"They consulted their village priest, and the result was that Elizabeth Lavenza became the inmate of my parents' house--my more than sister--the beautiful and adored companion of all my occupations and my pleasures." ― Chapter 1
Elizabeth Lavenza is a major character in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. She is the adoptive daughter of Alphose Frankenstein and Caroline Beaufort and the adoptive cousin/wife of Victor Frankenstein.
A pretty, young woman adopted into the Frankenstein family household, Elizabeth falls in love with Victor and eventually marries him, but was murdered by the Monster on his quest of revenge against his creator.
Description[]
Elizabeth Lavenza is one of the most important people in Victor's life; if not his most special and beloved. She was taken into the home at a young age and they were close as children and fell in love as adults. She was loved and adored by everyone and wasn't always seen as just a foster child. She would also fill in the role of a mother-figure; such as when her adoptive mother Caroline Beaufort passes away, she says to her that she must "supply her place". She is even considered to be a feminine character with the role she had played since the beginning of the novel.
She is also a source of information to Victor. She is the one who mostly writes letters to him on some updated information about their family and are a major importance in the novel. She is perhaps the one person Victor had depended on the most than anyone. While he didn't get to spend much more quality time with her in his adulthood, she was still looking forward to their upcoming marriage.
Like Victor, Elizabeth was deeply affected by the tragic deaths caused by her lover's creation, such as William Frankenstein and Justine Moritz, while she still had Victor to be with. Unfortunately, not even her happiness with him could save her from her demise at the hands of the Monster on her wedding night, which was an even more devastating blow to Victor.
Storyline[]
Early Life with the Frankensteins[]
Elizabeth was the daughter of a Milanese nobleman and his German wife. Her mother died giving birth to her, and she was placed in the care of an Italian peasant family at Lake Como.[1] Her father fought for the liberty of his country from Austria, but he either died or was imprisoned by the Austrians. As a result, his wealth was confiscated, and Elizabeth grew up as a poor orphan while living with the Italian family.
A woman named Caroline Beaufort was visiting Lake Como to help the poor when she discovered the Italian peasant's family home. She then brought her young son, Victor Frankenstein, with her, and she discovered Elizabeth among the peasant family's young children. Caroline immediately became smitten with her and wanted to adopt her, as she wanted a daughter. The family was initially reluctant, as they were fond of Elizabeth, but they knew raising her in poverty wouldn't be fair. After consulting their local priest, the family allows Caroline to adopt Elizabeth. She was brought to the Frankenstein's home in Milan, where Alphonse, Caroline's husband, discovered her playing with Victor and she explained everything. Everyone loved and adored Elizabeth, and she was shown to Victor as a gift for him. He immediately became close with her, even referring to her as his cousin rather than his adoptive sibling.
Elizabeth and Victor grew up together, and their ages weren't different.[2] She enjoyed pursuing poetry and surrounding herself with nature. Seven years after Elizabeth was adopted, Ernest Frankenstein was born into the family. The Frankensteins eventually ended their years of travelling and settled in Geneva, Switzerland. Alphonse and Caroline were loving, doting parents to their children, and Elizabeth brightened their home with her beauty and kindness.
Family Tragedies[]
When Victor is 17 years old, Alphonse and Caroline enroll him at the University of Ingolstadt in Bavaria.[3] Before Victor can leave, Elizabeth falls severely ill with scarlet fever. Despite the family persuading Caroline not to tend to Elizabeth, Caroline nurses her when her illness worsens.
Elizabeth recovers, but Caroline contracts her illness a few days later. The doctors could do nothing to help her, and on her deathbed, Caroline summons Victor and Elizabeth. She holds their hands, expresses her final wish for them to be married, and asks Elizabeth to take her place to look after the younger children. She bids them farewell and hopes to see them again in the afterlife.
