Skip to content
Storgy

Character analysis · blind old father of Felix and Agatha, briefly befriended by the creature

De Lacey

in Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

De Lacey is the blind, elderly head of the De Lacey family, and his cottage serves as the creature's school and refuge during the creature's extended secret observation. Once a wealthy and respected man in Paris, De Lacey lost everything and was exiled from France after his son Felix helped a Turkish merchant escape wrongful imprisonment—an act of compassion that cost the family their fortune and homeland. By the time the creature meets him, De Lacey lives in a modest rural cottage with Felix and Agatha, relying on his children while still maintaining a quiet dignity and warmth. Being blind, he is the only family member the creature feels comfortable approaching directly. During their brief conversation, De Lacey treats the creature with simple kindness, offering whatever hospitality he can. The creature later thinks that their talk genuinely "interested the father in my behalf," making De Lacey the only human who comes close to accepting him without fear. However, the encounter ends badly: when Felix returns and attacks the creature, De Lacey's life is put "in the greatest danger," forcing the family to abandon the cottage for good. Thus, De Lacey embodies both the closest connection the creature has to humanity and the fragility of that hope—a figure of gentle compassion whose blindness, both literal and symbolic, allows him to see the creature without bias, if only for a moment.

About this character

Role
blind old father of Felix and Agatha, briefly befriended by the creature
Form
Novel
Author
Mary Shelley
First published
1818

The person01–03

01·Who they are

Who is De Lacey?

De Lacey is introduced in Chapter 14 as a man "descended from a good family in France," who once enjoyed a life "in affluence, respected by his superiors and beloved by his equals." His decline into poverty and exile is not his fault; it arises from his son's principled decision. When the creature first sees him, De Lacey is blind and reliant on others, yet he remains kind and welcoming—offering comfort to a stranger he cannot perceive, and openly acknowledging his blindness without bitterness: "I am blind, I am afraid I shall find it difficult to procure food for you."

02·Arc & motivation

What is De Lacey's arc and motivation?

De Lacey's story unfolds mainly through the creature's perspective in Chapters 14–15. His journey is marked by an undeserved fall: from life in Paris to a "noisome dungeon" and then to a state of perpetual exile. In the scenes at the cottage, his motivation centers on supporting his family and preserving his dignity, despite his diminished circumstances. He plays his guitar in solitude, sits "absorbed in reflection," and when the creature arrives, he responds with quiet generosity. He does not actively advance the creature's story through his own decisions; instead, he remains a passive figure whose passivity—characterized by blindness, solitude, and gentleness—creates an opening for the creature to try to integrate into human society.

03·Key moments

What are De Lacey's key moments?

  • Chapter 14: The creature learns about De Lacey's past—his previous wealth, his imprisonment alongside Agatha, and the family's exile—casting him as a victim of injustice rather than a villain.
  • Chapter 15: De Lacey chooses to be alone while his children are away. When the creature enters, De Lacey greets him with courtesy, offering to help meet the creature's needs, though he cautions that his blindness will complicate his ability to find food. This moment represents the novel's sole instance of unguarded human kindness towards the creature.
  • Chapter 16: After a disastrous revelation, Felix exclaims that "the life of my father is in the greatest danger," leading the family to flee. The creature, filled with grief, recalls "the mild voice of De Lacey," even as anger consumes him and he burns the cottage.

The cast04–05

04·Relationships

What are De Lacey's most important relationships?

De Lacey's relationship with the creature is central to the cottage episode. The creature deliberately chooses him—"if in the absence of his children I could gain the good will and mediation of the old De Lacey, I might by his means be tolerated by my younger protectors." The plan nearly works: the creature later feels that his "conversation had interested the father in my behalf." De Lacey's blindness is more than just a plot device; it embodies the novel's idea that it is appearance, not character, that leads to the creature's rejection by humans.

His relationship with Felix is marked by mutual devotion, tested by tragedy. Felix surrendered to French authorities to free his father, and it is his protective fury upon discovering the creature at De Lacey's feet that brings the family's time in the cottage to an abrupt end.

05·Connected characters

How is De Lacey connected to the other characters?

