Journal #1: Frankenstein
Mary Shelley’s novel, Frankenstein, contains the story of young scientist Victor Frankenstein and the monstrous creature he creates as a part of a scientific experiment. Frankenstein spends months tirelessly working to craft the creature out of old body parts; however, when the monster finally comes to life one night, Frankenstein immediately regrets his efforts and feels the act was a disaster. Frankenstein says: “I saw the dull yellow eyes of the creature open. (…) How can I describe my emotions at this catastrophe, or delineate the wretch whom with such infinite pains and care I had endeavored to form?” (42). Frankenstein was no longer inspired by his efforts, instead, he was disgusted: “I had worked hard for
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Throughout Frankenstein, Shelley consistently represents women as people in need of protection and help from men. For example, near the beginning of the novel, Frankenstein recalls that his father often needed to protect and save his mother, almost as if she were a weak and fragile flower. Frankenstein says how “He [Frankenstein’s father] came like a protecting spirit to the poor girl [Frankenstein’s mother], who committed herself to his care” (18); “He strove to shelter her, as a fair exotic is sheltered by the gardener, from rougher wind and to surround her with all that could tend to excite pleasurable emotion in her soft benevolent mind” (19). Not only does Shelley portray women as weak and in need of male protection, but she also objectifies women. For example, Frankenstein’s mother refers to his cousin and now adopted sister, Elizabeth, as an object that can be given to someone. Frankenstein recalls …show more content…
Women being portrayed as weak is a theme that continues throughout Frankenstein. For example, near the middle of the novel in the scene in which Justine is convicted of murdering Frankenstein’s brother, women are portrayed as passive and weak. Elizabeth does take action to try and prevent Justine’s execution, because although Justine confessed to killing Frankenstein’s brother, she “confessed a lie” (69) and did not actually kill him. However, Elizabeth’s efforts were in vain, and she was still powerless to stop the execution; Frankenstein explains: “Justine died. Elizabeth’s heart-wrenching eloquence failed to move the judges from their settled conviction in the criminality of the saintly sufferer. My passionate and indignant appeals were lost upon them” (70). In this instance, both Frankenstein and Elizabeth were unable to stop Justine’s death, therefore, one could argue that while Shelley might portray women as powerless, she presents men as powerless as well. However, Shelly still represents women as weaker than men in this scene. One example of this is when Frankenstein refers to Justine as “the poor victim” (68). Moreover, in this scene, Shelley once again portrays women as needing men’s help, because Elizabeth says to Frankenstein: “I will go [visit Justine in jail], although she is guilty; and you, Victor, shall
These chapters focus mainly on Victor Frankenstein's back-story as he was growing up. He describes his cousin Elizabeth, who he later becomes married to, and about how they came about finding her. Later we are introduced to Victors best friend, Henry Clerval. We also learn that Frankenstein became fascinated with the sciences by the 16th century author Cornelius Agrippa. This along with many of the other philosophers of that time inspired him to become a scientist. Later he also witnesses the power of electricity when a bolt of lightning strikes a tree nearby where he is staying. At the start of chapter three we learn that Victor is in the process of leaving for college when Elizabeth gets sick. In an effort to save her Victors mother nurses Elizabeth back to health yet manages to contract her disease. As she dies she continues her dream about Victor and Elizabeth getting married and passes that on to Victor just before she dies. Victor then goes about leaving to his college and after spending his last days hanging out with his friends finally departs. In his first days there however he meets the teacher of Natural Philosophy at the school M. Krempe, who informs him that all that Frankenstein had learned from his 16th century hero's was rubbish and should be thrown out the window. Although saddened by this information he attends a lecture of chemistry and decides to become a scientist. Yet throughout these chapters we see the seeds of Victors downfall. His unwillingness to take others opinion and experience into account becomes evident when he call Mr. Krempe a "little squat man with a gruff voice and a repulsive countenance; the teacher, therefore, did not prepossess me in favour of his pursuits." (...
