power of nature. Both Victor and the monster are reduced at Mont Blanc to a proper place in the universe when compared to the scope and size of God's creation. This setting emphasizes Victor's overreach in trying play God and create life—as the creature tells his story and reveals his anguish, the mistake Victor has made in exalting himself through daring to imitate God is made all the clearer.

Victor has tried to manipulate and control nature, something that Shelley seems to believe humanity ought not to attempt. Victor first became really interested in science when he was a young man and witnessed lightning striking a tree, utterly destroying it. However, this same episode demonstrates the awesome power of nature and our inability to ultimately control it—it is simply too powerful. Now, Victor's creature scales the cliffs with ease and "hang[s] among the rocks of the nearly perpendicular ascent" of a nearby mountain. He is able to do things that no human can do, and Victor cannot control him—just as he is powerless to control the lightning. This particular natural setting, in which Victor is reunited with his creature, symbolizes the creature's power and Victor's relative powerlessness.

The first time he sees it, he notices the shadows and the movement and the speed with which it moves and knows it to be his creature.  This is just after William's body has been discovered and Justine has hung for the crime.  Victor responds with anger and hatred and vows of revenge.

When he encounters the creature, Victor reacts in much the same way.  The creature expects this sort of reaction, and then urges Victor to give him the benefit of the doubt--to listen to him and to reserve judgment until after the story is told.  In doing this, he asks for compassion, understanding, and equal treatment.  These are things the creature has been denied from his "birth," but that every other human has come to expect.

Shelley is saying that we are prejudiced against all who are different from us and the creature qualifies.  If you notice in the scenes where the creature is in nature, he is at peace.  He moves freely, easily, and does not react negatively to cold or other weather.  He has adapted to become one with nature.  Like Victor, the creature enjoys natural surroundings  and the solitude and peace he gains from it.  However, he seeks this as refuge from the way humans treat and react to him. Victor seeks nature as a refuge from his own guilt--guilt of abandoning the creature and therefore being iindirectly responsible for the pain and suffering the creature has brought to his family and friends.

It is important to remember that Shelley was the wife of the famous Romantic poet P. B. Shelley, and we can definitely see a distinct Romantic influence upon her novel. Nature is viewed as being a place of solace and rest, a place of healing and of consolation. Interestingly, this is the same for both the monster and for Victor. Both find rest and psychological healing from being away from the city and from mankind.