Frankenstein Essay
Obsessed. Loyal. Caring. These three character traits all describe three characters, Victor Frankenstein, Henry Clervel, and Elizabeth Lavenza, Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley. Victor Frankenstein is extremely obsessed with his work as a scientist and has shut out the rest of the world, just to complete his creature. Henry Clerval is Victors best friend who helps with no reward in order to save his friends life. Elizabeth Lavenza is a devoted lover to Victor, even staying true and faithful to him when he has not written her back in seven years. All three characteristics that are possessed by the characters have a similarity to me as well. At times I can get obsessed with things, I am completely loyal to my friends and family, and I care about everyone and everything in the world just as Victor, Henry, and Elizabeth do.
Victor is a young scientist, thirsty for knowledge. He studies the forbidden sciences, questions the principle of life and gives birth to an "inhuman" creature. In this venture, he overreaches himself. He gathers tremendous knowledge, defies his parents and dabbles in the supernatural. He shows a natural human tendency to pursue the forbidden and become obsessed with his work. But his knowledge nevertheless leaves him ignorant of the consequences of his act. Victor undergoes emotional and mental change. He suffers from feelings of remorse and guilt at seeing the untimely deaths of the people around him. However, he never once truly repents for what he has done. Instead his fury is always directed against the monster. One can say that he never really changes as a person. In the end, one sees this clearly, as he reprimands the sailors for wanting to go back home empty-handed. He tells them to be "men," who fight and conquer all obstacles. The burning ambition and obsession with every thing he wants to do has still not left him. Like Victor, I too can be obsessive. When I was younger I started playing field hockey. Quickly, I became obsessed with being the best and spent all my free time playing that I had lost some of my closest friends. As my friends were growing up and having fun together in middle school, I was busy playing field hockey. However, unlike Victor, I soon realized what was happening and quickly changed my actions.
Henry is a devoted friend to Victor. He comes at the right time to rescue Victor from the brink of destruction. He wants to be with him so that they can study together and share their joys and sorrows. In short, he wants to be the perfect friend. Like Henry, I try to be the perfect friend and help my friends whenever they are in need. It is tragic that Victor does not trust Henry enough to reveal his deepest, darkest secret to him. As I am, Henry is a perceptive person, and he knows when something is amiss. He is one of the few people who knows how to manage Victor during a crisis. When my friend became depressed and didnt want to hang out with anyone, I quickly went to her side and tried to figure out what she was feeling, I soon figured in out though, unlike Henry. Henry is a very caring person who nursed Victor back to life with his plans to raise his spirits and help him forget everything bad that has happened in the past, especially in the laboratory. This indicates that Henry is aware that Victor has been up to something. However, he has the decency not to intrude upon Victor's privacy. He, too, sacrifices his life for Victor's ambitions.
Elizabeth Lavenza. The kind, gentle female who is more than sister to Victor and ends up marrying him. Her devotion to Victor is total and undying. Elizabeth's love for Victor rivals the love of Caroline for Alphonse. Although I clearly could not love someone with such devotion at such a young age, but I clearly understand where Elizabeth is coming from. When you love, you love with all your heart, no matter what, and this is what Elizabeth does. In this case however, it is Elizabeth's love which gains prominence, and not Victor's. Elizabeth has never complained of the ambiguity of their relationship. She has totally given up her life for the Frankenstein family, raising William and Ernest as her own children. She does what she thinks is right and always stays true to her friends as well, just as I would. When the whole world turns its back on the innocent Justine, Elizabeth defends her. She even blames herself for William's death because she had given him the miniature of Caroline, for which, it is presumed, he was murdered. Elizabeth was a caring wonderful wife, whos life was taken to quickly all due to the fact that she loved Victor so much.
In conclusion, Victor, Henry, and Elizabeth are all foils of one another and I can quickly relate to each of them. Like Victor, I can become obsessive with things that I consider interesting and quickly forget about the rest of the world. Furthermore, I always have been a loyal and devoted friend, doing anything for them, like Henry Clerval has for Victor. Also, in the case of Elizabeth, she is a truly caring and loving person towards Victor and her friends and family, just as I aspire to be. Overall, the three character traits of obsessive, loyal, and caring can easily describe me as well.
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