I had admired the perfect forms of my cottagers—their grace, beauty, and delicate complexions; but how was I terrified when I viewed myself in a transparent pool! At first I started back, unable to believe that it was indeed I who was reflected in the mirror; and when I became fully convinced that I was in reality the monster that I am, I was filled with the bitterest sensations of despondence and mortification.
Chapter 12 · The Creature
Context
After months of secretly observing the De Lacey family, the Creature sees his own reflection in a pool of water for the first time and confronts the reality of his physical appearance.
Analysis
The Creature's abrupt shift from admiring the cottagers' 'perfect forms' to being 'terrified' by his own uses a violent tonal rupture to enact the psychological shock of self-recognition. The verb 'started back' conveys an instinctive, bodily recoil—he cannot even sustain looking at himself—while his acceptance 'I was in reality the monster that I am' shows him internalizing society's judgment before any human has directly condemned him to his face.
Essay Tip
Use this to argue that the Creature's monstrosity is socially constructed rather than innate—he calls himself 'monster' only after comparing his body to human ideals of beauty, showing how exclusion begins with visual judgment.