Франкенштейн
Chapter 13
Heappearedatonetimeamerescionoftheevilprincipleandatanotherasallthatcanbeconceivedofnobleandgodlike.Tobeagreatandvirtuousmanappearedthehighesthonourthatcanbefallasensitivebeing;tobebaseandvicious,asmanyonrecordhavebeen,appearedthelowestdegradation,aconditionmoreabjectthanthatoftheblindmoleorharmlessworm.ForalongtimeIcouldnotconceivehowonemancouldgoforthtomurderhisfellow,orevenwhytherewerelawsandgovernments;butwhenIhearddetailsofviceandbloodshed,mywonderceasedandIturnedawaywithdisgustandloathing.
"Everyconversationofthecottagersnowopenednewwonderstome.WhileIlistenedtotheinstructionswhichFelixbestowedupontheArabian,thestrangesystemofhumansocietywasexplainedtome.Iheardofthedivisionofproperty,ofimmensewealthandsqualidpoverty,ofrank,descent,andnobleblood.
"Thewordsinducedmetoturntowardsmyself.Ilearnedthatthepossessionsmostesteemedbyyourfellowcreatureswerehighandunsullieddescentunitedwithriches.Amanmightberespectedwithonlyoneoftheseadvantages,butwithouteitherhewasconsidered,exceptinveryrareinstances,asavagabondandaslave,doomedtowastehispowersfortheprofitsofthechosenfew!AndwhatwasI?OfmycreationandcreatorIwasabsolutelyignorant,butIknewthatIpossessednomoney,nofriends,nokindofproperty.Iwas,besides,enduedwithafigurehideouslydeformedandloathsome;Iwasnotevenofthesamenatureasman.Iwasmoreagilethantheyandcouldsubsistuponcoarserdiet;Iboretheextremesofheatandcoldwithlessinjurytomyframe;mystaturefarexceededtheirs.WhenIlookedaroundIsawandheardofnonelikeme.WasI,then,amonster,ablotupontheearth,fromwhichallmenfledandwhomallmendisowned?
