"These wonderful narrations inspired me with strange feelings. Was man, indeed, at once so powerful, so virtuous, and magnificent, yet so vicious and base? He appeared at one time a mere scion of the evil principle, and at another as all that can be conceives as noble and godlike." pg. 84
Though Mary Shelley does not obviously state that her own feelings are integrated into the story, I think she often times uses other characters to express her opinions and observations about life. This one particular incident, I believe, reflects her feelings about man and humanity. It displays her incredulity at man's ambivalent nature when it comes to choosing between good and evil. In the text prior to this excerpt, the creature recollects learning about both negative and positive aspects of history and how he was brought to tears by the whole thing. This part shows how Mary Shelley has obviously considered this idea before and found examples to support her theory of humans being ambiguous to good and evil. At last, after hearing stories of vice and bloodshed, the creature finally turns away from mankind in disgust. I feel this is also a reflection of Mary Shelley's views. By forming her opinions through the creature, she makes a point that man, though supposedly the superior being, has yet to overcome the savageness that lesser creatures possess. Even through all of the knowledge and brainpower of man, there still exists vice and bloodshed in the world. I think Mary Shelley, like the creature is somewhat disgusted with mankind for this. The way she characterizes the creature as one the reader can sympathize with also makes it evident that she does not abhor him like a normal human might, but agrees with him. She uses his strife to make a point about humankind.
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