Cursed, cursed creator! Why did I live? Why, in that instant, did I not extinguish the spark of existence which you had so wantonly bestowed?
Chapter 16 · The Creature
Context
The Creature begins his account of what happened after the De Lacey family violently rejected him, expressing his immediate despair and rage at being brought into existence only to suffer.
Analysis
The repetition of 'Cursed' and the double 'Why' questions create a rhythmic urgency that mimics the Creature's emotional spiral—he's not calmly reflecting but verbally lashing out. By calling life a 'spark' that Victor 'wantonly bestowed,' the Creature frames his existence as something frivolous and carelessly given, which makes Victor's abandonment feel even more cruel and arbitrary.
Essay Tip
Support a thesis that the Creature's speech patterns reveal he has internalized Romantic literary language (calling life a 'spark') but uses it to indict his creator—his eloquence itself becomes evidence that he deserved better treatment than he received.