The Arctic seafarer whose letters open and closeFrankenstein. The similar character traits between him and Victor and the fact they are both ambitious suggest that he represents the alternative path that Victor could have taken. Out in the mountains, the monster finds Frankenstein and asks him for a female companion. While holding his mother, he then sees worms start to crawl out of the folds of her burial shroud to touch him. I was indifferent, therefore, to my schoolfellows in general; but I united myself in the bonds of the closest friendship to one among them (Shelley 19). He is desirous to be a true Swiss and to enter into foreign service.. Teach your students to analyze literature like LitCharts does. De Lacey. Complete your free account to request a guide. Frankenstein represents the dangers of enlightenment and the responsibilities that come with great knowledge. Contact us He wanders the streets of Ingolstadt until Henry Clerval finds him in poor condition. Read an in-depth analysis of Henry Clerval William Frankenstein You'll also receive an email with the link. Henry's purpose in the novel is to show what Victor could have. He serves as Frankensteins foil: his academic and philosophical pursuits are humane, rather than scientific. There are other characters that portray the theme of sanity; however, during Henrys scenes he seems to be the prominent character that actually brings Victor back to reality and gives his a sense of relief, even if it is only for a short amount of time. Henry Clerval serves as Victor Frankensteins closest and most sincere friend, as well as his foil character. Alphonse Frankensteins character is an embodiment of the importance of family ties, which he valued above all. Struggling with distance learning? From the creators of SparkNotes, something better. Elizabeth is a stunningly beautiful and remarkably pure girl whom Victor's mother adopts. You'll be able to access your notes and highlights, make requests, and get updates on new titles. If you don't see it, please check your spam folder. 22. Henry advises Victor to write home, as a letter had recently arrived from his family in Geneva. Offended by the professor, Frankenstein kills the scientist's brother named, taking revenge for his humiliation. | He suffers from illness probably brought on from his advanced age and depression from the events that have happened. Walton picks the bedraggled Victor Frankenstein up off the ice, helps nurse him back to health, and hears Victors story. Kenneth Oppel (Goodreads Author) 3.82 avg rating 11,570 ratings published 2011. add/edit characters. To all amusements, he preferred studying laws of natural philosophy. He awakes from the nightmare and goes directly to the laboratory to see his creation. Victors selfishness resulted in the Monster growing to hate him and the entire human race altogether. Henry Clervals character plays an important role in the narrative. -Graham S. A young woman who the Frankensteins adopt at the age of 12. $18.74/subscription + tax, Save 25% from your Reading List will also remove any At this moment Henry believes this encounter to simply be two friends reuniting. Whereas in fact, the Monster is much more humane than Victor and many other people. (2021, September 8). She prioritizes the needs of others over her own. Why does Frankenstein first agree to make his Monster a companion? During all that time Henry was my only nurse (Shelley 38). If you're thinking that Clerval sounds a little too good to be true, we think you're right. The free trial period is the first 7 days of your subscription. The hero respects an individual space of the scientist. To be taking care of your friend for such a long period of time, then think that he is finally better, only to realize that he is still sick. By observing them, the creature learns to speak and read. Clerval shares Frankenstein's central personality trait: ambition. When he walks into the chamber, he is overcome with horror: the lifeless form of Henry Clerval lies before him. Henry and Victor return to Victor's apartment to find the monster gone. If you don't see it, please check your spam folder. Frankenstein promises to create one, but he does not want to be complicit in the propagation of similar creatures, so he breaks his promise. Pearson, Julia. 20% He studies language at . Elizabeth embodies the novels motif of passive women, as she waits patiently for Victors attention. Despite his outward ugliness, he turned out to be actually kind and sensitive. He leaves the school and returns home to his family, only to find tragedy there. The monster kills Henry after Victor breaks his promise of creating a female companion for the monster. Why? In Mary Shelleys Frankenstein, Victor receives compassion from his family and long-time friend, Henry Clerval. Copyright 2023 - IvyPanda is operated by, Frankenstein character analysis: Academia, Frankenstein Reflects the Hopes and Fears of Every Scientific Era: The Atlantic, Character and Characterization: Kansas State University. Though a close friend of Victor 's since childhood, he's almost his exact opposite in terms of his emotional life. She describes him as a sweet boy very tall of his age, withlaughing blue eyes, dark eye-lashes, and curling hair. Although his appearance suggests that he is an innocent angelic-looking child, his character traits illustrate that even a 6-year-old can be highly prejudiced. With time, such seemingly positive character traits as curiosity and love of science turned into a real madness, as Frankenstein became obsessed with the idea of creating a living creature from a dead matter. and any corresponding bookmarks? Their visit is the tonic that Victor needs to remind him of home and not his earlier labors. Despite their stark differences in personality, the two friends always supported each other. This note of happiness sends Victor into a fit of joy, knowing that his creation is no longer there. 