Caroline dies calmly, and the family is grief-stricken by her death. Elizabeth takes over her mother’s role to raise her younger siblings, and on Victor’s final night before he leaves for Ingolstadt, he stays up with his family, having a hard time saying goodbye. The next morning, Alphonse, Elizabeth and Victor’s best friend, Henry Clerval, bid him goodbye as Victor boards his coach and is driven away. Afterwards, Elizabeth and her family wouldn’t hear back from Victor for about two years.
At the beginning of spring, Clerval writes to Elizabeth about Victor’s illness.[4] However, Elizabeth worries about Victor’s health and refuses to let her uncle travel to Ingolstadt to check on Victor. She wishes she had gone and nursed Victor instead. After she receives another letter from Clerval that Victor is recovering, she writes a letter to him, expressing her worry and concern over his illness. She tells Victor to get well soon and return home to his family and friends. Alphonse is doing well and is anxious to see his son again. Ernest is 16 years old and wants to join the army, although the family doesn’t want him to leave until Victor returns, and Alphonse isn’t pleased with Ernest serving in the army away from home. Ernest spends all his time rowing on the lake and climbing hills, and Elizabeth thinks he needs some guidance. She says the mountains and lake near their home haven’t changed, and she finds herself busy with her occupations.
Elizabeth asks Victor if he remembers a young girl named Justine Moritz, and she explains her history. Justine was the third of four children, and her mother, Madame Moritz, rejected her. Justine’s father adored her, but after he died, her mother mistreated her. Elizabeth’s aunt observed this, and when Justine was 12 years old, she persuaded her mother to allow her to live with the Frankensteins. She was eventually accepted into the Frankenstein household, where she became their servant, and the family loved her. Justine was devastated when Elizabeth’s aunt died, as she tended to her during her illness. Justine also became ill, but then all her siblings died, and a few months after Victor left for Ingolstadt, Madame Moritz called her daughter back to her, as she wanted to repent for the way she treated her. Justine returned home grief-stricken, and her mother begged her forgiveness but also accused her of causing her siblings’ deaths. Madame Moritz then died at the beginning of winter, and Justine moved back in with the Frankensteins.
She then talks about their youngest brother, William, who has grown into a beautiful, healthy child. Afterwards, she discusses the latest gossip about the locals in Geneva. Then she urges Victor to write back and thanks Clerval for his kindness and letters about Victor.
The next spring, at the beginning of May, Elizabeth, Alphonse, Ernest and William go out for a walk by Plainpalais on a warm, peaceful evening.[5] When dusk approaches, the family decides to head home, but Ernest and William are nowhere to be found. Elizabeth and Alphonse decide to stay and wait until the boys return. Only Ernest returns, and when asked where William is, he says he was playing with William when he ran away to hide himself. Ernest then tried to find him but to no avail. The family then desperately searches for William until nightfall. Elizabeth hopes William has returned home alone but isn't at their house. They returned with some torches, with Alphonse and Elizabeth filled with anxiety and anguish. Early the next morning, William was found dead from strangulation, with the killer's fingerprints around his neck. When William's body is brought home, and Elizabeth finds the corpse, she becomes so horrified that she says that she has killed him before fainting. When she regains consciousness, she tearfully explains that William had been wearing a locket with a miniature portrait of their mother when he disappeared, and the locket was not found on him.
Victor immediately leaves Ingolstadt and hurries home but doesn't come home until early the next morning after Alphonse writes to him about the tragic news. Elizabeth has become so distraught that she has caused William's death, and then Justine is arrested and accused of the murder. After she discovered William's death, Justine fell ill for several days, and one of the servants found the locket in Justine's apron pocket and then showed it to the family and the local magistrate, leading to her arrest. The morning Victor arrives home, Justine's trial is scheduled to begin today. Elizabeth joins him, telling him that his arrival has given her hope that they can prove Justine's innocence during her trial. She says she will never be happy again if Justine is convicted but is confident she will not be found guilty. Victor assures her that Justine is innocent, and Elizabeth cries. Alphonse consoles her about the trial, and she can prove Justine's innocence by testifying.
