Frankenstein Characters edexcel 3-19th-Century-Novel

Frankenstein: Characters

In works of literature, authors often use characters to symbolise ideas in order to express views and communicate these to the reader. Shelley uses her presentation of characters and the interaction between them to explore and comment on society.

Below you will find character profiles of:

Main characters

• Victor Frankenstein

• The creature

• Walton

Other characters

• Henry Clerval

• The De Lacey family

• Elizabeth 

• Justine

• The Frankenstein family

Victor Frankenstein

• Frankenstein Is the protagonist of the novel:

  • His actions drive the narrative

• He can also be perceived as an anti-hero:

  • He is the central character but lacks heroic traits

  • The creature he makes destroys everything he loves

• Frankenstein can be seen to symbolise the upper classes:

  • This can be evidenced when he says his family is “one of the most distinguished” in Geneva (Chapter 1)

• He represents the romantic genius:

  • From his childhood, he says that “It was the secrets of heaven and earth that (he) desired to learn” (Chapter 2):

    • The biblical imagery emphasises his desire for otherworldly achievements

• Frankenstein is a symbol of the calamity of defying nature:

  • He desires to penetrate the secrets of nature

  • This is shown to lead to the creation of a monster whose ugly appearance symbolises the grotesqueness of his pursuit

• He is self-centred: 

  • Elizabeth writes a letter beseeching him to “write, dearest Victor, — one line—one word will be a blessing to us” (Chapter 6)

  • Through his lack of correspondence, Victor causes distress to others

• Frankenstein lacks sympathy and empathy:

  • He remarks that Justine was “exquisitely beautiful” at her trial (Chapter 8):

    • This highlights that he is unable to see the tragic nature of the situation

• He fails to take responsibility for the creature and his actions leading up to its creation:

  • He claims his ambition was beyond his control when he says, it “ruled” his “destiny” (Chapter 4)

• Frankenstein is presented as isolated because of his ambitious personality: 

  • The place in which he makes the creature is like a “solitary cell” (Chapter 4)

  • The connotations of criminality foreshadow the destructive nature of unchecked science

• He is presented as controlling the narrative: 

  • Victor “corrected and augmented” Walton’s notes (Walton in continuum): 

    • Here Shelley insinuates that the most powerful in society are those who succeed in getting their points of view across

The creature

• The creature is the antagonist of the novel:

  •  His appearance is horrifying and disgusting:

    • “unearthly ugliness rendered it almost too horrible for human eyes” (Chapter 5)

• His behaviour is abhorrent:

  • He kills William, Henry and Elizabeth

• He is isolated and experiences intense loneliness:

  • He tells Frankenstein, “You must create a female for me with whom I can live in the interchange of those sympathies necessary for my being” (Chapter 17)

• He symbolises the marginalised:

  • He is left alone after his creation: 

    • Victor “sought to avoid the wretch” (Chapter 5) 

• The creature is intelligent and articulate: 

  • He is described as having read books such as Paradise Lost:

  • The Romantics valued art, reading and imagination, so this would have had a great effect on Shelley’s reader

• The creature intends to commit suicide at the end of the text:

  • This highlights the way in which society destroys the marginalised by isolating them and discriminating against them

• The creature is a tragic figure rather than just a malevolent force:

  •  He “abstains” from stealing from the De Laceys due to their poverty

  •  Once “benevolent and good”, he explains that “misery made me a fiend” (Chapter 24):

    • Shelley seems to be suggesting that people are shaped by their experiences, rather than being born bad

Walton

• Walton is presented as biased:

  • He is shown to agree with Victor’s narrative, as he calls the creature a “Hypocritical fiend!” (Chapter 24): 

    • This enables Shelley to highlight how the powerful can control the narrative, as the story we hear is told through Walton

• He is ambitious:

  • Walton is depicted as trying to reach the North Pole, desiring “glory” over ease and comfort (Letter 1):

    • This implies that the expedition is for his own personal benefit and prestige

• Like Frankenstein, Walton is used to highlight the corrupting nature of ambition and its human toll:

  • He says, “one man’s life or death were but a small price to pay for the acquirement of the knowledge” (Chapter 4): 

    •  Again, Shelley presents the cost of unchecked ambition 

• Unlike Frankenstein, Walton is shown to have a conscience:

  • He admits that he “cannot lead his crew unwillingly into danger”: 

    • Here, Shelley seems to suggest that that people should remember the lesson of Frankenstein and unrestrained ambition

• He is portrayed as lonely:

  • In a letter to his sister Margaret, he writes, “I bitterly feel the want of a friend” (Chapter 20): 

    • This highlights the pain of being secluded and foreshadows the importance of this theme

Henry Clerval

• Clerval is Victor’s “closest friendship” and is presented as a caring person:

  •  His kindness is apparent when his visits Frankenstein when he is unwell:

    • Victor says to Clerval, “this whole winter, instead of being spent in study, as you promised yourself, (you have) been consumed in my sick room” 

• In contrast to Frankenstein, Clerval selflessly cares for Victor during his illness:

  • He “devoted himself to unselfish ministrations” (Chapter 19)

• It could be argued that Henry is a foil for Frankenstein, as he is shown to personify true friendship and a love of nature:

  • Victor says that Clerval “called forth the better feelings of my heart; he again taught me to love the aspect of nature, and the cheerful faces of children”:

    • The pleasure derived here suggests that Romantic values are able to bring forth happiness

• He has good morals:

  • Clerval is portrayed as highly respectful of the privacy of Frankenstein as he “never attempted to draw [Victor’s] secret from” him

    • Shelley could be suggesting that through relationships and companionship the tragedy of the novel could have been averted

The De Lacey family

• The De Lacey family are shown to be benevolent and cheerful:

  • The creature says that nothing could “exceed the love and respect” shown by them (Chapter 19): 

    • This demonstrates how they are kind and good-natured

• Their goodness is apparent inwardly and outwardly:

  • The creature describes how “their angelic countenances breathed smiles of consolation” (Chapter 15): 

    •  This contrasts with the creature’s own ugliness

• They are depicted as happy, despite their situation:

  • The creature says, “the setting of the sun did not put an end to the pleasure I experienced in watching my human neighbours” (Chapter 15): 

    • This suggests that companionship, not ambition, is the route towards happiness and fulfilment

• Felix is shown to be altruistic, helping Safie’s father get out of prison for a crime he did not commit and asking for nothing in return:

  • As a result of his actions, the De Laceys are banished from France and lose all their wealth: 

    • Shelley seem to be highlighting the unfairness of society here

• The creature is presented as looking for protection and help from the De Laceys:

  • The creature is presented as becoming a “fiend” when they reject him, and he goes on to burn down their house: 

    • Fir