Felix and Safie

Felix and Safie are the young lovers whose story, embedded within the monster's narrative, provides a crucial counterpoint to the central relationship between Victor Frankenstein and his creature, illustrating the possibilities of cross-cultural love, sacrifice, and the devastating consequences of prejudice and betrayal.

Identity and Background

Felix is the son of the blind old man De Lacey, a once-affluent French family that has fallen into ruin. Safie is the daughter of a wealthy Turkish merchant, a man who becomes obnoxious to the French government and is condemned to death. Safie's mother was a Christian Arab who, seized and made a slave by the Turks, won the heart of Safie's father and married him. This mother, who died young, instilled in Safie a love of freedom and a desire for intellectual independence, teaching her daughter to "aspire to higher powers of intellect and an independence of spirit forbidden to the female followers of Muhammad." Safie herself is described as having a countenance of "angelic beauty and expression," with hair of a "shining raven black" and a complexion "wondrously fair."

The Rescue and the Promise

Felix, present at the Turk's trial, is overcome with horror and indignation at the unjust sentence. He makes a solemn vow to deliver the prisoner and, after many fruitless attempts, finds a way to communicate with him through a grated window. The Turk, amazed and delighted, tries to kindle Felix's zeal with promises of reward and wealth, which Felix rejects with contempt. However, when Felix sees the lovely Safie, who is allowed to visit her father and expresses her lively gratitude through gestures, he cannot help but acknowledge that the captive possesses a treasure that would fully reward his toil and hazard. The Turk quickly perceives the impression his daughter has made on Felix and secures him more entirely by promising Safie's hand in marriage once he is safe. Felix, too delicate to accept this offer outright, nevertheless looks forward to the event as the consummation of his happiness. Safie, for her part, finds the prospect of marrying a Christian and remaining in a country where women are allowed to take a rank in society enchanting, a stark contrast to the prospect of being immured within the walls of a harem.

The Escape and the Betrayal

Felix procures passports in the name of his father, sister, and himself, and his father aids the deceit by quitting their house under the pretense of a journey. Felix conducts the fugitives through France to Lyons and across Mont Cenis to Leghorn, where the Turk decides to wait for an opportunity to pass into Turkish dominions. During this time, Safie resolves to remain with her father, and the Turk renews his promise that she shall be united to his deliverer. Felix remains with them, enjoying Safie's society; they converse through an interpreter and through looks, and Safie sings to him the divine airs of her native country. The Turk, however, harbors far other plans, loathing the idea of his daughter marrying a Christian but fearing Felix's resentment. He secretly plans to take his daughter with him when he departs. The government of France, enraged at the escape, discovers Felix's plot, and De Lacey and Agatha are thrown into prison. Felix, upon hearing this, quickly arranges with the Turk that Safie should remain at a convent at Leghorn, then hastens to Paris to deliver himself up, hoping to free his family. He fails; they remain confined for five months, and the result of their trial deprives them of their fortune and condemns them to perpetual exile. The treacherous Turk, on discovering his deliverer's ruin, quits Italy with his daughter, insultingly sending Felix a pittance of money.

Safie's Journey and Reunion

When the news reaches Leghorn that Felix is deprived of his wealth and rank, the Turk commands his daughter to think no more of her lover and prepare to return to her native country. Safie, outraged by this command, attempts to expostulate, but her father leaves her angrily. A few days later, the Turk tells her he must flee to Constantinople immediately, leaving her to follow with a servant. Alone, Safie resolves to defy her father. Using papers she finds, she learns the name of the spot where Felix now resides. Taking jewels and money, she quits Italy with an attendant, a native of Leghorn who understands Turkish, and departs for Germany. She arrives safely at a town about twenty leagues from the De Laceys' cottage, but her attendant falls dangerously ill. Safie nurses her with devoted affection, but the girl dies, leaving Safie alone, unacquainted with the language and customs of the country. The woman of the house where they stayed, having learned their destination, ensures Safie arrives safely at the cottage of her lover. Her arrival at the cottage is a moment of profound transformation; Felix, who had been the saddest of the group, is "ravished with delight," every trait of sorrow vanishing from his face, replaced by "a degree of ecstatic joy." Her presence diffuses gladness through the cottage, dispelling their sorrow "as the sun dissipates the morning mists."

Life at the Cottage and Thematic Significance

At the cottage, Safie becomes a student alongside the monster, learning language and history from Felix. He uses Volney's Ruins of Empires to instruct her, and through these lessons, the monster gains a cursory knowledge of history, manners, governments, and religions. Safie's presence brings a greater degree of plenty to the cottage; Felix and Agatha spend more time in amusement and conversation, assisted in their labors by servants. The story of Felix and Safie is a romance of rescue, cross-cultural understanding, and the triumph of personal loyalty over familial and societal prejudice. It stands in stark contrast to the relationship between Victor and his monster. Where Victor abandons his creation, Felix risks everything to save a stranger. Where the monster is rejected for his appearance, Safie is welcomed for her character. Where the monster is denied companionship, Felix and Safie find a happy, if impoverished, union. Their story, as told by the monster, deepens his own sense of isolation and injustice, as he sees the love and sympathy he craves given freely to another. The relationship also serves as a critique of the prejudice and injustice that can destroy lives, as the De Laceys are ruined by their association with a foreigner, and the Turk's betrayal underscores the theme of ingratitude and selfishness.