an object
Victor here unconsciously slides between the terms "subject" and "object,"
that is, between what would possess a substantive being and what is merely
a thing upon which an action is committed. The odd inversion of the
question, with its verb placed at the end, likewise contributes to an
effect of syntactical estrangement. This brief moment of panic is thus
highly illuminating, employing a linguistic shorthand to reveal how
Victor's thought processes characteristically distance and demonize his
Creature.
