Feminist Feminism In Frankenstein

They are also seen as the relief for male’s craziness. Through Shelley portrays them as an understatement of what they are capable of, only the beginning of feminism is forming in this century. Frankenstein is the source of a new reality to women. A novel portraying them as this helpless opens up one’s eyes to protest of a new and brighter future for gender equality. Feminism is not necessarily presented in Mary Shelley’s novel yet its anti-version makes women want to fight for their

Ever since Eve was created out of Adam’s rib in the Garden of Eden, women have been often viewed as second to men. “She will be named ‘woman,’ for she was taken out of man” (Genesis 2.23). This idea of men being superior to women is one that has been around for awhile and is clearly shown in the popular gothic horror novel, Frankenstein. Mary Shelley juxtaposed the females of the story to the female stereotype of the 1800s, which in turn shows modern society how women should be taken seriously. In Frankenstein, the women of the novel are the unsung heroes that portray: the themes of society in the 1800s, unfair gender roles and how Shelley defied social norms as a woman. Shelley’s famous novel shines a light on women as a whole in a time that women were seen as weak and powerless bringing light to issues that needed to be resolved.

     Romantic writer Mary Shelley’s gothic novel Frankenstein does indeed do a lot more than simply tell story, and in this case, horrify and frighten the reader. Through her careful and deliberate construction of characters as representations of certain dominant beliefs, Shelley supports a value system and way of life that challenges those that prevailed in the late eighteenth century during the ‘Age of Reason’. Thus the novel can be said to be challenging prevailant ideologies, of which the dominant society was constructed, and endorsing many of the alternative views and thoughts of the society. Shelley can be said to be influenced by her mothers early feminist views, her father’s

Throughout one of her better renowned works, A Vindication of the Rights of Women, Mary Wollstonecraft wishes “to persuade women to endeavor to acquire strength, both of mind and body.” Approximately three decades later, her daughter, Mary Shelly, writes such a horrific, gothic novel that is ironically devoid of any strong female leads – Frankenstein. Though filled with feeble female characters which highlights the brusque treatment of women within a patriarchal society, Frankenstein has a more enthralling philosophy to voice. The theme of Frankenstein essentially derives from the fact that though men retain the leading roles throughout the entire novel, it is full of mistakes they make; therefore, Mary Shelley is making a truly feminist point by stating that women are the primary gender who source livelihood within society.

Perhaps the strongest evidence of feminism in Frankenstein stems from what happens when Victor Frankenstein tries to create life without the help of a

The fight for domination amongst the sexes is a battle as old as civilization, where the ideas of gender hierarchies first began. These conflicts often manifest themselves unwittingly through literature, showing subtle signs of deeper tension that has ensued for centuries. The struggle between masculine and feminine becomes apparent through Frankenstein, a battle that results in the death of the potentially most powerful figure in the book. Frankenstein yields characters motivated by complicated thinking, specifically the title character, Victor Frankenstein. Victor is a brilliant 19th century Swiss scientist who succeeds in generating life with electricity, creating a creature that

Tessa Braeuning January 25, 2015 Gilbert H. Brit Lit Feminism in Frankenstein The story Frankenstein by Mary Shelly is believed to have a hidden sense of feminism behind it. Many people believed that the idea of having a monster being judged and banished from society is the authors way of showing how women were being judged, as well as excluded from a dominant male world. Shown by the characters and the tone, Shelly shows the importance of feminism and how her gender affects the message to the audience.

In the novel Frankenstein, the author Mary Shelley reinforced the role of female nature in a book that is predominantly male-oriented. The female character is an underlying feature throughout the whole novel. For example, when Victor Frankenstein created his Monster from dead body parts, he disregarded the laws of female reproduction. Both Anne K. Mellor and Jonathon Bate argue that Victor defiled the feminine nature when he created his Monster from unnatural means. Mellor argued in her essay, “Possessing Nature: The Female in Frankenstein,” that Victor eliminated the necessity to have females at all (355). There will not be a need for females if new beings are created in a laboratory. The disruption of mother nature is one of the novel’s original sins (479). In Bate’s essay, “Frankenstein and the State of Nature,” he argued that Victor Frankenstein broke the balance between female principles of maternity and mother nature (477). Frankenstein broke nature and undermined the role of females. The argument of Mellor was more persuasive than the discussion of Bate because she was able to provide more evidence that Victor Frankenstein dishonored the role of female nature.

