of others' happiness resonates with his own. This dual identification — like Adam, he seems to lack any connection to another being, yet he also views Satan as a more fitting symbol of his condition — underscores his moral instability.
Victor's journal adds another layer of self-discovery: the creature interprets his own origin through his creator's horrified words, making his self-awareness both mediated and painful. The exclamation "Hateful day when I received life!" marks the emotional climax of this reflective section.
The dialogue with De Lacey appears almost entirely in direct speech, creating an ironic sense of closeness: the blind man, unable to see the creature's form, responds with kindness and logic, while the sighted characters react with fear. The simile of the lion and the antelope — "I could have torn him limb from limb, as the lion rends the antelope" — highlights the creature's restrained strength, making his choice not to retaliate a moral one.
Key quotes from Chapter 15
“Hateful day when I received life!’ I exclaimed in agony. ‘Accursed creator! Why did you form a monster so hideous that even you turned from me in disgust?”
The creature cries out after reading Victor's journal describing his own loathsome creation.
“Many times I considered Satan as the fitter emblem of my condition, for often, like him, when I viewed the bliss of my protectors, the bitter gall of envy rose within me.”
The creature reflects on his reading of *Paradise Lost* and compares himself to Satan rather than Adam.
“I am blind and cannot judge of your countenance, but there is something in your words which persuades me that you are sincere.”
De Lacey speaks to the creature during their private conversation in the cottage.
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Create an accountSign inVocabulary in Chapter 15
- disquisitions
- Long, detailed written or spoken explorations of a subject, going into it thoroughly and systematically, like essays or treatises.
- conformation
- The physical structure or bodily build of a creature; the particular shape and arrangement of its body parts.