The Monster has no knowledge of the language spoken around him, how to read or write it, much less speak it. Just like children, he must start by observing the people around him. Unsure of the language surrounding him, he states, “I discovered that these people possessed a method of communicating their experiences and feelings to each other by articulated sounds [speaking].” (Shelly 130). When a child is about a year old, they begin to understand the language spoken around them and, just like the Monster who cannot understand them, they must learn by observing. He describes their speech as “articulate sounds” because to him they are just mumbling sounds similar to what a baby would hear in its early stages of development. He also comments on the emotions their sounds bring: "I perceived that the words they spoke sometimes produced pleasure or pain, smiles or sadness, in the minds and faces of the listeners." (Shelley 130) here he is able to connect the sounds he hears and the effects they have on people. His perception of the language spoken around him and his ability to understand it make the reader able to sympathize with him and bring their own perception of him as a monster, to something more.