I called on him to stay
In their monosyllabic simplicity these words constitute the moral center
of Mary Shelley's novel. Against
all his prejudices as Victor's friend,
against his repugnance to face a multiple murderer, against his
basic human instincts that revolt from such sublime ugliness, Robert Walton
wills himself into a state of ethical selflessness that is truly
benevolent. The Creature's "wonder" at this unique experience in his existence
is only to be expected. He has never before been confronted by human
inclusiveness.
