Skip to content
Storgy

Character analysis · Arabian woman who joins the De Lacey cottage and whose story is recounted

Safie

in Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Safie is an Arabian woman who arrives at the De Lacey cottage to reunite with Felix, the man she loves. Her arrival changes the atmosphere of the household, lifting the sadness that had hung over it and bringing joy to everyone there. She is the daughter of a Turkish merchant, whose wrongful imprisonment in Paris triggered a series of events: Felix risked everything to free him, partly due to his affection for Safie, and in return, the Turk promised her hand in marriage. When her father later betrayed Felix and ordered Safie to return to Turkey, she stood her ground, taking her jewels and money to travel independently to Germany in search of her lover.

Safie's character is significantly influenced by her mother, a Christian Arab who instilled in her the value of intellectual independence and the importance of resisting the confines of a harem. These teachings made Safie "sickened at the prospect of again returning to Asia," and her resolve to stay in a place where women could "take a rank in society" fuels her brave journey. At the cottage, she is "always gay and happy," plays the guitar with a voice "like a nightingale of the woods," and learns the language alongside the Creature, who benefits from the same lessons that Felix provides her. Her letters, kept by the Creature and later shown to Walton, act as documentary evidence supporting the entire story. When the Creature finally reveals himself to the De Laceys, Safie runs from the cottage in fear.

About this character

Role
Arabian woman who joins the De Lacey cottage and whose story is recounted
Form
Novel
Author
Mary Shelley
First published
1818

The person01–03

01·Who they are

Who is Safie?

Safie is the daughter of a Turkish merchant and a Christian Arab mother. Her mother, who was "born in freedom," was captured and enslaved but regained her freedom through marriage. She taught her daughter the principles of her faith and encouraged her to seek knowledge and independence that were typically denied to women in Muhammad's following. These teachings are "indelibly impressed" on Safie's mind. She is portrayed as beautiful, musically gifted, and possessing a "generous nature," with a spirit that finds the concept of harem life "abhorrent."

02·Arc & motivation

What is Safie's arc and motivation?

Safie's journey transforms her from a passive pawn in male negotiations—her father promises her to Felix as a reward—into an active individual who challenges patriarchal control. When her father demands she abandon Felix and return to Turkey, she "attempted to expostulate with her father," and when he storms off in anger, she hatches her own plan. She takes her jewels and some cash, traveling independently to Germany with an attendant. Her motivations are twofold: love for Felix and a principled rejection of a confined existence. The idea of marrying a Christian and living in a place where women could have a place in society is captivating to her.

03·Key moments

What are Safie's key moments?

  • Chapter 13: Safie's arrival at the cottage shifts the atmosphere instantly. Felix welcomes "his Arabian" with smiles, and Agatha kisses her hands. That evening, Safie starts learning the language, and the Creature decides to learn alongside her.
  • Chapter 13: Safie plays the guitar and sings for old De Lacey, with her voice likened to "a nightingale of the woods." The Creature is moved to tears. Later, both the Creature and Safie share tears over Volney's account of the plight of the indigenous peoples of the Americas.
  • Chapter 14: The backstory reveals Safie's independent journey—after her father's betrayal and departure, she gets papers indicating Felix's location, takes her jewels and money, and travels with an attendant who later dies, leaving her "alone, unacquainted with the language of the country." Even so, she arrives safely at the cottage.
  • Chapter 15: When Felix, Safie, and Agatha return to find the Creature holding onto De Lacey's knees, Agatha faints, and "Safie, unable to attend to her friend, rushed out of the cottage."
  • Chapter 24: Walton notes that the letters from Felix and Safie, which the Creature showed him, provided "a greater conviction of the truth of his narrative than his asseverations, however earnest and connected."

The cast04–05

04·Relationships

What are Safie's most important relationships?

Safie's relationship with Felix fuels the De Lacey subplot. Felix's affection for her led him to free her father and jeopardize his family's safety; her love for him drives her to defy her father. Their bond is mediated by an interpreter and "the interpretation of looks," and she sings him "the divine airs of her native country." Her relationship with the Creature is indirect but structurally essential: he learns language, history, and geography through the same lessons she receives, and her preserved letters serve as evidence that Walton finds more convincing than Frankenstein's spoken words. Her relationship with her father ultimately deteriorates: she questions his authority, and when he leaves without her, she takes matters into her own hands.

