Chapter X

Victor spends a day roaming the valley of Chamounix, finding brief consolation in the grandeur of glaciers, avalanches, and mountain silence. Though the night’s visions soothe him, he wakes to rain and despair. Seeking elevation of spirit, he resolves to ascend Montanvert alone, hoping the sight of the glacier will calm his mind.

Amid desolate paths and avalanche-scarred slopes, Victor reaches the sea of ice. As the mist clears, his spirits momentarily rise before he sees a figure approaching with superhuman speed: the Creature he created. Shock gives way to fury, and Victor threatens violence.

The Creature, revealing anguish with mingled disdain, counters Victor’s curses by insisting on his right to life and to his creator’s duty. He warns that refusal will bring further bloodshed but promises peace if Victor will heed his conditions. Victor attacks impulsively; the Creature easily evades him and entreats calm, claiming he was once benevolent but made fiendish by misery.

Victor rejects the possibility of fellowship, yet the Creature persists, arguing that universal hatred has driven him to despair and that only Victor can redress his loneliness. He demands to be heard, invoking even human law’s allowance for a defense, and offers that Victor may condemn or destroy him after hearing his account.

Torn between rage, curiosity, and a dawning sense of responsibility, Victor agrees to listen, hoping to learn the truth about William’s death. In cold rain they cross the ice to a mountain hut. By the fire the Creature, exultant at being heard while Victor remains heavy-hearted, begins his long narrative.