Function Of The De Lacey Family In Frankenstein

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Function of the De Lacey family in Frankenstein The De Lacey family in Frankenstein are a significant family in the novel, even if they’re appearance isn’t over emphasised. In my opinion, the De Lacey family act as a catalyst to help portray the background and feelings of not only the monster, but the feelings of Victor. It is in Chapter 11 when the De Lacey family make a significant appearance when the monster seeks shelter as he has been “on the run” for some length of time. The monster wearied and tired stumbles across a small building with an open door. This comes as an invitation to the monster to take advantage of the situation and seek shelter within the dwelling. As the monster enters, the old man (Mr De Lacey) jumps out of his chair and flees the scene. There is no mother figure present. This is where the importance of the De Lacey family comes into the equation. I feel the inclusion of the De Lacey family tracks back all the way to Mary Shelley’s upbringing and family life. During Shelley’s life, she lost her husband Percy Shelley during a sea voyage accident. This left Mary Shelley with no companion. During the novel so far, Shelley’s manufactured characters all have something missing; a complete family. Dr Walton sends his letters to his sister giving the impression that there was no wife to send the writing to, Victor Frankenstein lost his mother through death, and finally the De Lacey family do not have a mother figure in the household. This context is all included to emphasise how important families are to everyone. When the monster is in the dwelling and he sees the girl and the old man in the chair playing a “sweet mournful air”, he bursts out in tears. This is a strong indication that the monster is not thoughtless and intentionally aggressive; he is in fact a creature with fully human characteristics and should be treated just like
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