At 11 o'clock, Justine's trial begins.[6] The Frankensteins are called to attend the trial as witnesses. Inside the courtroom, Justine appears dressed in mourning clothes and sheds a tear when she sees the Frankensteins. Several witnesses are called to the stand, and one woman testifies that on the night of the murder, Justine was absent. A market woman discovered her the next morning not far from the area where William's body was found. The woman asked her what she was doing there, but she didn't give a direct response. When she returned to the Frankensteins' home at 8 o'clock, she claimed she spent the whole night searching for William and demanded any news. When she was shown William's body, she fell into hysterics and fell ill for a few days. The servant found the locket on her soon afterwards, and Elizabeth claims that it was the same locket he was wearing when he went missing, causing the courtroom to murmur in horror.
Throughout the trial, Justine is quiet, expressing misery and horror and struggling to hold back her tears. When she is finally called to the stand, she says she knows she is innocent and can only be proven by testimonies. With Elizabeth's permission, Justine explains that on the night William was killed, she was visiting a relative in Chene, a nearby village. At 9 o'clock, she was on her way home when she met a man who asked her about William. She was alarmed by what she heard and searched for him for hours. When the Geneva gates closed for the evening, she had no choice but to spend the night in a barn next to a cottage without alerting the inhabitants whom she knew. Throughout the night, she watched out for William, but in the morning, she fell asleep for a few minutes when she heard footsteps approaching her before waking up at dawn. Justine then laments that she didn't know how the locket was planted on her and assumes the killer placed it on her while she was asleep. She begs the judge to provide more witnesses, and several more come forward, who have known her for years and speak nice things about her. However, others are too scared to testify when they think she could be convicted.
Elizabeth is called to the stand and says she has lived with the Frankenstein family long before William was born. She testifies that she has known Justine for several years and describes her as a kind, loving girl. She says that she has nursed her dying aunt and even her own mother. The family loved and adored her, and she loved William as her own child. Elizabeth claims she believes in her innocence and is too kind to commit a heinous crime. Justine cries when she listens to Elizabeth's testimony but doesn't speak.
Despite everyone's efforts to protect Justine and her innocence, she is convicted and sentenced to death. When Victor arrives home, he informs Elizabeth of the sad news and adds that Justine has confessed. Elizabeth is devastated when she hears this, lamenting how she will ever believe in innocence again, and is still unbelieved that Justine is a killer. They also learn that Justine wants to see her again before her execution. Alphonse urges Elizabeth that she shouldn't go, but Elizabeth insists she must see Justine again. She urges Victor to accompany her, as she cannot go alone.
They arrive in Justine’s prison cell, where she sits on some straw with her hands shackled. Elizabeth and Justine weep in each other’s arms, and Elizabeth asks why she confessed when she believed in her innocence. Justine tearfully asks if she is a cruel murderer, and Elizabeth consoles her that she was innocent until she confessed. Justine reveals that a priest forced her to confess a lie so she can face salvation, but consoles herself that she will soon be with William in death. Elizabeth tells her that she will not die and she will save her from death by proving her innocence. Justine says she isn’t afraid of death and is willing to accept her fate. She then sees Victor and asks if he thinks she is guilty. Victor doesn’t respond, but Elizabeth assures her he is more convinced of her innocence and doesn’t credit her confession. After spending several hours with Justine, Victor and Elizabeth are forced to leave her. Elizabeth wishes she could die with her. Justine embraces her and bids her farewell, urging her to be happy and hoping this will be the last misfortune she’ll experience. Justine is then executed the next day, leaving the family devastated.
Sometime after William’s murder and Justine’s execution, the Frankensteins retreat to their vacation home in Belrive to ease their grief.[7] Elizabeth is grief-stricken and no longer does her usual occupations. She has also lost her innocence in the aftermath of the recent tragedy. One day, she tells Victor that she doesn’t see the world the same way again after Justine’s death. She initially believes that vice and injustice appear only in the books she reads or some folklore stories and is heavily shaken that she views men as monsters. She is devastated that Justine was convicted of allegedly killing their brother William and knows that she really was innocent. But both William and Justine are dead, and their real killer roams free. Sensing Victor’s anguish, she comforts him that she hasn’t suffered these misfortunes as badly as he has. She reminds him that his family and friends still love and care about him and that he should overcome these dark thoughts.