In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, analyzed through the feminist lens, it is evident that Shelley utilizes the stereotypes and roles in society to express gender inequality between men and women through the characters. The women in this novel are continuously

Frankenstein With A Feminist Touch Feminism and Frankenstein are two topics that typically do not mingle their way into the same conversation, but when analyzing the novel, it is very apparent that Mary Shelley used feminism as an allusion to her text. Mary Shelley’s mother, Mary Wollstonecraft, wrote A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, which is considered to be one of first comprehensive texts about the need for women to be educated and genders to be equal (“A Vindication”). Needless to say, Mary Shelley was very educated on the topic and had an outstanding influence, all of which helped her use it an allusion to her novel Frankenstein. In the novel Frankenstein, the creature was someone who never really stood a chance since “birth.”

Feminism is an ideology that encourages women to fight for equal rights and common interests. Social ignorance and uneducated assimilations have created predeterminate roles for women. Mary Shelley, the author of “Frankenstein”, criticizes women’s roles in her novel by making female characters influential in Victor’s life. Elizabeth, Caroline (Victor’s mom), and Justine, represent independent women who impact Victor’s decision throughout the novel. Mary Shelley would have considered herself a feminist since she demonstrate the importance of women in men’s life, despite the view of women in her society.

As the first recognizable, female novelist in western history, Mary Godwin Shelley engraves her name on the figurative monument of accomplishment formerly reserved exclusively for men, and paves the course for future female greatness, leading the crusade for the respect and credibility of women as equal members of society. In her most famous work, Frankenstein, Shelley reflects the issue of the degradation and repression of women, as well as the neglect of their education, the nonexistence of their political voice, and their inability to showcase the fullest extent of feminine practical and intellectual skill during the Romantic era. Shelley indirectly reflects on the societal obstacles which deter women from achieving accomplishments worthy

Mary Shelley in the book, “Frankenstein” provides a space for exploring the feminine perspective, which is highlighted by the featured female characters. In today’s world gender, issue regarding women is just as important as the historical period the book is written. This therefore makes the book a very suitable tool in displaying the important roles women have in society and how far these roles have progressed in the modern world. Some critics might consider that Mary Shelley limited the woman’s story in the book because at the time it was a male-dominated industry. However, one would want to praise her for the courage she displayed by writing on a controversial topic

Feminism in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is one of the most prevalent themes portrayed throughout the story. Feminism basically originated in the 1800’s during the Enlightenment Era in the United States of America and Great Britain. Feminism was based on political, social, intellectual, economical, and cultural transformations in Europe and North America. Feminists wanted to create a safe space for women, and broaden opportunities for women in the patriarchal society. Slavery really influenced the feminist movement in America.

While the story of a monstrous creature and its egomaniac-turned-paranoid-mess of a creator does not seem like a novel which would be rooted in feminism. Nonetheless, within Frankenstein there are implicit, yet undeniable parallels to Vindication of the Rights of Women: the most famous work of devout feminist, and mother of Mary Shelley, Mary Wollstonecraft. Though she died due to complications during Mary’s birth, it is well known that Wollstonecraft, and the ideas of the Romantic Era, were influential figures in her daughter’s writing (Deter). Allusion to Vindication of the Rights of Women is generally manifested in Frankenstein in three general ways. First, and most easily identifiable, are the circumstances surrounding Victor’s mother and her death. Next, is the characterization behind several of the female characters in the book, especially their deaths. Finally, and perhaps most controversially, is the proposition that Victor and his creature represent the most undesirable qualities of men- and the novel exists as a critique of men and their selfish desires.