I consent to your demand, on your solemn oath to quit Europe for ever, and every other place in the neighbourhood of man, as soon as I shall deliver into your hands a female who will accompany you in your exile.
Chapter 17 · Victor Frankenstein
Context
After lengthy internal debate, Victor agrees to create a female companion for the Creature, but only if the Creature swears to leave human society forever.
Analysis
Victor's sentence is one long conditional clause, burying his 'consent' under layers of stipulations—'on your solemn oath,' 'as soon as I shall deliver'—that make the agreement feel coerced and unstable. The phrase 'in the neighbourhood of man' frames humanity as a geographic zone the Creature must be exiled from, turning the deal into a banishment rather than a gift, which seeds the doubt that will later destroy the agreement.
Essay Tip
Use this to argue that Victor's language of reluctant obligation (rather than compassion) predicts his eventual betrayal—he is already constructing the Creature as a threat to be managed, not a being owed justice, which explains why he cannot follow through.