De Lacey Family
Utterance/Dialogue
Appearance
Action/Interaction
Readers Reaction
De Lacey gives us hope for humanity
Old man - He sympathizes with the monster's unhappiness, as his is also disabled like the monster
De Lacey gives us hope for humanity
Felix - He rescues Safie and brings her back to Germany
Felix - He beats the monster
"darted forward, and with supernatural force tore me from his father, to whose knees I clung: in a transport of fury, he dashed me to the ground and struck me violently with a stick"
Felix - It is through Felix's conversation and language tutoring to Safie that the Creature learns to speak and read
Felix - He represents the materialistic society - only basing things off of looks
Old man - Appears innocent
The Parisian-turned-blind-peasant who lives in a cottage with his son and daughter.
"descended from a good family in France"
Old man - He's the only person we meet who treats the monster kindly/conversing with the monster warmly
Old man - highlights how hedonistic society is
As a blind man he can't see the monster, hence has no prejudice, however the rest of the family shun the monster for his looks
Agatha - daughter
She is a mild-mannered and sweet girl
Agatha - She proves that humanity can be kind to the Creature
"The girl was young and of gentle demeanor, unlike what I have since found cottagers and farm-house servants to be"
Agatha - visually appealing
She provides the Creature with his first experience of beauty
"It was a lovely sight, even to me, poor wretch!"
She represents the suffering women - she's had a very tough life
Agatha first appears anonymously (described only as "a young creature") in the Creature's narration
Monsters assessment of the De Lacey family
Represents the comparison of perception vs reality
Sympathetic
The De Lacey family are presented as sympathetic characters. They are impoverished and struggling to make ends meet. Agatha and Felix are self-sacrificing and often give De Lacey their food to keep him in good health. They have genuine affection for each other and despite the difficult circumstances, always support one another. The Creature admires and learns from their good qualities.
Loving and supportive
When the history of the family is discovered, it is revealed that Felix offered himself up the police in an attempt to free his father and sister rather than remaining with Safie. The Creature witnesses them sharing music and literature together in the evening and they provide him with an example of what a family should be.
Reinforces his desire for a companion
Accepting???
Agatha represents ideals of women
Positive relfecions of women that may have een overlooked in the 1800 society
Link to Shelleys mother?
Self sacrificing, great virtue moral standard, often not eating to feed her father
Safie
Vital for mosnters basic education as he learns the language as the De Lacyes teach safie
Outsider, but still accepted, which gives the monster hope
Old man is synicdote (represents all of his kind)