I shall relate events that impressed me with feelings which, from what I had been, have made me what I am.
Chapter 13 · The Creature
Context
The Creature begins a new section of his narrative to Victor, promising to explain the experiences that transformed him into his current self.
Analysis
The passive construction 'impressed me with feelings' positions the Creature as someone shaped by external forces rather than an active agent—he becomes what events make him, not what he chooses. The phrase 'from what I had been' hints at a lost innocence without spelling it out, forcing readers to reconstruct his trajectory themselves. This syntax mirrors his lack of control over his own development.
Essay Tip
Support a thesis that the Creature's identity is imposed on him rather than self-created—this quote shows him describing himself in passive terms, as raw material molded by experience, which complicates the question of whether he is responsible for his later violence.