Quotation: On page 37 end of paragraph one it mentions Victors reaction to hearing the sailor describe his eagerness for discovery. “As I spoke, a dark gloom spread over my listener’s counte-nance. At first I perceived that he tried to suppress his emotion; he placed his hands before his eyes; and my voice quivered and failed me, as I beheld tears trickle fast from between his fingers, — a groan burst from his heaving breast. I paused; — at length he spoke, in broken accents: —“Unhappy man! Do you share my madness? Have you drank also of the intoxicating draught? Hear me, — let me reveal my tale, and you will dash the cup from your lips!”’
Comment/Connection: This quote really fits into the action of the novel as it sets up the rest of the story of how the monster came to be, how Victor himself has gone too far with his passions, and his duty to prevent others from spiraling down into the darkness. When reading this quote it makes you think about the hesitancy when one person sees another having the chance of slipping into madness. It makes you pause like the sailor when he was waiting for Victor to respond or do something. It also makes you wonder what this man could have possibly gone through to react the way he did to someone else’s passions and asperations. This quote fits the theme of the novel which I feel goes along the lines of not knowing who the true monster is. By the way, this dark kind of aura came around Victor as the sailor was expressing his passion. In addition, how Victor erupted with questions and exclamations of warning. He responded to the sailor in a rather monstrous way as he had put the sailor in a hold of word or emotion for a second. The sailor does not know whether Victor has become a “monster” of madness or if he is only warning him to stop what he is searching for before it is too late. He later mentions how he feels a bit of weariness from Victor but yet he is curious to know more about him which goes along with what we mentioned the other day in class. How monsters scare many but they also have that pull of attraction that gets to some individuals.
In terms of there being an argument, it would have to be the fact that you should not focus only on your passion but ensure you are living life as well as it may lead down a dark tunnel of a monster being created if you do. This is proven in the case of Dr. Frankenstein and his monster. With this argument in mind, I would have to agree, I think there is more to life than just one thing even if you are super passionate about it. You need people, ups and downs, and changes in your life for you to actually live instead of becoming a “monster.”
Question: The question that is raised by this quotation and comment is as followed. If a “monster” could see the comings of another monster, would the original monster really be one; if he is there trying to prevent the chance of another from becoming one?
