Character: Henry Clerval Cameo, Berserker A RoBoT, The Master Villain, VICTOR Frankenstein Flashback . Teach your students to analyze literature like LitCharts does. Walton is the sea captain and the main narrator of the book. He leaves the school and returns home to his family, only to find tragedy there. The monster runs off and wreaks havoc, and Frankenstein loses control of his creation. "Formed into a hideous and gigantic creature," the monster faces rejection and fear from his creator and society. He turns into a deranged creature, thought by many to be mentally ill, but in truth, destroyed by his own creation. for a group? What does the creature learn from this interaction? Ernest Frankenstein is Victors younger brother. A+ Student Essay: The Impact of the Monster's Eloquence. In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, characters must reckon with the conflict between personal glory and human connection. He always admired the professors genius and inexhaustible imagination, detracting from own talents. Justines character represents the torment of a saint in its best tradition. Characters. But the insight of Clerval allows him to guess about a future catastrophe quickly. Victor describes him as an only child, "the son of a merchant of Geneva, an intimate friend of my father. He wanders the streets of Ingolstadt until Henry Clerval finds him in poor condition. 20% ensure the integrity of our platform while keeping your private information safe. Pearson, Julia. Read an in-depth analysis of Elizabeth Lavenza. Victor also says that he had frequent relapses (Shelley 39). Henry may also become famous, but only as a patron of the arts. Through Robert Walton, Frankenstein tells his story to the reader. He is capable of love and compassion. Their visit is the tonic that Victor needs to remind him of home and not his earlier labors. Studying in Ingolstadt, Victor discovers the secret of life and creates an intelligent but grotesque monster, from whom he recoils in horror. Clerval's words, though innocent and earnest, now sound dangerously ambitious and nave. Complete your free account to access notes and highlights. Henry remarks on Victor's condition, noting the disheveled look, his "thin and pale" condition, and tiredness. William is the one who killed the Monsters last hope to see something good in humankind. Not only was she doomed to die suffering for evil deeds of others, but she also confessed to the crime she did not commit. Victor finds the disappearance of his monster a source of joy and falls down in a fit of exhaustion from the release of anxiety over his creation. During the dream, Elizabeth then turns into his mother, Caroline, whom he pictures being held in his own arms. Not long after arriving, Victor starts acting strange, I felt my flesh tingle with excess of sensitiveness, and my pulse beat rapidly. creating and saving your own notes as you read. Felix and Safie fall in love. Afterward, he took care of Beauforts poor daughter, Caroline, who later became his wife. Removing #book# Clerval serves as Victor's guiding light throughout Frankenstein, selflessly helping Victor but never prodding him to reveal his secrets. Exiled from France for treason against their government. Prejudiced humanity hated the Monster for his ugliness, while the creatures only dream was to love and be loved. She is an angel to him, as his mother was as well; in fact, all the women in the novel are domestic and sweet. We're sorry, SparkNotes Plus isn't available in your country. The magistrate who accuses Victor of Henrysmurder. Why does Frankenstein run away from his Monster? Elizabeth Lavenza The orphan child taken in by the Frankenstein family and lovingly raised with Victor. Frankenstein. The family is comprised of the old, blind father De Lacey, his son Felix, and his daughter Agatha. How does Frankenstein figure out that the Monster killed William? "Characters." PDF downloads of all 1699 LitCharts literature guides, and of every new one we publish. At this point Henry Clerval arrives in Ingolstadt. Below is a Frankenstein character map that describes the novels main characters and their relationships. If Clerval had stopped his comrade on time, the family history could have been happier. This contributes to the idea of him being the alternative path to Victor as both of them are similar in the beginning, yet Victor overreaches and Clerval does not. The professor of chemistry who sparks Victors interest in science. 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. 