What Are The Foil Characters In Frankenstein

In literature, the author is able to describe the world around them by using different literary techniques in their writing. Certain literary techniques allow the message the author is trying to impart to the reader more lucid. Frankenstein Or, The Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley, is an example of gothic literature that combines fiction, horror, death, and romance. One literary technique prevalent in the novel is the use of foil characters: a character whose traits-by their differences and similarities to the protagonist-help clarify the protagonist’s character. The creature in Frankenstein is a more effective foil for Victor Frankenstein over Robert Walton. Society’s perception that the creature is a freak and has a monstrous attitude towards

others is based on his physical appearance, while Victor is accepted by society despite committing monstrous actions and his struggle with moral disregard.
Victor Frankenstein shows the creature a lack of sympathy and compassion, despite being his creator and not having to experience that loneliness as a child.

Victor grows up feeling that “no human being could have passed a happier childhood” (Shelley 45). His family’s basis for stability is centered around unconditional love and care for one another. Victor feels that his parents were the “creators of all the many delights” that he experiences as a child (Shelley 45). Victor is given freedom to decide what he wants to accomplish in life and how he should approach those goals in childhood. This means Victor is able to study whatever interests him, which ends up being natural philosophy. Victor’s free will turns into greed, however, when he thinks that “A new species would bless me as its creator and source; many happy and excellent natures would owe their being to me” (Shelley 65-66). The idea that Victor could play God ultimately leads to his suffering. Victor’s defiance to his responsibilities as a creator is highlighted when he fails to show adequate parental attention to the creature, who does not meet the unreasonable status of perfection that Victor assumes would result from superior body parts

used.
The creature is forced to experience a wild freedom, in which he has to learn how to survive on his own. The creature has to expose himself to situations where he could learn how society functions and how relationships are built and maintained. After being beaten and run out of town by locals, the creature is able to stumble upon a small hut next to the cottage of the De Lacey family, a poor family consisting of a blind father, his son, and his daughter. The selfless actions of the son and daughter to feed and care for their father gives the creature a sense of empathy towards them. “This trait of kindness moved me sensibly. I had been accustomed, during the night, to steal a part of their store for my own consumption, but when I found that in doing this I inflicted pain on the cottagers, I abstained and satisfied myself” (Shelley 135). The bond that keeps a family in poverty tight-knit is realized by the creature to be advantageous to his survival. This realization makes the creature angry at Victor for not actively seeking a bond with him.
The creature labels himself as “not even of the same nature as men” and decides that the only path to social freedom is through gaining knowledge in language and social/religious aspects of society (Shelley 146).

Victor’s desire and intensity to gain knowledge in natural philosophy is intended to place himself above man. The creature’s desire and intensity to gain knowledge in language, social, and relationship skills is intended to place himself equal to man. In an attempt to understand human nature, the creature decides to read books that describe certain aspects of human society and emotions. By reading Plutarch's Lives, the creature learns how humans live together in towns/cities. He also learns that humans can be violent towards one another and he begins to realize that being peaceful is a good thing if he is going to coexist with humans. After reading The Sorrows of Young Werther, the creature finds himself evaluating his own life and where he belongs. This book makes him think about death and suicide, which will play a role in how he decides to move on with his life after the death of Victor. Paradise Lost gives the creature religious figures to examine and he notices that his situation with Victor is similar to the beliefs of Christianity. The book arouses the strongest feelings from the creature when he begins to associate God with Victor because they are both creators and both are struggling to keep peace between themselves and their creations. The creature also

compares himself to Adam and Satan. The creature believes that the love and protection that Adam wishes upon his creator is how he feels towards Victor in the beginning of his existence. When the creature becomes angry with Victor, however, he compares himself as Satan because he starts thinking based off of his emotions and lashes out in his resentment at the lack of care and compassion Victor shows him instead of keeping peace and love a priority. Victor Frankenstein’s mastery in natural philosophy and other collegiate subjects of study is overshadowed by his lack of knowledge in understanding and the expression of emotions. All of the self-knowledge Victor lacks is displayed by the creature, who is constantly rejected by Victor.
The presence of the creature as a foil in Frankenstein allows the reader to have a better understanding of Victor Frankenstein’s character strengths and flaws. This greater understanding is achieved because the personal qualities that Victor either has or lacks are repressed or accentuated in the creature. The creature’s presence as a foil contributes to the importance the novel places on investigating the extreme effect emotional responsibility has on the development of people and creatures alike.