05·Connected characters

How is Safie connected to the other characters?

Felix De Lacey

Safie is Felix's beloved; he risked his family's ruin to free her father, and she in turn defied her father's orders and travelled with an attendant across Europe to reach him. Their relationship is the emotional centre of the De Lacey subplot.

De Lacey

Safie sits at the old man's feet, plays guitar for him, and receives his warm gratitude; he appears 'enraptured' by her music.

Agatha De Lacey

Agatha greets Safie warmly, kissing her hands on arrival, and the two women retire together each evening; Safie rushes out of the cottage unable to attend to Agatha when the Creature appears.

The Creature

The Creature learns language and letters through the same lessons Felix gives Safie, making her unwitting education central to his development; her letters later serve as evidence of the Creature's story for Walton.

Robert Walton

Walton is shown the letters of Felix and Safie by the Creature, and states that they gave him greater conviction of the truth of Frankenstein's narrative than any assurance alone could have done.

Study06–07

06·Questions

Questions readers ask about Safie

Who is Safie's mother and why does she matter?

Safie's mother, a Christian Arab, was captured and enslaved by the Turks but gained her freedom through marriage. She encouraged Safie to cherish her intellectual independence and to challenge the limitations imposed on women by her father's beliefs. Although she passed away before the events of the novel, her teachings were, as noted in the text, "indelibly impressed on the mind of Safie."

Why does Safie travel alone to Germany?

When news got to Leghorn that Felix was in trouble, Safie's father ordered her to forget him and go back to Turkey. But Safie refused to listen. After he secretly left for Constantinople, she got her hands on documents that showed Felix's whereabouts, gathered her jewels and money, and headed out with a companion. When her companion died on the journey, Safie pressed on alone until the household she had been staying with made sure she arrived at the De Lacey cottage safely.

How does Safie help the Creature learn language and knowledge?

Felix teaches Safie the language and reads to her from Volney's Ruins of Empires; meanwhile, the Creature observes from his hovel and learns the same lessons. He notes that "the stranger learned about twenty words at the first lesson" and that he and Safie "improved rapidly in the knowledge of language" together.

What happens when the Creature reveals himself at the cottage?

In Chapter 15, Felix, Safie, and Agatha return to find the Creature gripping De Lacey's knees. Agatha faints, and with no time to help her friend, Safie bolts out of the cottage. Felix then yanks the Creature away and strikes him.

What role do Safie's letters play in the novel's larger structure?

The Creature kept copies of the letters from Felix and Safie and shared them with Walton. In Chapter 24, Walton notes that these letters provided him with "a greater conviction of the truth" of the story than Frankenstein's own verbal reassurances, highlighting their significance as crucial documentary evidence in the novel's complex narrative.

Why did Safie's father betray Felix?

The text shows the Turk's deep disdain for the thought of his daughter marrying a Christian, but he also feared that Felix might report him to the Italian authorities. Once he learned that Felix was now living in poverty and exile, he felt free from the need for Felix's protection. As a result, he departed Italy with Safie, leaving Felix with only a small sum of money.

07·Essay angles

Use this in your essay

Tool · Essay angles

  • Safie as a figure of female agency

    Unlike other women in the novel, Safie takes decisive and independent action—consider how her defiance of her father contrasts with the passivity observed in other female characters.

  • The mother's legacy

    Safie's values are entirely shaped by a mother she has lost; explore how absent or deceased mothers convey identity throughout the novel.

  • Safie and the Creature as parallel learners

    Both acquire language and knowledge of the world simultaneously from the same source—what does this parallel imply about education, humanity, and belonging?

  • Documentary evidence and narrative credibility

    Walton values Felix and Safie's letters more than Frankenstein's spoken narratives—examine what this indicates about truth, testimony, and the novel's complex narration.

  • Orientalism and the "Arabian"

    The text frequently refers to Safie as "the Arabian" and presents her story from a European viewpoint—consider how the novel critiques and perpetuates cultural stereotypes in its depiction of her background.

Frankenstein

Continue

Full study guide →