preview

Comparing and Contrasting Shelley's Frankenstein with Brook's Young Frankenstein

Decent Essays

Comparing and Contrasting Shelley's Frankenstein with Brook's Young Frankenstein

The 1818 book Frankenstein by Mary Shelley and the 1972 movie Young Frankenstein by Mel Brooks both portray the differences in feminism regarding the cultural times through the character of Elizabeth. When Mary Shelley wrote the book Frankenstein, she was on a mission to pursue equal rights in education for her daughter. In Shelley's time, the only way to show feminine empowerment was to be literate and well-poised, which readers can see in certain passages featuring Elizabeth in Shelley's book. In the 1970's, when the movie Young Frankenstein was made, female empowerment was emphasized with a movement called “lipstick feminism”, which encouraged women to …show more content…

By Elizabeth being so engrossed in keeping a good appearance and not even hug or kiss her husband goodbye, she demonstrates that she is more important than any man, even her lover. Also in this scene, her voice is noticeably louder than Frankenstein's as she proclaims her love for him, hinting that because he is so captivated by her beauty, she has the upper hand, a common trait sought to be depicted by many women in the 70's. Just like in the novel, Elizabeth takes a backseat during most of the plot but obviously misses her soon-to-be husband, just as the novel Elizabeth did. Contrastingly, the film's Elizabeth is able to make a trip to Europe to see Frankenstein and to be with him. However, when she arrives, she is seduced by the monster. This act demonstrates Elizabeth's free will and unwillingness to hold back her feelings due to a societal “norm” that she must stay with the man who she has been engaged to, as it is her personal choice to be with the Creature. As the audience discovers, Elizabeth is truly only attracted to and falls in love with the Creature because he is physically well endowed and attractive. Lipstick Feminism shows that outward sexuality empowers women, which is probably what was demonstrated with the love story between Elizabeth and the Creature. Elizabeth and the Creature end up marrying, again portraying her free will and ability to break away from cultural standards with

Get Access