Merriam Webster’s Encyclopedia of Literature highlights Frankenstein as the work of Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, published in 1818, and it brought into the Western world one of its best known monsters. Elements of gothic romance and science fiction help in telling the story of young Swiss scientist Victor Frankenstein, as he creates a horrible monster by putting together limbs and veins, leading to destruction and his later regret. The creature is left alone in the world, even by his own creator, for his hideous appearance, and through watching humans he learns their ways of living. Haunting Victor due to his loneliness, he forcefully makes Victor agree to make him a female companion, but Victor’s regret and misery enables him to tear up his
Certainly the male characters in ‘Frankenstein’ are more developed that those of the females. Elizabeth Fay has suggested that the female characters are ‘idealised figures’ in much of Shelley’s work, particularly in the descriptions of Caroline and Elizabeth, the two mother figures in the novel.
Anne Mellor, author of “Frankenstein: A Feminist Critique of Science” argues that Victor Frankenstein represents the patriarchal society. Mellor also argues that Victor is afraid of the female sexuality. “A fear of female sexuality is implicit in a patriarchal construction of gender” says Mellor. She continues with her argument, saying that the death of Elizabeth Lavenza, Victor’s bride-to-be, is extremely significant to the feminist backbone of the story.
It’s fascinating that she was responsible for the novel Frankenstein where women are given such little importance, due to the dominant male characters. Women are given no voice at all as the story is told by three male narrators, Walton, Victor and the monster, which is only a reflection of the position men had in all aspects of life, domestic, social, political and economic in the nineteenth century.
Frankenstein “supports a patriarchal denial of the value of women and of female sexuality” (Mellor, 356). Mellor’s point is significant here because a woman was devalued if she was not able to produce children or if she showed signs of independence. Mary Shelley’s own mother, Mary Wollstonecraft, defied gender roles and strongly advocated for the freedoms of women. This influence shines through Shelley’s novel as the deaths of the women
In Frankenstein, there are many women that are mentioned who seem to initially play minor roles. Elizabeth is one of the most important female characters and is the embodiment of the consistently passive woman in the novel. She is a great friend to Victor whom she is expected to marry someday. Elizabeth takes on conventional feminist ideals by acting out the role of a "good girl," but as the story goes, it seems that she is merely there to suffer and die (Williams). Elizabeth is helplessly waiting for Victors return from his tour of Europe. She sends Victor a friendly letter telling him of how much she wants him to come home. She is very intent on getting Victor back so she can marry him. Elizabeth's death by the creature changes Victor's character because he is so close to her...
Shelly’s Frankenstein is easily regarded as one of the world’s finest pieces of literature. A reason why it’s in a class of its own is because of the strong feminist undertones present throughout the work. All of Shelly’s female characters come across as inferior to the males; this character portrayal was accurate to the time period when the novel was written, in which this did happen to be the case. An example of this would be how Shelly described Elizabeth, “Who’s hair was the brightest living gold, and despite the poverty of her clothing, seemed to set a crown of distinction on her head,” when the Victor’s mother came across her (Shelly 20). Right from the start of the novel Elizabeth is presented as weak. Victor later stated when his mother brought Elizabeth home that she was “A possession of my own” (Shelly 21). Not only is Elizabeth presented as weak, but also an item to be used however the Frankenstein family wants. And that want was for Elizabeth to become Victor’s wife, “Till dead she was to be” Victor’s only (Shelly 21). She is showed to the reader as feeble, in a powerless position, and overall incapable of supporting her-self without others; at the mercy of men (Feminism and Frankenstein). Putting fe...
Many people know that Mary Shelley, the author of Frankenstein, was part of a family of famed Romantic era writers. Her mother, Mary Wollstonecraft, was one of the first leaders of the feminist movement, her father, William Godwin, was a famous social philosopher, and her husband, Percy Shelley, was one of the leading Romantic poets of the time ("Frankenstein: Mary Shelley Biography."). What most people do not know, however, is that Mary Shelley dealt with issues of abandonment her whole life and fear of giving birth (Duncan, Greg. "Frankenstein: The Historical Context."). When she wrote Frankenstein, she revealed her hidden fears and desires through the story of Victor Frankenstein’s creation, putting him symbolically in her place (Murfin, Ross. "Psychoanalytic Criticism and Frankenstein.”). Her purpose, though possibly unconsciously, in writing the novel was to resolve both her feelings of abandonment by her parents, and fears of her own childbirth.
