Франкенштейн

           Myownstrengthisexhausted,andImusttell,inafewwords,whatremainsofmyhideousnarration.IarrivedatGeneva.MyfatherandErnestyetlived,buttheformersunkunderthetidingsthatIbore.Iseehimnow,excellentandvenerableoldman!Hiseyeswanderedinvacancy,fortheyhadlosttheircharmandtheirdelight—hisElizabeth,hismorethandaughter,whomhedotedonwithallthataffectionwhichamanfeels,whointhedeclineoflife,havingfewaffections,clingsmoreearnestlytothosethatremain.Cursed,cursedbethefiendthatbroughtmiseryonhisgreyhairsanddoomedhimtowasteinwretchedness!Hecouldnotliveunderthehorrorsthatwereaccumulatedaroundhim;thespringsofexistencesuddenlygaveway;hewasunabletorisefromhisbed,andinafewdayshediedinmyarms.

           Whatthenbecameofme?Iknownot;Ilostsensation,andchainsanddarknessweretheonlyobjectsthatpresseduponme.Sometimes,indeed,IdreamtthatIwanderedinflowerymeadowsandpleasantvaleswiththefriendsofmyyouth,butIawokeandfoundmyselfinadungeon.Melancholyfollowed,butbydegreesIgainedaclearconceptionofmymiseriesandsituationandwasthenreleasedfrommyprison.Fortheyhadcalledmemad,andduringmanymonths,asIunderstood,asolitarycellhadbeenmyhabitation.

           Liberty,however,hadbeenauselessgifttome,hadInot,asIawakenedtoreason,atthesametimeawakenedtorevenge.Asthememoryofpastmisfortunespresseduponme,Ibegantoreflectontheircause—themonsterwhomIhadcreated,themiserabledaemonwhomIhadsentabroadintotheworldformydestruction.IwaspossessedbyamaddeningragewhenIthoughtofhim,anddesiredandardentlyprayedthatImighthavehimwithinmygrasptowreakagreatandsignalrevengeonhiscursedhead.