Victor plans to go to England, and Alphonse becomes concerned for his son’s health and safety.[8] After consulting with Elizabeth, they decide that Clerval will accompany Victor during his trip, which relieves Victor. He assures her that he will be married as soon as he returns home. In late September, Victor departs for his journey, but Elizabeth is filled with despair from his sufferings while he’s absent and hopes for his safe return.
Marriage to Victor/Murder[]
Several months later, Elizabeth sends a letter to Victor when he’s in Paris with Alphonse.[9] She writes that her uncle informed her that Victor isn’t too far away, and should be home within a fortnight. She was shocked when she heard about his illness and expected him to be worse when he left Geneva, leaving her anxious all winter. She recalls when their parents have anticipated their marriage since they were very young, but since Victor has been absent from her for so long, she asks him if he has fallen in love with someone else. She remembers when he arrived home from Ingolstadt feeling melancholy, she sensed that he may not be looking forward to their marriage. Despite her concerns, Elizabeth tells Victor that she still loves him and that their wedding will be the only thing that will help her get over her misery. She then closes the letter by asking Victor not to write back to her immediately, as Alphonse will pass on his message to her. Tormented by his secret, Victor writes to her anyway, saying that he still wants to be married, but warns her he has a terrible secret he will share with her shortly after their wedding, adding to the suspense and tension.
A week later, Victor arrives home and Elizabeth, filled with anticipation and love, welcomes him with open arms. However, she has grown thinner and lost some of her beauty, but she still remains loving and gentle. Victor also starts having violent fits of rage and she would try to help him. As their wedding date gets closer, Elizabeth's excitement grows, and Alphonse discovers that the Austrian government has left her a small fortune at Lake Como. He decides that Victor and Elizabeth will spend the first few days of their honeymoon in a small chalet at Lake Como after their wedding. At the same time, Elizabeth is worried and concerned about Victor’s secret he wants to reveal to her. 10 days later, Victor and Elizabeth are married. The newlyweds prepare their journey to Lake Como by water, but will spend the night at Evian and continuing their journey the following day. It is a beautiful, sunny day as the couple travel by boat, passing banks and mountains, such as Mont Blanc and Jura. Victor, despite his inner turmoil, tries to enjoy the beauty of nature, and Elizabeth urges him to be happy and appreciate nature. It is sunset when they pass the Drance River and approach Evian. A gentle breeze picks up when they reach the shore.
It is 8 o’clock when the couple land in Evian and retire to the local inn.[10] A heavy rainstorm quickly appears. Victor has become so anxious that it makes Elizabeth fearful, and he asks what’s wrong. Victor replies that tonight is dreadful and urges her to go to bed. While she is alone in her room, Victor’s creation, a humanoid monster, breaks into her room and kills her by strangulation. Elizabeth’s screams bring Victor to her room, and he faints when he sees her lifeless body on her bed. When he awakens and finds her dead, he tries to shoot and kill the Monster but fails and ends up grieving over her body. Elizabeth’s tragic death causes Alphonse to die from grief, causing Victor to vow revenge against his creation and destroy it once and for all.
As Victor prepares to leave Geneva forever and pursue the Monster across the globe, he visits the graves of Alphonse, Elizabeth and William at the local Geneva cemetery, vowing them that he will avenge their deaths before he goes after the Monster.[11]
Personality/Appearance[]
Elizabeth is a beautiful, fair young woman whose beauty and innocence make everyone adore and cherish her. As a child, her beauty is outstanding compared to the poor Italian children she grew up with, and she became widely admired and doted upon. Her adoptive family, the Frankensteins, are a close-knit, loving family and Elizabeth’s friendly, good-natured personality brings her family closer together and brings a positive influence to everyone. She’s viewed as a prized possession to Victor and is often valued for her beauty. With her beauty and purity, she brings light and love into their home, to the point when she’s even compared to being an angel.