Felix De Lacey

Felix is De Lacey's son, who sacrificed himself by delivering himself up to the vengeance of the law in an attempt to free his father and Agatha — it was De Lacey and Agatha, not Felix, who were thrown into prison by the French government in retaliation for Felix's aid to the Turkish merchant.

Full commentary

Felix is De Lacey's son, who sacrificed himself by delivering himself up to the vengeance of the law in an attempt to free his father and Agatha — it was De Lacey and Agatha, not Felix, who were thrown into prison by the French government in retaliation for Felix's aid to the Turkish merchant. Felix's protective instinct toward his father is so fierce that, on finding the creature at De Lacey's feet, he tears it away and ultimately declares that his father's life is in the greatest danger — prompting the family's flight.

Agatha De Lacey

Agatha is De Lacey's daughter, who was imprisoned alongside her father in Paris and shares his exile. The creature remembers her 'gentle eyes' alongside De Lacey's 'mild voice' as the human qualities that briefly temper his rage after the family's desertion.

The Creature

De Lacey is chosen by the creature as the one to approach first, precisely because his blindness means he cannot be repelled by the creature's appearance. Their brief exchange is the closest the creature comes to genuine human acceptance, and De Lacey's mild reception becomes a painful contrast to the horror of the rest of the family.

Safie

Safie is the daughter of the Turkish merchant whose imprisonment first set in motion the chain of events that ruined De Lacey's family; she later arrives at the cottage as Felix's beloved, becoming part of the household De Lacey shares.

Study06–07

06·Questions

Questions readers ask about De Lacey

Why does the creature choose to approach De Lacey rather than the younger members of the family?

The creature thinks about how his unnatural ugliness was the main source of fear for those who had seen him before. He believes that De Lacey, being blind, wouldn't be disturbed by his appearance. He hopes that if he can gain De Lacey's trust and support, the old man might persuade Felix and Agatha to accept him.

How does De Lacey respond when the creature enters the cottage?

De Lacey greets the stranger warmly, inviting him to come in and promising to do his best to help him. He honestly admits that his blindness might make it a challenge to provide food. Despite this, he displays no fear or doubt.

How did De Lacey lose his fortune and end up in exile?

Felix helped a Turkish merchant avoid an unjust death sentence in France. When the authorities uncovered the scheme, they imprisoned De Lacey and Agatha as punishment. After five months in confinement and a trial, the family lost their wealth and was sentenced to lifelong exile from France.

Does De Lacey ever find out what the creature really is?

The novel doesn't suggest that De Lacey fully grasps the creature's true nature.

What does the creature remember about De Lacey after the family leaves?

Even in the depths of rage and despair following the family's abandonment, the creature remembers "the mild voice of De Lacey" as one of the few things that brings him momentary comfort, along with Agatha's gentle eyes and Safie's beauty — until anger resurfaces, prompting him to set fire to the cottage.

What role does De Lacey play in the creature's emotional development?

De Lacey and his family represent the creature's primary example of human warmth and domestic affection. The creature yearns to "claim their protection and kindness" and to be "known and loved" in their home. De Lacey's brief acceptance, followed by the family's rejection, is the turning point when the creature first feels 'revenge and hatred.'

07·Essay angles

Use this in your essay

Tool · Essay angles

  • Blindness as moral sight

    De Lacey's physical blindness allows him to treat the creature with humanity—explore what Shelley suggests about the relationship between sight, prejudice, and moral judgment.

  • Innocence and injustice

    De Lacey suffers imprisonment and exile for a crime he did not commit; the creature faces rejection for an appearance he did not choose—compare these shared injustices.

  • The limits of sympathy

    De Lacey's kindness is sincere but ultimately insufficient; analyze why even his goodwill cannot protect the creature from the horrors of a sighted world.

  • Paternal figures

    De Lacey is a father who is cared for rather than controlling; contrast him with Victor Frankenstein as a creator/father figure who abandons his creation.

  • Memory and loss

    The creature's last memory of "the mild voice of De Lacey" amid his rage indicates that tenderness and violence coexist within him—use this to argue about the creature's capacity for feeling and its frustrations.

Frankenstein

Continue

Full study guide →