What happens in Chapter 17 of Frankenstein?
The chapter begins in the midst of a confrontation on the glacier, where the creature insists that Victor must create a female companion for him. In a fit of rage, Victor adamantly refuses, asserting that no amount of torture will ever force him to agree. The creature counters with a heartfelt argument: he acts out of malice only because he is deeply unhappy and universally despised. He promises that if he is shown kindness, he would repay it many times over. He vows that if he is given a companion, they will withdraw to the wilderness of South America, live off acorns and berries, and never bother humanity again. For a moment, Victor is swayed, but he quickly hardens again, worried that together they would wreak havoc anew. The creature promises by the earth and sky that his evil tendencies will vanish once he receives compassion. Considering the creature's earlier claim of potential goodness, the injustice he has faced, and the futility of resisting the creature's physical strength, Victor finally relents—on the condition that the creature vows to leave Europe for good the moment he receives the female. The creature swears by the sun and the blue sky above, then swiftly descends the mountain like an eagle and disappears across the icy expanse. Victor makes his slow, tormented descent, stopping at a fountain halfway down under the stars, weeping and calling out to the stars, clouds, and winds. He arrives in Chamounix at dawn, heads straight back to Geneva, and returns to his family home looking worn and silent, feeling estranged from ordinary companionship yet determined, for their sake, to undertake the task he dreads most.
Analysis
Chapter 17 unfolds like a formal debate, progressing through three clear phases: Victor's outright refusal, the creature's persistent counter-argument, and Victor's hesitant acquiescence. The chapter's rhetorical structure reflects its moral stakes — each speech resembles a legal brief, complete with evidence, oaths, and conditional statements, culminating in Victor's own conditional agreement ("I consent to your demand, on your solemn oath"). This legal framing highlights the shift in the relationship between creator and creature from one of dominance to one of negotiation.
The creature centers his argument on a chain of causation — misery breeds malice — repeating this logic twice, first in anger ("I am malicious because I am miserable") and then, after calming down, in a more measured tone. This self-correction, where the creature recognizes that emotion is "detrimental" to his case, portrays him as a rhetorician who is conscious of his own excesses.
Imagery of extremity — ice-rifts, glaciers, sheer cliffs, the sea of ice — positions the creature as a being beyond typical human reach, rendering Victor's practical assessment of futility as significant as his moral one. The natural world then absorbs Victor's anguish during the descent: stars, clouds, winds, dark pines, and a broken tree create a landscape of "wonderful solemnity." Victor's appeal to the stars — asking them either to crush his feelings or disappear — projects his inner turmoil onto an indifferent universe. The chapter concludes by merging external and internal burdens into a single image: his sensations weigh on him "with a mountain's weight," resonating with the Alpine landscape he has just left.
Key quotes from Chapter 17
“I am malicious because I am miserable. Am I not shunned and hated by all mankind?”
The creature addresses Victor mid-argument, explaining the origin of his violence after Victor's first refusal.
““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.””
Victor, alone at the halfway resting-place on his descent, cries out in anguish to the night sky.
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Create an accountSign inVocabulary in Chapter 17
- contortions
- Extreme, unnatural twistings or distortions of the face or body, usually expressing intense emotion or pain.