2023 Course Hero, Inc. All rights reserved. The authors characterization of Caroline suggests that she is an excellent example of virtuous womanhood. Why does Frankenstein first agree to make his Monster a companion? Save over 50% with a SparkNotes PLUS Annual Plan! He is confronted with a choice (which happens to parallel the thematic crossroads faced by Frankenstein): go ahead with his expedition, risking his own life and those of his crewmen, or return home to his family and abandon his dreams of glory. Victor, unlike his father, did not value family connections and, though unwillingly, sacrificed them to his own glory. He is a vegetarian, he helps bring firewood to the peasant family he lives near, and he teaches himself to read. Elizabeth later becomes Victor's wife and is killed by the monster on their honeymoon. Get Annual Plans at a discount when you buy 2 or more! Central Idea Essay: Is the Monster in Frankenstein Good? The monster now begins to take shape, and Victor describes his creation in full detail as "beautiful" yet repulsive with his "yellow skin,""lustrous black, and flowing" hair, and teeth of "pearly whiteness." Would this whole tragedy somehow been averted if Clerval had been a good enough friend to make Victor confess? While Victor blows up his mom's garage with a chemistry set, Henry is reading superhero comics. He dismisses the alchemists conclusions as unfounded but sympathizes with Victors interest in a science that can explain the big questions, such as the origin of life. The De Lacey family M. De Lacey, Felix, Agatha, and Safie. In this same chapter, Henry tells Victor that he practically went against his fathers will by going to college in the first place. Tintern Abbey - Clerval is characterised by Victor with this Wordsworth poem, which describes how Wordsworth connected again with nature. Although tall and enormously strong, the Monster came to life helpless and confused. In theRomantic sense, both the Mariner and Victor want the knowledge; however, unlike the Mariner, Victor's new knowledge brings a curse along with it. Wed love to have you back! Sometimes it needs to show rigidity and cunning, not to comply with humanism, for salvation. Historical Context Essay: Frankenstein & the Scientific Revolution, Literary Context Essay: Mary Shelley & Romanticism. Elizabeth is an orphan girl adopted by Frankensteins family at a young age. 1. https://www.rc.umd.edu/editions/frankenstein/Chars/clerval. Through scientific experiments, he created a Monster, whom he later accused of killing his entire family. He offers the highly sane advice that Victor should write to his family if he feels up to it. on 50-99 accounts. William Frankenstein Victor's youngest brother who is killed by the monster. Along with getting an understanding of what love and care are, he learns to read and speak the language. By entering your email address you agree to receive emails from SparkNotes and verify that you are over the age of 13. Later, they welcome the arrival of Safie, an Arabian woman who fled Turkey. However, like Elizabeth herself and other women in the narrative, Justine is helpless, submissive, and very far from the ideas of feminism. Clerval serves as Victor's guiding light throughout Frankenstein, selflessly helping Victor but never prodding him to reveal his secrets. Read More: Robert Walton: Walton is the Arctic explorer whose letters to his sister open and close the novel. Wed love to have you back! Why doesn't he keep Victor from creating a murderous monster? So why doesn't he intervene? He nurses him when Victor is ill, supports him when he is lost, and accompanies him to England. Even though it is not directly stated at this point in the novel that Henry Clerval demonstrates compassion, readers can safely assume that he is. Henry Clerval personifies the only support of Dr. Victor from the monster created by him. for a customized plan. Below is a Frankenstein character map that describes the novels main characters and their relationships. Upon the opening of the creature's "dull yellow eye," Victor feels violently ill, as though he has witnessed a great catastrophe. (2022, March 20). A+ Student Essay: The Impact of the Monster's Eloquence. Characters. Victors boyhood friend, who nurses Victor back to health in Ingolstadt. Victors nostalgia disappears when he sees Henry and learns that Henry is just beginning school at Ingolstadt. Characters. The priest convinced her that if she did not confess, she would go to Hell, but what religion on Earth would punish an innocent creature for something she did not do? Cookies collect information about your preferences and your devices and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. Also, this chapter builds fear in the reader, another big part of Gothic writing. She and Victor Frankenstein were raised together by their nanny Justine, another orphan, and they have a close relationship. He succeeded in this enterprise and managed to give life to the Monster, who eventually destroyed him. She writes of him, He isfull of activity and spirit. Want to Read. Victor had a brother of his own; however, he considered Clerval, an only child, to be like a brother to him as well. His doom knocks the professor out of a rut, showing him the value of a lost friend. Save over 50% with a SparkNotes PLUS Annual Plan! What is his relation to Victor, one might ask? The novels begin with Walton's letters to his sister. Victor's childhood friend Henry is just the pinnacle of awesomeness. Alphonse made everything possible to make his children happy. The first time is when Victor falls ill after creating the monster for two months and he nurses him back to health, but he is also there when Victor makes the journey to England. Frankenstein describes Clerval as a boy. Clerval dies an innocent man whose devotion to his . And due to not knowing him very well, they would not have done anything about it. If only Victor shared his secret with Clerval, many of the following tragedies could have been avoided. https://www.thoughtco.com/frankenstein-characters-4580219 (accessed March 1, 2023). Not long after arriving, Victor