Frankenstein by Mary Shelley Chapter 14
b'As winter thaws into spring, the monster notices that the cottagers, particularly Felix, seem unhappy. A beautiful woman in a dark dress and veil arrives at the cottage on horseback and asks to see Felix. Felix becomes ecstatic the moment he sees her. The woman, who does not speak the language of the cottagers, is named Safie. She moves into the cottage, and the mood of the household immediately brightens. As Safie learns the language of the cottagers, so does the monster. He also learns to read, and, since Felix uses Constantin-Fran\\xe7ois de Volney\\u2019s Ruins of Empires to instruct Safie, he learns a bit of world history in the process. Now able to speak and understand the language perfectly, the monster learns about human society by listening to the cottagers\\u2019 conversations. Reflecting on his own situation, he realizes that he is deformed and alone. \\u201cWas I then a monster,\\u201d he asks, \\u201ca blot upon the earth, from which all men fled, and whom all men disowned?\\u201d He also learns about the pleasures and obligations of the family and of human relations in general, which deepens the agony of his own isolation.\\n\\n--- \\n\\nSupport this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/hmphaudiobooks/support'