By: Vineet Ravoori Nneoma Aijiwe Jonathan Nguyen Toni Au-Mau Qi Yang Per. 7

Characterization ;  1. Portrayal; Description, the creation and convincing representation of fictitious characters.  The characterization throughout the first half of the novel is direct characterization. The narrator provides insight on the different characters directly. Characters are described by their own words, actions, and beliefs. Indirect characterization is also used in the novel.

Victor Frankenstein  Originally portrayed as a man of intelligence, Victor Frankenstein, the protagonist, shows his true colors as the novel progresses with the creation of his “monster”. He then spirals to what is seen as an unstable, or insane scientist.  The young scientist had rather a thirst for knowledge, creating his monster at the young age of 19. Irresponsible and apathetic, Victor disregards care for his creation, even as it begins to terrorize not just him.  Due to his greed for God-like powers, he creates something he cannot destroy. Driven by guilt of two innocent deaths, Victors’ character begins his slow deterioration of his body and soul because of what he created.  He went from a love for science to a love of more than just the ordinary. "Natural philosophy is the genius that has regulated my fate; I desire therefore in this narration, to state those facts that led to my predictions for that science" (Shelly 28).

Creature  The creature plays one of the biggest roles in the novel. Mary Shelly metaphorically compares the creature to a baby. When a baby is born, it must be nurtured and cared for to become a good and noble being. If not cared for, then the baby will become a victim of hatred and turn into an outlaw.  The creature is abandoned by his master, Victor Frankenstein, during the sensitive period of its life, and therefore became the outcast it ultimately was.  The creature is rejected from society because of his deformed features. He gets beat, scolded, and driven out of hospitality, and because of this, he blames Victor for creating him.

Creature cont.  During the creature’s hideout, he overhears Felix and his family talking about how respected and generous man is. After that conversation, he(creature) goes into a deep analysis if he is man or beast, good or bad, and accepted or rejected. “And what was I?... When I looked around I saw and heard none like me. Was I, then, a monster, a blot upon the earth, from which all men fled and whom all men disowned?” (Shelly ). He feels depressed when he goes into these insights because he knows no one else is like him, and thus cannot share his feelings and thoughts.  Victor had made his creature’s life miserable by creating him, and the creature now aims to make his creator’s life just like his by killing everyone close to him.

Elizabeth  Elizabeth can be characterized as a minor character, but she has a huge amount of influence on the novel as a whole and controls the personality of Frankenstein.  Elizabeth enters the story, “ Her hair was the brightest living gold and despite the poverty of her clothing, seemed to set a crown of distinction on her head. Her brow was clear and ample, her blue eyes cloudless…sweetness that none could behold her without looking on her as a distinct species, a being heaven- sent,” (Shelly 7). This quote enables the read to began to realize what kind of character Elizabeth is, she is in fact a symbol for hope and faith.  Along with her being a very important symbolic figure to the novel as a whole, she plays a more important role in the influencing and always showing Frankenstein there is more the world than hatred and misery. Every time Frankenstein gets a letter from her he automatically goes from a sense of hatred and agony into a state of happiness and all of sudden feels relieved of his stressed as though it just evaporated.

Elizabeth cont.  Besides from her father, she writes him letters, the significance of those letters are that they always updated Frankenstein of what’s going on in Geneva. The significance of this is that Elizabeth is a type of character whose always reminding of him his roots, from his childhood which then gives him that illusion of happiness in the story.  Elizabeth is also becomes Frankenstein’s last hope of happiness or joyfulness in the novel, when they get married, at that moment Frankenstein is thrilled since he has his last hope of joy right next to him.  Through the use of foreshadowing we know that Elizabeth’s role is important, “ All praises bestowed on her I received as made to a possession of my own. We called each other familiarly by the name of cousin. Now word, no expression could body forth the kind of relation in which she stood to me – my more than sister, since till death she was to be mine only,” (Shelly 8). This quote shows that since childhood she has become a very important person, which is conveyed throughout the entire story.

Robert Walton  Parallels Frankenstein  he exhibits a masculine desire to explore, discover, conquer and control  he pitches himself against nature in his search for a new northern sea passage  by discovering this, he hopes not only to enable humanity to have greater control over nature, but also to acquire fame for himself.  “There is something at work in my soul which I do not understand. I am practically industrious — painstaking, a workman to execute with perseverance and labour — but besides this there is a love for the marvellous, a belief in the marvellous, intertwined in all my projects, which hurries me out of the common pathways of men, even to the wild sea and unvisited regions I am about to explore,” (Shelly 58).

Henry Clerval  Henry is Victor’s best friend, and most trusted partner.  Mary Shelly characterizes him by his actions and his looks. For example – Clerval was always there for Victor as a boy, and they used to play make-believe games about castles and knights. This made Victor happy in his childhood, and when Clerval again came to aid him (Frankenstein) after the creature’s creation, Victor was again happy.  Henry accompanies and cares for Victor on some of Victor’s travels.  Henry is one of the few people that Victor will talk to when Victor is feeling “ill”.  Just by being around Victor, Henry makes Victor feel less lonely.  After seeing the horror of the creature, Frankenstein feels relieved to have a good friend around unlike the deformed creature he had created.  Mary Shelly really shows the value of Henry after he is killed by the creature because at this point Victor is struck by strong guilt and a deep loneliness which is later temporarily solved by his father and Elizabeth.

Justine Moritz  Justine Moritz is a minor character in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein.  Justine was adopted into the Frankenstein family  She worked as a servant but was treated no different  Came from a family where she was mistreated by her mother to the Frankenstein family where she was loved.  Although a minor character, Justine contributes significantly to the development of the two main characters, Victor Frankenstein and the creature.  Frankenstein feels guilty and responsible for her death  Marks the end of the Creature’s kindness and the beginning of the Creature’s havoc and destruction  Direct victim of the Creature and the justice system; Indirect victim of Frankenstein

Justine Moritz (cont.)  Justine is the subject of blame, guilt, and injustice  She is framed for the murder of William  Justine accepts her fate but her death leaves a mark throughout the rest of the novel  “‘God knows,’ she said, ‘how entirely I am innocent. But I do not pretend that my protestations should acquit me: I rest my innocence on a plain and simple explanation of the facts which have been adduced against me; and I hope the character I have always borne will incline my judges to a favorable interpretation, where any circumstance appears doubtful or suspicious,’” (Shelly 55).

Bibliography  Shelly, Mary. Frankenstein. 1st edition ed. London, Print.  Dictionary.com. N.p., Web. 17 Sept