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7 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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Victor Frankenstein
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Victor Frankenstein comes from a wealthy, supportive family, which he neglects when he becomes overly absorbed in his studies at university.
He is both extremely clever and egotistical. He is a star student, but wants to use his knowledge to obtain the god-like power of creating life. Victor often fails to listen to good advice from his friends, family and teachers. If he had, many deaths, including his own, may have been avoided. He rejects the Monster immediately after its creation, calling it a 'wretch' and leaving it to fend for itself. This shows how irresponsible he is. It is also another example of him neglecting his family, since the Monster sees him as its father. Victor is scared of owning up to what he has done. Even when his little brother, William, is killed by the Monster, he does not admit to knowing who the murderer is. If he had done this, Justine's life would have been saved. He is capable of showing sympathy for the Monster. For example, when it asks him to create a wife for it, so as not to be forever lonely, Victor at first agrees. However, he later destroys the half-built creature before the Monster's eyes. This leads to his own wife's murder on their wedding night. His desire for vengeance is very strong. He chases the Monster from Switzerland to the North Pole, enduring great hardships along the way. Before dying, Victor says his actions are not 'blameable', and that he still believes he was right to create the Monster. This lack of guilt, and his destructive pursuit of scientific knowledge for personal glory, makes us wonder if Victor is in fact the real monster of the story. |
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The Monster
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Although Victor selects the Monster's body parts so that it will be beautiful, when it is given life it looks hideously ugly. This leads ordinary people to be scared of the Monster and mistreat it.
The Monster is of good character, and does many kind things (for example, helping the De Laceys to harvest their crops and saving the peasant girl from drowning). It is turned bad through Victor's and other's mistreatment. The Monster lacks company and only ever wants friendship. This is why it asks Victor to build it a wife. It is very clever, learning to speak and read by secretly watching the De Laceys. Its speech is sophisticated and persuasive, helping us to have sympathy for it. Unlike Victor, the Monster regrets its bad actions at the end of the book. It also shows love for Victor at the end. Its last action is to commit suicide when it discovers its 'father' is dead. |
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Robert Walton
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The main narrator of the story, Walton is an explorer on his way to find the North Pole when he meets Victor. On hearing Victor's story, he records it in a series of letters to his sister.
He is similar to Victor in his passion for scientific discovery, ambition and desire for glory. He is also largely self-taught, another link with Victor. At first, Walton seems willing to sacrifice the men on his ship for the sake of his ambition. He is asked by Victor when they first meet: 'Do you share my madness?' Walton felt very lonely before meeting Victor, and they become good friends in the short time they spend together. He shares this loneliness and need for companionship with the Monster. When Victor dies Walton feels very sad and thinks about carrying out Victor's wish to find and kill the Monster. But when he discovers the Monster grieving over Victor's corpse he feels sorry for it. He learns from Victor's story the foolishness of great ambition, and turns back rather than continue his search for the Pole. This shows he is at last aware of other people and their safety, something Victor ignored. |
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Elizabeth Lavenza
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Elizabeth is Victor's foster sister, an orphan brought up by Victor's parents. He calls her his 'more than sister'.
She is beautiful, very caring, and loves Victor completely. She looks after him when he falls ill and acts as a mother figure to the younger children when Victor's mother dies. She has a great belief in justice and doing the right thing, but this is shattered first by the murder of William and then the execution of Justine. Her bravery is shown at Justine's trial, when she speaks up for her when other friends refuse to. When she is murdered by the Monster on her wedding night, her beauty and innocence are emphasised. This takes away a lot of sympathy for the Monster. |
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Justine Moritz
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Like many female characters in the story, Justine is an orphan who cares for other people before herself.
She is brought up in the Frankenstein family home, and acts as their servant. She is especially fond of Victor's youngest brother, William, and feels responsible when he is murdered by the Monster. Justine is very beautiful. This beauty angers the Monster when it finds her sleeping, as it knows it will never be allowed to love anyone so attractive. The Monster then places the locket around her neck, knowing it will lead to her being put on trial for the murder. She is bullied into confessing by a priest. Her calmness and virtue are emphasised and contrasted with the immorality of those who should know better - like Victor, the priest and the judge. |
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The De Laceys
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De Lacey is an old, blind man who is looked after by his son (Felix) and daughter (Agatha). The family inspires the Monster with their love and kindness to each other, and to their exotic visitor, Safie.
De Lacey was once a wealthy man, but Felix caused the family to be exiled from their native France and they now live in utter poverty. Despite this, De Lacey does not feel sorry for himself, nor show any anger towards Felix. The Monster sees this natural goodness in De Lacey and waits for a time to talk to him alone. De Lacey is the only character to ever show kindness to the Monster, and his blindness means he is not prejudicedtowards it. Felix is impetuous and pre-judges the Monster. This leads to him beating it out of fear for his father's safety, causing it much distress. The Monster becomes exiled from the one family it thought might accept it. As a result, the Monster tells us: 'Evil thenceforth became my good'. |
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Henry Clerval
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Clerval is Victor's best friend.
He follows Victor to university at Ingolstadt, and cares for him when he becomes ill after creating the Monster. Victor never tells him about the Monster, though. Clerval is kind and generous, and loved by all who meet him. The Monster murders him, however, to get back at Victor, who has just destroyed its half-built 'wife'. |
