Walton And Victor Frankenstein Foil

Frankenstein has two minor characters that foil him through the novel. Robert Walton and Henry Clerval both exploit Frankenstein’s strengths and weaknesses through their personalities and actions. Robert Walton and Victor Frankenstein portray very similar characteristics in the novel. Mary Shelley introduces Robert Walton first, to foreshadow what Victor Frankenstein will be like. Both characters desire knowledge and power and are willing to go to the extremes to obtain it. Victor creates an unimaginable creature to prove his knowledge and conquer death while Walton sailing out at sea to find “inestimable benefit which I shall confer on all mankind” (2). As both are willing to go to the extremes, they do not have a permanent home, therefore no companion to

As they both want to do big things in life, Henry focuses on moral relations to achieve success while Victor uses isolation as his tactic for achievement. Henry is adventurous and allows himself to live in the moment to soak in all the knowledge. Victor acknowledges the difference that “the delight of Clerval was proportionably greater than mine, his mind expanded in the company of men of talent” (150). In contrast, Victor keeps to himself, allowing himself to think and reason solemnly. On the trip to England, Victor experiences guilt for causing death to his loved ones and pressure to fulfill the promise to the monster, while Victor experiences happiness and able to fully enjoy the journey and nature surrounding him. Henry is selfless and kind-heart, even to Victor who ignored all his close friends for years at the university. Victor rants about how sweet Clerval is and that “the voice of Clerval soothed me, and I could thus cheat myself into a transitory peace” (147). Clerval always brought about the feeling of reassurance and serenity to Victor, even in mass chaos and