Following her adoptive mother Caroline’s tragic death from scarlet fever, Elizabeth finds herself taking on the primary role in being a mother figure and caregiver to her younger siblings, as Caroline has asked her to take her place just before she died. At such a young age, Elizabeth has been pressured into fulfilling her mother’s place, becoming a maternal figure not just to the younger children, but taking on the stereotypical role of women being housewives and homemakers. Despite this role she was forced upon, she is a selfless, loving woman who cares deeply for her family and tries to stay strong for her loved ones in the wake of Caroline’s death.
Her loss of innocence starts with William’s murder and Justine’s conviction. She is especially horrified from William’s death because he was wearing their mother’s locket that wasn’t found on him, but the devastating blow hits when Justine is accused of killing him. During Justine’s trial, Elizabeth shows compassion and strength by testifying how Justine was a kind, loving girl who once nursed her dying aunt, and she loved William so much that she would never commit such a horrible crime. But because she’s viewed as a passive, helpless woman, her testimony and pleas for Justine’s innocence fall on deaf ears. Justine’s tragic execution and the injustice that follows hurts Elizabeth deeply, and it makes her believe that there is no good left in the world.
The most important person in Elizabeth’s life is Victor. Since childhood, they were initially inseparable playmates and then their mother’s final wish was for them to be married. During the two years that Victor was in Ingolstadt and Elizabeth was at home caring for the household, she becomes worried when he loses touch with her and their family. When she does have the chance to write to him again after hearing about his illness, she expresses her concern about him and his health. She even comments on how she wishes she could travel to Ingolstadt to nurse him herself. She often shows emotional support and encouragement to Victor when he becomes despondent. She reminds Victor about how much his family and friends love him and awaiting his return, and even encourages him to view the beauty of nature as comfort to restore his spirits and enlighten his mood. She deeply understands other’s feelings and is willing to offer comfort and support, especially Victor. During his absence when he travels to Scotland with his friend Henry Clerval, Elizabeth patiently awaits his return so they can finally be married, and never becomes desperate into pushing for marriage. However, as time passes, she becomes worried and suspicious for Victor’s wellbeing, but also that he may be falling in love with someone else. Despite Victor becoming more volatile and withdrawn, she still loves him and hopes their marriage will bring him happiness. When Victor finally arrives home, Elizabeth slightly becomes a shell of her former self, as she becomes thin and weak, even losing some of her beauty, mainly from her worries about Victor and her loss of innocence. Nevertheless, she is blissful when they are finally married, but their happiness will immediately be short-lived. Because she has always been an innocent, pure woman, she was unaware of the horrible secret Victor has been keeping from her and his creation, the Monster, kills her in revenge for Victor refusing to grant him a female mate. Elizabeth’s brutal death at the hands of the Monster was the final tipping point for Victor, as he loses his sanity from the Monster destroying everything he loves and finds himself alone and isolated without guidance, friendship and love.
Elizabeth is often described as having blonde hair with curls and blue eyes, which is the definitive example of her beauty.
Relationships[]
Victor Frankenstein[]
Elizabeth's adoptive brother and husband. After being taken into the family at a very young age, she became a playmate towards him as a child, and as an adult, she loves him unconditionally. She is often concerned about him whenever he is feeling depressed or stressed out, but knew that she will soon one day become his wife.
Justine Moritz[]
A young girl taken into the Frankenstein family. Elizabeth is close to Justine and is like a sister to her. But after Justine was accused and convicted of William's death, Elizabeth tries everything to prove Justine is innocent, but not even her kindness could save her foster sister from execution. Justine's death causes Elizabeth to slowly lose her own innocence.
Alphonse Frankenstein[]
Elizabeth's adoptive father. She is supportive towards him when raising the family and is loved and adored by him.
Caroline Beaufort[]
Elizabeth's adoptive mother. She takes her into the Frankenstein home at a young age and before Caroline passes away, Elizabeth accepts her task to take her mother's place and to marry Victor.