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Frankenstein : the relationship between the victor and the monster
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A look through the eyes of a Feminist: Frankenstein
Feminist theory is one of the most present-day sociological theories where by the status of woman and men are analyzes is society, where the main purpose is to use the acquired knowledge to improve lives for woman. Not only does the feminist theory revolves solely around woman but also include race, class, ethnicity, sexuality, nationality and age with respects to gender. The use of the feminist lens allows us to examine Victor’s several unethical decisions to a higher degree by developing a deeper understanding of gender equality. Victor becomes an exceedingly guilty hearted man from the aspiring student he was growing up as a result of the unethical decisions he makes growing up. He wrongs
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not only himself but Elizabeth and Justine as well. Mary Shelley came from a feminist family and growing up as a feminist had given a reference to her family's ideals regarding the matter. This makes the feminist lens very useful to the analysis of the text. Using the feminist lens allows a much greater insight into the novel and helps to truly understand the message the novel is trying to communicate. Victor’s unethical decisions present themselves during his destruction of the female monster, his inability to confess to save Justine, as well as his selfish decision to put the lives of both Justine and Walton in danger. When the creature forces Victor to make a female monster as a companion, Victor destroys it at the cost of the creature's wrath. The companion monster is a crucial aspect of the story because it is a female. Society's view of females in 19th century Europe was of a highly sexist nature. A feminist point of view highlights the fact that the female monster is representative of women being helpless and needing a man's help or want to be of importance. The female monster is very passive as well, similar to other females in the book. Victor also fears the creatures female attributes. Its potential ability to make children makes him fearful especially because he thinks as a female she will submit herself to the creature. When victor destroyed her he capitalizes on the females submitted themselves to a man's want. As well he insults the creatures, calling them a "race of devils" (Shelley 163). Frankenstein’s assertion is extremely significant because he regards the female as a problematic species, and abuses it by letting its life hang in the balance before finally destroying it. Through a feminist lens this is a clear indication that Victor possesses sexist traits. He knows that the female will join the creature submissively and is the only one that will accept him. By destroying the female creature he takes revenge for the murder of his little brother. Perhaps Victor’s greatest immoral decision is purposely let Justine die when she is framed for killing his brother, William Frankenstein.
Victor knew she was innocent and his monster was the true murderer and still allowed her to die. He even tries to comfort her during the trial, and Justine regards him as being a true friend (or a relationship of that nature). Like the female monster, Justine is described passively in the novel and does not argue against her accusations that much. The court may have thought even less of Justine simply because she was a woman. In fact she surrenders herself, when says “I commit my cause to the justice of my judges, yet I see no room for hope…I must be condemned” (Shelley 75). Justine’s defeated tone at her trial and loss of faith in the justice system, indicates the fact that as a woman, she knew her statement would be considered less worthy than that of the male witnesses and jury. Knowing that the odds were stacked against her, Victor still chooses to remain quiet because “such a declaration would have been considered the ravings of a mad man” (Shelley 73). Thus Victor’s decision not to confess is a result of how society view him, and thus he may have taken advantage of society's inferior view of women in order to gain his own success. By doing so and letting Justine die, he guarantees that Justine will stay a passive character and not interfere with a man's success. social norms at the time would make women appear to be very
passive. Victor's unethical decision to marry Elizabeth after her being threatened by the Creature, holds him responsible for her murder. Victor is held accountable for Elizabeth’s death as he knew that if he did not create a female companion for the creature, Elizabeth would be the Creature’s next target. The monster threatening Victor in saying "It is well. I go; but remember, I shall be with you on your wedding-night." (Shelley 165), indicates he knew Elizabeth would be in danger if he ever married her, and despite the risk, proceeded to marry her anyways. This act of selfishness causes everyone around Frankenstein to get harmed, and resembles how he shies away from acting ethically for his own egotistical desires. Through a feminist lens, Shelley may have written the novel this way because in the societal setting of the story, females were considered of less stature than male. She does this because when the creature instinctively says he will be with Victor on his wedding night, Elizabeth is acting as a supporting actor, not saying anything or giving advice to Victor, ultimately highlighting the status of women in the setting. Victors unethical behaviour is evident when he endangers the lives of Walton and his crew when pursuing the creature in the arctic. Victor is aware that the creature is dangerous and would kill anyone that was close to him yet he still convinces Walton to pursue the creature. By doing so it shows how Victor does not fully accept responsibility when he realizes the creatures destructive capabilities. This is evident when Victor creates the monster but realizes the creature is hideous, he runs out of his house and spends the night in his courtyard. Victor specifically says " but now that I had finished, the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart. Unable to endure the aspect of the being I had created, I rushed out of the room and continued a long time traversing my bedchamber, unable to compose my mind to sleep." (Shelly 51) . This act reveals that Victor runs away, shies away from the ethical and moral responsibilities put upon him. The main reason that Victor is risking his life as well as Walton and his crews life is to seek vengeance, it is an act of revenge for the destruction the creature has caused to his rustic vision. Victor says "Are you mad, my friend? said he. Or whither does your senseless curiosity lead you? Would you also create for yourself and the world a demoniacal enemy? Peace, peace! Learn my miseries and do not seek to increase your own."(Shelly 185). This is evident that Victor convinces Walton and his crew to pursue the creature without acknowledging the dangers that may occur to people around him while searching for the creature, thus proving his unethical values. Through a feminist perspective one can notice that all the crew members aboard are men which show the social dilemma that occurred during this time period, feminism is important in Shelley Frankenstein because it allows the reader to understand consequence of misogynist behaviour By Victor destroying the female creature, remaining quiet and unhelpful at Justine's trial, as well as endangering the lives of both Elizabeth and Walton, he presents himself to be an unethical man. Through the feminist analysis of the novel, readers are able to realize why he had done so. The society portrayed in the novel demeaned women for their value, and had emphasized the thoughts and importance of the men in the narrative. It is clear that victors way of thinking was heavily influenced by this, and as a result made him commit to his decisions. Works Cited Berger, John. Ways of Seeing. London: British Broadcasting, 1973. Print. Shelley, Mary Wollstonecraft, and Karen Karbiener. Frankenstein, Or, The Modern Prometheus. New York: Barnes & Noble, 2003. Print. "How Is Victor Frankenstein Evil, and How Is He Good? - Homework Help - ENotes.com." Enotes.com. Enotes.com, n.d. Web. 29 Mar. 2015. Crossman, Ashley. "Understanding Feminist Sociology." N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Mar. 2015.
