I felt emotions of gentleness and pleasure, that had long appeared dead, revive within me. Half surprised by the novelty of these sensations, I allowed myself to be borne away by them, and forgetting my solitude and deformity, dared to be happy.
Chapter 16 · The Creature
Context
While traveling through the woods in spring, the Creature experiences a rare moment of happiness, temporarily forgetting his isolation and deformity.
Analysis
The phrase 'dared to be happy' treats happiness as a transgressive act—something the Creature has to work up courage to attempt. This single verb choice reveals how thoroughly he's internalized his outsider status: even a private emotion like joy feels forbidden, as if his suffering is now part of his identity and deviating from it requires bravery.
Essay Tip
Use this to argue that society's rejection has become self-sustaining—the Creature now polices his own emotions, treating momentary happiness as a dangerous mistake, which shows how oppression works by making the oppressed enforce their own misery.