Chapters 9–12: Victor flees into the mountains in despair and meets the creature, who begins his own story of confusion, loneliness, and secret observation of the cottage family.

In Chapters 9–12, Victor is crushed by guilt over Justine’s execution and retreats to the mountains, where the dramatic landscape reflects his despair. There, he encounters the creature, who begs to be heard and begins to tell his own story. The narrative shifts into the creature’s voice as he describes his first moments of confusion, his attempts to find shelter, and his secret observation of a poor family in a cottage nearby.

These chapters are crucial for building sympathy for the creature: we see him as lonely, sensitive, and eager to learn, not just a horror figure. While the 1818 and 1831 editions tell the same basic events here, the 18 ...