Justine, too, is an ‘idealised figure’, described during the trial as having a countenance which, ‘always engaging, was rendered, by the solemnity of her feelings, exquisitely beautiful.’ She is the archetypal innocent, being beautiful, weak and entirely accepting of her fate to the point of martyrdom.
Mary Shelley’s novel entitled Frankenstein demonstrates women of the Romantic Era as powerless citizens of society. Throughout the novel, the women are secondary characters and are portrayed through the men’s perspective. Therefore, many would think that these female characters are passive and dependant as they are often described as companions and nurturers. Despite the unequal rights of women, Shelley, one of the earliest feminist, has developed female characters who show agency. This trait of taking charge of one 's course of life is reflected through Justine Moritz as she is willing to die for her beliefs, in Safie who defies her father’s and religious wishes and when Victor Frankenstein decides to abort
...t the monster, so there is no one who can back up his story. At the trial, Justine is found guilty and she is sentenced to death. Since Victor does not speak up at Justine’s trial, her death is the result of his silence.
Justine was killed because Victor Frankenstein’s younger brother, William, was murdered. An item that William was wearing during the night of the murder was found on Justine leading everyone to believe that Justine is the murderer. When Victor arrives back to Geneva and hears that Justine has been accused of the murder his reaction was, “Justine Mortiz! Poor, poor girl, is she accused? But it is wrongfully; everyone knows that; no one believes it, surely…”. Victor knew the Monster killed William and probably framed Justine. He knew Justine was innocent, but no one believed him. Justine was also forced to give a false confession, and was hanged. People dislike being insecure, like having a murderer loose among them, so they punish a scapegoat, like Justine, to ease their minds.
The idea for the novel of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein came to her one night when she was staying in the company of what has been called ‘her male coterie’, including Lord Byron and her husband, Percy Shelley. Mary Shelley’s whole life seems to have been heavily influenced by men. She idolised her father, William Godwyn, and appears to have spent a good part of her life trying very hard to impress both him and her husband. There seems to have been a distinct lack of female influence, her mother, Mary Wollstonecraft, having died weeks after her birth, being replaced by a neglectful step-mother. These aspects of her life are perhaps evident in her novel. The characters and plot of Frankenstein were perhaps influenced by Shelley’s conflicting feelings about the predominately masculine circle which surrounded her, and perhaps the many masculine traits that we see in novel were based upon those of the male figures in Shelley’s own life. In this essay I will attempt to show some of these traits.
Mary Shelley discusses many important themes in her famous novel Frankenstein. She presents these themes through the characters and their actions, and many of them represent occurrences from her own life. Many of the themes present debateable issues, and Shelley's thoughts on them. Three of the most important themes in the novel are birth and creation; alienation; and the family and the domestic affections.
In gothic novels tragic figures are symbols of pain to the characters. Victor Frankenstein brings misfortune to his loved ones, which concludes to his overall tragedy. Ironically the monster in this novel is Frankenstein the creator not the creature. He has seven victims including himself and his fall is due to his ambition to be superior.
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. The three points that contribute greatly to the passive role of women are the lower of rank women in society compared to men, women being seen as possessions for men to protect, and women admired for their superficial beauty.
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).
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.
For centauries, women have been forced to live life in 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 in 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. In conclusion, in Mary Shelly’s novel Frankenstein, the female characters always fulfill the limited and archetypical roles that are set for them by society.
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.
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.
Justine Moritz is a charitable woman, she is someone who put the need of others before hers. Leaving her mother at the age of twelve to work for the Frankenstein family. Functioning graciously Justine was performing with care and respect for her obligations. Caring for the mother of Victor’s mother for the duration of her life. Continuing to work Justine manages to work while still grieving for the lost of the Frankenstein family. Justine is a strong-willed character while justifying to the readers the possibility of overcoming obstacles with the willpower anyone can obtain.
Mary Shelley in her book Frankenstein addresses numerous themes relevant to the current trends in society during that period. However, the novel has received criticism from numerous authors. This paper discusses Walter Scott’s critical analysis of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein in his Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine Review of Frankenstein (1818).