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What happens in Chapter 10 of Frankenstein?
When Victor’s feelings of despair return, he travels to the summit of Montanvert where the monster approaches him and entreats him to come to a cave where he will narrate the events of his life.
Read our Summary & Analysis of Chapters 9 & 10. (3-minute read)
How significant is the monster confronting Victor in Chapter 10 of Frankenstein?
Halfway through the novel, when the monster surprises Victor by confronting him in the Alps, the novel’s main characters finally have their first as well as their most sustained confrontation. Both are angry—the monster because Victor created him and then abandoned him, shirking any responsibility for his well-being; and Victor because the monster responded to being deserted by killing his young brother—and both have a lot to say to each other. Their claims, counterclaims, and other words are highly telling:
VICTOR: Devil, do you dare approach me? And do not you fear the fierce vengeance of my arm wreaked on your miserable head? Begone, vile insect! . . . .
THE MONSTER: I expected this reception. All men hate the wretched; how, then, must I be hated, who am miserable beyond all living things!
This is an excerpt from the start of their stinging confrontation. (You can find the larger exchange along with an explanation in the second quote in Quotes by Chapter: Chapter 10). This extract creates a pattern of the monster demanding accountability from Victor only to have Victor shrug off any responsibility and respond mostly with insults.
What is the most important quote from Chapter 10 of Frankenstein?
“Life, although it may only be an accumulation of anguish, is dear to me, and I will defend it.”
Up to this point in the book, it would have been reasonable for us to assume that the monster is nothing more than a menacing and murderous entity. But when we finally meet him in Chapter 10 and hear him speak these eloquent and thoughtful words, we are forced to reassess him to take into account his unexpected depth and sensitivity.
Read more about this quote in Famous Quotes Explained. (1-minute read)
Read a brief essay about the impact of the monster’s eloquence. (3-minute read)