In “Frankenstein” penned by Mary Shelley, the author depicts the roles of passive women through the roles of Caroline, Elizabeth, and Justine. Caroline marries Victor’s father, Alphonese Frankenstein, despite the huge age difference between them, and gets approval from her husband to make Elizabeth part of the Frankenstein family. Elizabeth joins the Frankenstein family after Caroline takes her from the orphanage, has superficial beauty, and constantly writes letters to Victor, waiting for his return and his hand in marriage. Justine cannot prove her innocence in court without the appearance of Victor. On the other hand, Shelley depicts Safie as a woman willing to stand up for her religion, disobeying her father’s orders of going to Constantinople, and finds Felix. Through the portrayals of Caroline, Elizabeth, and Justine, women are depicted as possessions by men, admired for their superficial beauty, and do not take direct action without the appearance of men. However, Safie’s portrayal in “Frankenstein” symbolizes a woman who longs to have her own rights and a woman who goes against the role of passive woman.
Mary Shelley’s magnificent minor character Justine endures a horrendous death and maintains courage and grace when faced with a daunting trial. The powerful description of this strong young woman magnifies the gross wrongdoings of Victor Frankenstein and belittles his masculinity as he is seen as weak in comparison. Frankenstein is incapable of possessing the qualities inherent to Justine thus supporting the idea of womanly might as a formidable force.Through the representation of Justine’s intense, unwavering courage during her trial and Frankenstein’s absence of masculine bravery and justice, one can see that Shelley’s minor character is an affirmation of the undeniable strength of women.
Essay 2 Psychoanalysis is the method of psychological therapy originated by Sigmund Freud in which free association, dream interpretation, and analysis of resistance and transference are used to explore repressed or unconscious impulses, anxieties, and internal conflicts (“Psychoanalysis”). This transfers to analyzing writing in order to obtain a meaning behind the text. There are two types of people who read stories and articles. The first type attempts to understand the plot or topic while the second type reads to understand the meaning behind the text. Baldick is the second type who analyzes everything.
Mary Shelley, the author of the novel Frankenstein grew up in the early 1800’s with her father, a radical philosopher that believed in the equality of the sexes, and her mother, a vindicator of women’s rights. Shelley followed the footsteps of her parents and became a strong feminist advocate, and supporter of gender equality. The development of her novel granted her with the opportunity to express her feminist ideologies in a subtle, and realistic way, unlike any other authors during her time period. Thus, in the novel Frankenstein, Mary Shelley incorporates her feminist beliefs with the purpose of portraying the realities of a woman’s life during the early 1800’s.
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.
What is interesting about the way Shelley writes, is the fact that she glazes over the actual birth of the monster. Bringing the character to life was not the goal of the story. How society and how the main character handles the monster is the focus. ENotes assesses Frankenstein in their Critical Evaluation showing how although the monster “develops language skills, emotion, and consciousness, he appears as a grotesque being and is spurned by society because he does not fit any ideal” (eNotes 3). The monster is curious as is the townspeople, but simple inquiry isn’t enough to stop the people from rallying against Frankenstein’s Monster. The author purposely chooses not to shine the spotlight on the horror of the monster, but the horror of the decaying society. Shelley also features prominent male characters in her novel, possibly on account of events in her own life. She writes about the character Justine, who while facing “execution, … establish[ed] a bond [with Elizabeth] that begins during a brief conversation about their shared experiences” (eNotes 8). Shelley’s lack of female characters, whether due to death or not, in the novel might have a correlation with her personal life as well. She had to endure the death of her mother as well as her sister. She brings this level of emotions into her