Frankenstein Expectations Of Women

1712 Words4 Pages

Rowena Chen
English 2301-08
Ms. Fredericks
Final Paper
December 7th, 2015
Women Roles and Expectations Reflected through Literature
The industrial revolution was an important occurrence that played an important role in the late 18th and 19th century, causing a sharp discrepancy between the roles of men and women. The expected gender roles greatly differed since women were seen as the weaker of the two genders, possessing less intelligence and inferior to men. In many ways, they were often seen as a mere complement to their husbands, and were expected to care for their husband’s interest and reflect credit on him (Fortin). The mindset, social roles and expectations of women during that period of time were clearly depicted and reflected in …show more content…

One of the most passive characters seen within the novel would be Elizabeth. Instead of standing up and thinking about what she truly wants for herself, Elizabeth merely accepted that she had to marry Victor, who was never really by her side. Her attitude towards her own marriage was as if she had no choice as to whom she could choose to love or marry. In other words, Elizabeth simply accepted the fate that Victor believed in and did not seek to look for her true heart’s desire—“…I, with childish seriousness, interpreted her words literally and looked upon Elizabeth as mine..my more than sister, since till death she was to be mine only” (Shelley 37). Another main female character that was extremely passive was Justine. Justine, like Elizabeth was not only passive but also a rarely vocal character within the novel. Not only was Justine stuck in between the issues of her family and the Frankenstein’s, she was also framed by the monster for his wrongdoings and murder of William Frankenstein. Instead of fighting for her own innocence, Justine acted passively and simply accepted her charge—“..how heavily and fatally this one circumstance weighs against me, but I have no power of explaining it.. I am only left conjecture concerning the probabilities by which it might have been placed in my pocket..” …show more content…

They were not only seen to be a ‘possession’ of their male counterparts and but have always seen to be in need of their protection and care (Fisher 49). Their values seem to only lie within how they needed to carry out their duties as a daughter, sister, mother, and wife. They were seen as merely caretakers and supporters of the male figures that surround them. Caroline Frankenstein was one of the examples of how women were expected to behave. Within the course of the novel, Caroline was described as the ideal daughter, wife, and mother. She was always caring and selfless even up to the point where she would sacrifice herself for the good of others. For example, when Elizabeth become ill with the scarlet fever in chapter three, Caroline insisted in looking after her even though she was utterly ill herself—“During her illness many arguments had been urged to persuade my mother to refrain from attending upon her…She attended her sickbed; her watchful attentions triumphed over the malignity of the distemper—Elizabeth was saved, but the consequences of this imprudence were fatal to her preserver” (Shelley 44). Not only that, Caroline also put in her everything in order to nurse and take care of her father when he had fallen ill. Her qualities of always nurturing others, being a caretaker, and selflessness reflect the social expectations of women during that time (Fasick

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