Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley lived in a sexually separated early 19th century Europe when she wrote her classic novel “Frankenstein”, and many ideas of her society reflect in her novel. Mary grew up in an English society where the role of women was primarily limited to the home while their male counterparts were out and about doing whatever such work he did (“Women in the 19th Century”). Much paralleling true society, gender roles in “Frankenstein” are very much different for men as they were for women. In volume I of “Frankenstein”, the main character, Victor Frankenstein, refers to nature as a female – “I pursued nature to her hiding places”(Mary Shelley, 49) – partaking in a gendered segregation whose consequences are everywhere evident throughout the novel; the affects of the separation of genders lead to destruction time and time again in the novel, possibly illustrating the beliefs of Mary Shelley of the consequences of this segregation. “Whether Shelley intended it or not, Frankenstein offers formal and thematic echoes of the revolutionary philosophy that made cultural room, of an ever-evolving shape and nature, for the fictional interventions in political and social realms,” (Batchelor, Rhonda) says Rhonda Batchelor in her essay reviewing feminine voice in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. It is quite possible that Shelley had no intention of including her views on male directive, but there is greater evidence pointing to the fact that she did in fact include her beliefs in her novel to include into the newly founded woman's movement of her time. This essay will argue that Mary Shelley adds intimations in her novel "Frankenstein", clearly indicating her perception that men viewed women as a feeble second class in the... ... middle of paper ... ... De Lacey family to represent her alternative ideology: a vision of a social group based on justice, equality, and mutual affection (Mellor, Anne K. 358). Mellor argues that all of these feminist beliefs and thoughts were a result of Shelley's mother, Mary Wollstonecraft, and her book “A Vindication of the Rights of Woman”. In this book, Wollstonecraft portrays the consequences of a social construction of gender that values the male above the female. She also argues that females are capable of intellectual greatness equal if not better than men (Grogan, Claire). Mellor states that Shelley was “doubtlessly inspired by her mother's [novel]”(Mellor, Anne K. 356). Finally, Anne Mellor conjectures that Shelley is trying to imply that, had the De Lacey family had a mother figure, they would have been more able to accept the creature into their home (Mellor, Anne K. 359).
This means that the importance of women was small, but the size of their role was increasing during the early 19th century. Although Frankenstein gives the reader clues about the 19th century, inferences can be made on how the individual sees society through the tale of Frankenstein’s monster. After Frankenstein aborted his creation, the monster goes off into the world and experiences society without having any prior knowledge about society. He speaks of how he learns about basic human functions as well as how he has come to terms with being a monstrosity. The event in his story that gives the most evidence towards the events occurring in the 19th century was his encounter with the De Laceys.
For centuries, women have been forced to live life on the outskirts of a male-dominated society. During the 1800’s, the opportunities for women were extremely limited and Mary Shelly does an excellent job portraying this in her gothic novel, Frankenstein. Furthermore, in this novel, Mary Shelly shows how society considers women to be possessions rather than independent human beings. In addition, the female characters rely heavily on men for support and survival, thus proving their inability to do it on their own. Lastly, the female characters in this novel are in many ways victimized by the male characters.
Indisputably, Mary Wollstonecraft was one of the most influential figures of Enlightenment, also considered the ‘first feminist’. It is certain that her works and writing has influenced the lives of many women and altered the outlook of some societies on women, evolving rights of women a great deal from what they used to be in her time. It is clear that Wollstonecraft’s arguments and writing will remain applicable and relevant to societies for many years to come, as although there has been progression, there has not been a complete resolution. Once women receive so easily the freedom, rights and opportunities that men inherently possess, may we be able to say that Wollstonecraft has succeeded in vindicating the rights of women entirely.
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde could be compared to Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein because they both characterize their women characters as passive, disposable and useless. Although Frankenstein was written many years earlier, both texts deal with many of the s...
In feminist literary theory, it claims that Frankenstein’s act of creation is not only a sin against God and nature. It is also an act against the “female principle” which includes natural procreation as one of its central aspects. The monster, the result of male arrogance, is the enemy and destroyer of the eternal female principle.
In Frankenstein, Victor’s monster suffers much loneliness and pain at the hands of every human he meets, as he tries to be human like them. First, he is abandoned by his creator, the one person that should have accepted, helped, and guided him through the confusing world he found himself in. Next, he is shunned wherever he goes, often attacked and injured. Still, throughout these trials, the creature remains hopeful that he can eventually be accepted, and entertains virtuous and moral thoughts. However, when the creature takes another crushing blow, as a family he had thought to be very noble and honorable abandons him as well, his hopes are dashed. The monster then takes revenge on Victor, killing many of his loved ones, and on the humans who have hurt him. While exacting his revenge, the monster often feels guilty for his actions and tries to be better, but is then angered and provoked into committing more wrongdoings, feeling self-pity all the while. Finally, after Victor’s death, the monster returns to mourn the death of his creator, a death he directly caused, and speaks about his misery and shame. During his soliloquy, the monster shows that he has become a human being because he suffers from an inner conflict, in his case, between guilt and a need for sympathy and pity, as all humans do.