starts acting strange, I felt my flesh tingle with excess of sensitiveness, and my pulse beat rapidly. This Dark Endeavor (The Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein, #1) by. The reader learns about William Frankenstein from Elizabeths letter to Victor. Once Victor is back to normal, or at least healthy, he and Henry set out to leave for their hometown, Geneva. Walton dreams of exploring the unknown by setting his foot on a dangerous land just as Frankenstein dreams to penetrate the secrets of life and death by creating a being from the dead. Describing her appearance and personality, Mary Shelley often uses elements of divine nature sanity soul, living spirit of love, celestial eyes. Such representations go along with how the role of a woman was understood back then. Whose works does Victor pursue in his reading and studies? He's less of a character in his own right than a foil to show us just how messed up Victor is. who is henry Clerval, and what are his interests and goals ? The monster kills Henry after Victor breaks his promise of creating a female companion for the monster. Alphonses letters to Victor are full of concerns about Victors health and well-being. Frankenstein suggests a parallel between Clervals discovery and his own creation of the Monster when he argues that colonialism is the work of ambitious men like him. This depiction connects Clerval with romanticism. In the 1931 version of Frankenstein and The Bride of Frankenstein the creator of the monster is named, Henry Frankenstein. for a customized plan. The monster learns how to speak and interact by observing them. Why does Frankenstein destroy the Monsters female companion? Exiled from France for treason against their government. Caroline Frankenstein is Alphonses wife and Victors mother. TO CANCEL YOUR SUBSCRIPTION AND AVOID BEING CHARGED, YOU MUST CANCEL BEFORE THE END OF THE FREE TRIAL PERIOD. My parents were possessed by the very spirit of kindness and indulgence. It is not far-fetched to say that Victor acts a tad insane during much of Frankenstein. He kills Frankensteins brother William. Their friendship began in childhood and continued into adulthood. Character Description; Victor Frankenstein: Frankenstein is the scientist who created the Monster. bookmarked pages associated with this title. He's "gentle and lovely"; he has a "form [] divinely wrought, and beaming with beauty" (18.19). Elizabeth Lavenza The orphan child taken in by the Frankenstein family and lovingly raised with Victor. Their attitude turned him into a beast and made him seek revenge on his creator. Victor Frankenstein Creator of the monster. Their friendship began in childhood and continued into adulthood. Although she killed nobody, she confessed to the crime out of fear of going to Hell. Even though Victor is not necessarily mean, he definitely shows signs of selfishness. for a group? Contexts: Percy Bysshe Shelley. IvyPanda. 2023 Shmoop University Inc | All Rights Reserved | Privacy | Legal. He is obsessed with scientific achievement and glory, which drives him to discover the secret of manifesting life. Luckily for Victor, Henry genuinely cares for him and is able to realize that he is ill. Had Henry not have discovered that Henry is sick it is likely that Victor would have died shortly after this event. The De Lacey family is a household of three members an old blind man and his children, Felix and Agata. Discount, Discount Code If the monster is the epitome of ugliness, that Henry is his polar opposite, at least in the looks department which, if you've spent any time with Victor Frankenstein, you know is the most important aspect of any person. This is where Henry comes in and provides benevolence to the story. Clerval - "His wild and enthusiastic imagination was chastened by the sensibility of his heart". At the end of the novel, after hearing Frankenstein's story, Waltons ship becomes trapped by ice. ThoughtCo, Sep. 8, 2021, thoughtco.com/frankenstein-characters-4580219. He shows up at just the right time to presumably save the life of Victor. Our literature guides will become an irreplaceable helper in discovering and deep studying of the most renowned written works. It shows that in this male whose eyes were expressing wildness andmadness Robert recognized his own self. Alphonse is Victor Frankensteins father and the head of the household. SparkNotes Plus subscription is $4.99/month or $24.99/year as selected above. February 28, 2023, SNPLUSROCKS20 This section contains thematic guides on a variety of literary pieces. Despite the creature's grotesque exterior, however, he is largely a compassionate character. The doomed protagonist and narrator of the main portion of the story. Henry Clerval, the son of a merchant of Geneva, is Frankenstein's friend from childhood. You can view our. Why does his father disapprove? In framing the story, he serves as a proxy for the reader. Henry may also become famous, but only as a patron of the arts. Caroline is a caring daughter, a supporting wife, and a loving mother. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. And, unlike Victor, Henry has no interest in science. Unable to cope with such a tragic loss, Alphonse died of grief in Victors hands. Henry becomes Victor's caretaker for the next few months. In the Gothic sense, Victor relates to the Mariner's isolation and fear. He wanders the streets of Ingolstadt until Henry Clerval finds him in poor condition. Once Victor is back to normal, or at least healthy, he and Henry set out to leave for their hometown, Geneva. Summary and Analysis Chapter 5. Does Frankenstein learn from his mistake in creating the Monster? You can find out more about our use, change your default settings, and withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future by visiting Cookies Settings, which can also be found in the footer of the site. However, readers actually meet Henry in chapter five of the novel when Victor has just finished creating the monster. 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