Jessica De Sanctis

Mr. Dub
AP English
February 18, 2016
In Frankenstein, friendship is being displayed towards Victor by many of the
characters, although, Victor does not display his friendship mutually. Mary Shelley shows
through Henry Clerval how caring and generous he was towards his childhood friend,
Victor. Throughout the book Henry is put in situations where he sacrifices his needs for
the necessities of Victor and by Mary Shelley doing this she shows how thoughtful Henry
truly is.
In chapter 5, Henry shows his kindness for several months by giving up his
studies so that he may nurse Victor back to health. This was the commencement of a
nervous fever which confined me for several months. During all that time Henry was my
only nurse He knew that I could not have a more kind and attentive nurse than himself;
and, firm in the hope he felt of my recovery he performed the kindest action that he
could towards them(Pg.46-47). Mary Shelley is showing how Henry knew that he would
be the kindest and attentive nurse to Victor and nobody else would do a better job than
himself. By Henry being Victor's childhood friend and seeing Victor in such an ill state,
Henry knew that nursing him back to health would be best if he did it.
Mary Shelley also shows Henrys generosity towards Victor in chapters 18 when
Victor and Alphonse rearrange a two-year tour which Henry resulted in Henry sacrificing
his education, but still agreed on joining Victor. One paternal kind precaution he had
taken to ensure my having a companion. Without previously communicating with me, he

had, in concert with Elizabeth, arranged that Clerval should join me at Strasbourg. This
interfered with the solitude I coveted for the prosecution of my task on me to remind
me of my task or to contemplate its progress? (Pg. 138). Henry showed how kindhearted he was during this situation of pushing back his studies in order to accompany his
friend, while Victor is worrying about the demon and if his creation will intrude with him
and Henry. Mary Shelley was able to show through Henry what a caring friend he was
throughout many years even though he did not receive the same generosity back from
Victor.
By Henry caring for Victor, the readers are able to get a deeper understanding of
the book because we are able to see how distracted Victor was about his demon rather
than spending time with his friends and family which sooner or later he would lose them
all because of his own creation. Mary Shelley was able to provide this to the readers
because of all the sacrifices that Henry took in order to get Victor back to normal and
help him in any way.
Victor having such amazing friends that care for him and his necessities and his
friends not getting the magnanimous mutual response that he got shows how Victor only
cared for his own needs. Throughout the novel, Victor received many letters in which he
ignored because he wanted to finish his creation and didnt feel the need to respond to
them. This is shown in the early chapters when Victor received many letters and rather
ignored them, until Henry took care of him and begged of him to write back to his family
so that they may be at peace knowing that he is doing well (Pg.46-57).
Mary Shelley showed that Henry sacrificed his education in order to get Victor
healthy and care for his necessities while Victor only cared about his demonic creation.

This showed the differences in their friendship and how Victor obsessed about his
creation that he forgot about his friends and family that care greatly for him.