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars. This presents the conflict between Romanticism and the Enlightenment, but also Shelley suggests that Romanticism may be superior. Despite her lonely origins, she finds love and acceptance, and stands in contrast to the creatures inability to find true familial connection. Caroline is Victor's mom, and, like any boy raised right, he really loves her. In a word, he is the absolute opposite of Victor, eager for recognition and power. on 50-99 accounts. Why does Frankenstein destroy the Monsters female companion? Without ambition, he says, America would have been discovered more gradually; and the empires of Mexico and Peru had not been destroyed., Frankensteins friendship with Clerval also shows the importance of companionship in the novel. Henry had come to see about his friend and to enroll at the university. Referred to as the creature, Frankenstein's unnamed monster yearns for human connection and a sense of belonging. By entering your email address you agree to receive emails from SparkNotes and verify that you are over the age of 13. Walton picks the bedraggled Victor Frankenstein up off the ice, helps nurse him back to health, and hears Victors story. If you don't see it, please check your spam folder. Contact us However, readers actually meet Henry in chapter five of the novel when Victor has just finished creating the monster. The reader encounters his description in Elizabeths letter to Victor. Both characters are ambitious and determined. He suffers from illness probably brought on from his advanced age and depression from the events that have happened. Detailed explanations, analysis, and citation info for every important quote on LitCharts. He dies alone, searching for the monster, and expresses to Captain Walton the necessity of sacrifice for a greater good. As adults, Frankenstein and Elizabeth reveal their romantic love for each other, and get engaged to be married. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/frankenstein-characters-4580219. The hero respects an individual space of the scientist. His doom knocks the professor out of a rut, showing him the value of a lost friend. February 28, 2023, SNPLUSROCKS20 He explains the cause as "I imagined that the monster seized me; I struggled furiously and fell down in a fit.". Therefore he does not seek out about the experiments being conducted. His feeling of abandonment compels him to seek revenge against hiscreator. Clerval - "His wild and enthusiastic imagination was chastened by the sensibility of his heart". Robert finds Victor Frankenstein near death, listens to his tale, and records it in letters to his sister Margaret Saville. Why does Frankenstein remain quiet during Justines trial? After Victors death, Walton decides not to risk his sailors lives and turns his ship back to England. who is henry Clerval, and what are his interests and goals ? How does the Monster learn to speak and read? She is the daughter of a Turkish merchant who escaped from prison. 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. You'll be billed after your free trial ends. "'Frankenstein' Characters." He is fascinated with science. He is incredibly sympathetic and in touch with he emotions, and was able to "elevate" Victors mind. Wed love to have you back! However, Henry seems to step in and serve as Victors sanity. All the Frankensteins adore Elizabeth, and Victor quickly begins to "protect, love, and cherish" her. He dedicated his entire life to caring about others. Henry is fascinated with the heroes of Roncesvalles, King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, and the knights of the Crusades. Eventually Victor and Elizabeth marry. Why does Frankenstein leave Elizabeth alone on their wedding night? Seeking revenge on the creature he gave life to, Victor turns into a monster himself. Given that Henry only shows up in a few select scenes in the novel, it is easy to omit his role when this story is transferred into a motion picture. Henry Clerval becomes his foil: a joyous, curious, yet ambitious individual poised to venture on an scholarly adventure analogous to Frankenstein's. These differing personalities reveal a subtle disconnect in their friendship . At the beginning of the book, Frankenstein appears to be an enthusiastic young man, fascinated with science and secrets of nature. The reader learns about William Frankenstein from Elizabeths letter to Victor. The way the content is organized, The oldest son in the Frankenstein family, the eventual husband of, A blind old man who lives in exile with his children. https://ivypanda.com/lit/study-guide-on-frankenstein/characters/, IvyPanda. 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. Henry's purpose in the novel is to show what Victor could have. Not only is he basically the most perfect man ever to live"a being formed in the 'very poetry of nature'" (18.17), to use Victor's alarmingly enthusiastic phrasehe's also eye candy. About Frankenstein, Next So why doesn't he intervene? You can view our. Caroline dies of scarlet fever when Victor is 17. It would take someone with dedication and sincere kindness to stick with a person through this difficult journey, and Henry does just that without much hesitation, it seems. Character List Victor Frankenstein Creator of the monster. Henry Clerval Friend and schoolfellow of Victor and Elizabeth from childhood; murdered by the Creature. Robert Walton Arctic explorer on his way to find a Northwest Passage through the Arctic Ocean from Russia to the Pacific Ocean. Later, Justine was falsely accused of Williams murder and executed. Driven by the same passion, he stood at the beginning of the path that Victor had gone through. Henry and Victor return to Victor's apartment to find the monster gone. Finally, he pays his own life for sincerity and trust. Therefore, this definitely says a lot about Henrys character. Henry Clerval http://wordpress.clarku.edu/kasmerivanhoe/roles/henry-clerval-2/. 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