Elizabeth Lavenza

Elizabeth Lavenza is the virtuous and beloved companion of Victor Frankenstein's heart, a woman of refined sensibility and deep feeling who has been part of his life since childhood. She shares Victor Frankenstein's joys and sorrows with unwavering devotion, though she remains largely ignorant of the true source of his anguish and despair. When tragedy strikes the Victor Frankenstein household with William Frankenstein's murder, Elizabeth is devastated, torturing herself with guilt over a locket she had given the child, believing her negligence contributed to his death. She continues to love Victor Frankenstein despite his withdrawal and strange behavior, hoping that their union in marriage might restore him to happiness.

Yet the creature's vengeance extends to her as well. On the very night of her wedding to Victor Frankenstein, she falls victim to the monster's rage—the final blow in his systematic destruction of everything Victor Frankenstein holds dear. Her death, occurring when Victor Frankenstein is powerless to prevent it, breaks him completely, and in his final moments of life, he reflects that no new affection can replace her or Henry Clerval, for the bonds of childhood companionship possess a power over the human heart that no later friendship can match.