The monster learns that the Delacey family is hungry, so he stops stealing their food and feeds himself by foraging. He also starts cutting wood for the family to burn in their fireplace, freeing Felix's time for other needed tasks. The creature 's kindness and generosity in doing this surprises Agatha:
What is the De Lacey family history in the monster?
Summary The De Lacey family history is told through this chapter. The monster tells that the family was once well regarded in France with wealth and social position. Felix aides Safie's father in a plot to subvert the biased French justice system and free the Turkish merchant from death on the gallows.
What is the most transformative thing the creature learns from the De Lacey?
The most transformative thing the creature learns from the De Lacey family is the sense of belonging that arises from being part of a family. As he spies on the family from a distance, he watches them care for each other. He notices how they share in both the joys... Start your 48-hour free trial to unlock this answer and thousands more.
How does de Lacey react to the monster in Frankenstein?
As a blind man, De Lacey can't perceive the monster's wretched appearance and therefore does not recoil in horror at his presence. He represents the goodness of human nature in the absence of prejudice. Get the entire Frankenstein LitChart as a printable PDF.
What is De Lacey's role in the story?
A blind old man who lives in exile with his children Felix and Agatha in a cottage and a forest. As a blind man, De Lacey can't perceive the monster's wretched appearance and therefore does not recoil in horror at his presence. He represents the goodness of human nature in the absence of prejudice.
Why does the monster help the De Lacey family?
The monster learns the French language from the family and practices those words by himself. Desiring to keep his cottagers happy, the monster becomes an aid to the family by secretly hauling wood to the cottage and performing repairs, all under the cover of darkness.
Does the monster burn the De Lacey family?
Feeling lonely and bereft again, the creature lashes out, burning the De Lacey cottage to the ground and setting out for Geneva to find Victor. The creature wants to punish Victor for making him if he was not going to teach him and love him. He wants Victor to suffer as much as he suffers.
What is the purpose of the De Lacey family in Frankenstein?
One of the main purpose of the DeLaceys in the novel was to act as the monster's teachers without knowing it and their cottage was the connects the Monster to the world. They taught him what is good and wrong; the feeling of sympathy to others and the definition of family.
What does the creature call the De Lacey family?
As he tells his story to Victor, the monster admits that he liked to call the De Laceys his "protectors" even though they were unaware of his presence. He says that it was "an innocent, half painful self-deceit" to call them by this name.
What happens to the De Lacey family?
The discovery of the plot by the French authorities causes the ruin of the De Lacey family, as the government confiscates the De Lacey's wealth for their aid in the escape of Safie's father. Safie also must endure her own trials to find her benefactors in a foreign country.
Why does the creature burn the De Lacey House?
But by the time the monster reaches the cottage, the De Laceys have moved out. He sees Felix terminating his lease with the landlord, and never sees any of them again. His last link with society destroyed, the monster gives in to rage and a desire for revenge. He burns down the cottage and heads for Geneva and Victor.
Why was De Lacey not afraid of the monster?
A blind old man who lives in exile with his children Felix and Agatha in a cottage and a forest. As a blind man, De Lacey can't perceive the monster's wretched appearance and therefore does not recoil in horror at his presence. He represents the goodness of human nature in the absence of prejudice.
What did the creature learn by watching the family?
Through the family in the cottage, the monster has learned about love and compassion. With the arrival of spring, there was another arrival at the cottage, a beautiful foreigner named Safie. The monster learns language by observing Safie's lessons.
Who were the De Lacey family Frankenstein?
The De Lacey family includes the blind father, his son, Felix, and his daughter, Agatha. The monster takes secret refuge in a hovel adjoining their cottage in Germany. He gains an education listening to them teaching Safie.
What does the monster learn from the Delacey family?
The monster’s observation of the DeLacey family teaches him the concept of sympathy. He becomes aware of the family’s financial situation through close observation of their behavior. The monster recalls, “A considerable period elapsed before I discovered one of the causes of the uneasiness of this amiable family; it was poverty: and they suffered that evil in a very distressing degree” (Shelley, 82). Not long into the monster’s development, he begins to understand the concept of class. This understanding allows him to see the battle the family is facing with their ability to produce their own means of survival.
Why does the monster steal the family's food?
Initially, the monster steals the family's food and firewood as a way to ensure his own survival.
What does the monster do when Safie arrives?
When Safie arrives, the monster reports her use of a language unfamiliar to him. To break down this language barrier, Felix uses his mastery of language to teach Safie. The monster observes these lessons and uses the instruction for the continuation of his own skills.
What do Safie and the Monster learn?
Safie and the monster both learn the science of letters, as well as their meanings when combined in various ways. This education is conducted through basic instruction and the use of C.F. Volney's Ruins of Empires.
What does the monster remember about Agatha?
The monster recalls memories of Felix’s kindness towards Agatha. He remembers, “In the midst of poverty and want, Felix carried with pleasure to his sister the first little white flower that peeped out from beneath the snowy ground” (Shelley, 84).
What is the name of the first woman the monster observes?
He comes to study a poor, peasant family. The first member of the family the monster observes is a young woman named Agatha.
Where is the Delacey family in Frankenstein?
The DeLacey Family can be found in Volume 2 of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. Though the family and the monster have minimum interaction, they play a major role in the monster's development as a character. As the monster wanders the countryside to escape the wrath of the first town he discovers, he builds a small dwelling to view ...
What is Shelley's point in Frankenstein?
Shelley's point here is that the monster is telling this story about the injustice that the De Lacey family has to endure. This gives him the idea that he's not the only one who has suffered from an injustice. Previous Chapter 13. Next Chapter 15. Frankenstein at a Glance.
What is the monster chapter 14 about?
The De Lacey family history is told through this chapter. The monster tells that the family was once well regarded in France with wealth and social position. Felix aides Safie's father in a plot to subvert the biased French justice system and free the Turkish merchant from death on the gallows.
Why did Safie's father fall into disrepute?
Safie's father, a Turkish merchant who had been a businessman in Paris for many years, falls into disrepute for reasons Mary Shelley does not make clear to the reader. It is supposed that all Safie's father did was to suffer from a xenophobic — fear or hatred of strangers or foreigners — attack by local authorities.