Within Frankenstein, the level at which a female is portrayed is quite low. Like we have heard in class, women were not necessarily respected as much as men were when the novel was written. Published in 1818 by Mary Shelley, her story tells of the adventure of young Victor Frankenstein and the creation of his creature. Though deep within this narration of Frankenstein’s life, there seems to be an underlying theme seeping through Shelley’s writing. Shelley seems to venture into the idea of feminism and grotesquely show how men are treated much better than women. Her novel includes various concrete examples to support this hypothesis.
“The Social Order vs. the Wretch: Mary Shelley's Contradictory-Mindedness in Frankenstein Sylvia Bowerbank.” Bowerbank, "The Social Order vs. the Wretch", knarf.english.upenn.edu/Articles/bower.html.
From the beginning of time in history, women have always been portrayed as and seen as the submissive sex. Women especially during the time period of the 1800s were characterized as passive, disposable, and serving an utilitarian function. Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is a prime example displaying the depiction of women. The women in Frankenstein represent the treatment of women in the early 1800’s. Shelley’s incorporation of suffering and death of her female characters portrays that in the 1800’s it was acceptable. The women in the novel are treated as property and have minimal rights in comparison to the male characters. The feminist critic would find that in Frankenstein the women characters are treated like second class citizens. The three brutal murders of the innocent women are gothic elements which illustrates that women are inferior in the novel. Mary Shelley, through her novel Frankenstein, was able to give the reader a good sense of women’s role as the submissive sex, through the characters experiences of horrific events including but not limited to brutal murder and degradation, which is illuminated by her personal life experiences and time period of romanticism.
“Allure, Authority, and Psychoanalysis” discusses the unconscious wishes, effects, conflicts, anxieties, and fantasies within “Frankenstein.” The absence of strong female characters in “Frankenstein” suggests the idea of Victor’s desire to create life without the female. This desire possibly stems from Victor’s attempt to compensate for the lack of a penis or, similarly, from the fear of female sexuality. Victor’s strong desire for maternal love is transferred to Elizabeth, the orphan taken into the Frankenstein family. This idea is then reincarnated in the form of a monster which leads to the conclusion that Mary Shelley felt like an abandoned child who is reflected in the rage of the monster.
When reading Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, one cannot help but notice that the women characters seem to have little substance compared to the male characters. This may have been caused by the time period in which she wrote: one in which females were considered inferior to males. This difference between the sexes can be looked at using a variety of different perspectives. Johanna M. Smith, a professor at the University of Texas at Arlington, discusses this issue using feminist eyes in her essay entitled "'Cooped up': Feminine Domesticity in Frankenstein." The main points in Professor Smith's essay are that the female characters are there only to reflect the male characters, and that the Frankenstein family has a weird style of living, which she describes as a "bookkeeping mentality" (Smith 279).
Yousef, Nancy. "The monster in a dark room: Frankenstein, feminism, and philosophy." Modern Language Quarterly 63.2 (2002): 197+. Literature Resource Center. Web. 24 Jan. 2012
In “Frankenstein” penned by Mary Shelley, one cannot help but notice the role of women in the novel compared to men. Even though Mary Shelley is the daughter of Mary Wollstonecraft, a mother advocating for women’s rights in society, she displays the roles of Caroline, Elizabeth, and Justine as passive women. This may be the time period when women were considered inferior to men. Caroline, Elizabeth, and Justine are depicted as possessions by men, admired for their superficial beauty, and do not take action without the permission of men. On the other hand, Shelley illustrates Safie as a woman who speaks up for her own rights when her father forbids her to find Felix.
Societies pride themselves for their open-mindedness and forward-thinking, but when put to the test, these ideals are quickly forgotten. No one has the courage to stand up for what is right because of a fear of the consequences. Citizens choose the path of least resistance- turning a blind eye- because they believe that someone else will take control of the situation. However, ignoring the problem is more involved than people want to believe. Not choosing to take action is a choice in and of itself. When the majority decides to not to step up for what is right, the situation will never be solved and the victims will be trapped indefinitely. In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, no one takes a risk to stand up for the creature’s integrity and ability to be a productive citizen. Everyone pushes the creature away, including the people closest time him. It is only a matter of time before the creature reaches his breaking point. Although Victor Frankenstein may seem to be directly at fault, ultimately society is the driving force behind Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein or, The Modern Prometheus.
...nd the images of Robert Walton, Victor Frankenstein, and the fiend supplement each other. If we take one of them away, Frankenstein's plot will be different. Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley uses the same methods to create the male and female characters, and makes women even more positive, selfless, and purer, than men. The presence of women adds romanticism to the novel, without which Frankenstein loses its spirit. Mrs. Margaret Saville, Elizabeth Lavenza, and Justin Moritz act independently, and in the most difficult moments of their lives they encourage the men, and take care of them forgetting about themselves. So, both the female and the male characters in Frankenstein are important, and we cannot manage without them. The only question about the position of women in the novel remains open: if the author of Frankenstein were a man, would the fiend become a woman?