Frankenstein Feminist Analysis

Frankenstein is a story about the creation of an unknown evil by one man, Victor Frankenstein. The unusual nature of the monster’s birth in addition to his humane experiences serve as a counterpoint to describe the importance of the roles of women in British society. Along with being companions of men, women play a central role in contributing to the stability of the prevailing social order. In Mary Shelley’s gothic fiction, Frankenstein, the motif of gender roles and identities of women are explored through the creation of an unnatural monster set in an otherwise idyllic society to depict the envisioned position that men hold over women in the views of society.

The monster’s lack of guidance from a mother figure in Frankenstein became the predominant cause for his isolation. He serves as a very important example in the novel as “no mother has blessed [him] with smiles and caresses” (Shelley 137), which exemplifies the void that the monster was subjected to in his life. In relation to the previous argument stated in the last paragraph, the notion of women embodying gentle and caring characteristics is absent in the monster’s life but is a figure that he yearns for which

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.

In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, all of the female characters are unassertive. Their personalities are one-dimensional, and they never try to take control of their own situations. This characterization seems antithetical to how Mary Shelley, the daughter of a renowned feminist, and an active feminist herself, usually portrayed females in her works. I will argue that by portraying all of her female characters as weak, Shelley is actually criticizing the gender norms of her society, which exalted the meek and timid housewife. She implies that if women do not play an active control in the lives of their family, conflict, within one’s self and against others, will become a lot more common.

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.

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley is a male-oriented novel, with woman as the side characters. The multiple woman in the novel unknowingly shape the story. The story would not exist without Margaret and the letters her brother sends from the Arctic. Justine Moritz taking the blame for The Creatures murder of William Frankenstein. The Creature spying on the De Lacy woman, witnessing acts of kindness and receiving a form of education form his observations. Caroline with her need to care for Elizabeth, and what results from her care. Elizabeth influencing Victor by simply existing. The role women have in Frankenstein is more important than one may think at first.

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 on 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

In the 18th century, the importance of a woman’s role was easily dismissed by the society. As a feminist, Mary Shelley elucidates the consequence of devaluing females in her book, Frankenstein. The women’s parts in the story were reduced to point out the flaws with society when women are disregarded. According to Sigmund Freud’s psychoanalytical theories, maternal love is essential to emotional development (Lewis and Goldberg, 81). Although Caroline Frankenstein only lived through the first two chapters of the book, her role was a fundamental part of Victor Frankenstein’s developing character.

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 there is a strong antithesis between motherhood traits of care and bravery that female characters possess and that Victor lacks. Agatha role as sister in the De Lacey family represents the values of care of a sister and a mother, Caroline’s sacrifice her life for the health of her adopted daughter, likewise Elizabeth bravery to testify in favor of Justine when Victor remains silent and Victor’s abortion of the female creature. Most importantly none of the female characters are involved on the creation of the Creature. It is for this lack of traits and distance from female character that he is driven to create the Creature and ultimately bring destruction upon his family. Through this antithesis of traits between Victor’s and the main female characters, the author emphasizes the necessity to have female presence in a family and ultimately a society.

Cixous claim that “the phallic tradition of writing was at once too great for [women]” and is only “reserved for “great men”’ is undermined through Shelley’s use of the male voice (Cixous 243). Shelley uses flawed male morals and their elimination of women to draw attention to Victor and the monster’s obsessive and destructive behaviour, thus using their own “marked writing” against themselves to “dislocate [anti-feminist ideas] from within [and] explode them, turn it around, and make it” feminist (Cixous 251). The women are viewed for what they have to offer men, but male selfishness and mistreatment leaves them to die. In turn, Frankenstein shows how the lack proper representation and equality of the sexes is disruptive to society, and

It’s been said that writers write about what they know, that they draw on life experiences, that the people around them shape the main characters, and sometimes the characters even reflect the author’s life, their choices, or even their view and attitude towards life. Within the writing of Frankenstein, there are many different relationships shown within the story, and there are relationships that have contributed to the shape of the story as well. There are many parallels between the feminist theory, and the making of Frankenstein, which can be largely looked at along with Mary Shelly’s relationship with her parents. More parallels reside in how she acted when the book was being published which was largely reflected in the character of Victor, and once again in Victor’s relationship with his creation. This can all lead back to the feminist theory and the gendered spheres that is experienced in different

It is undeniable that women are victims of Male’s moral flaws. Moreover, feminism challenges ideologies by confronting and questioning some of the gender stereotypes in the society. Mary Shelley in her feminist perspective has explored how the women in Frankenstein are treated as well as commented on the perceived perception of women in the novel. Even though Shelley reveals her gentleness and independence, feminist qualities persist in Frankenstein given that women are not independent and are not left to take responsibilities on their

Women’s rights is a subject that has revolved around society all throughout history, and it was not uncommon to see female writers criticizing this imbalance of social power in their literature. Mellor’s “Possessing Nature: The Female in Frankenstein” illuminates several aspects of the plot in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein that include underlying messages about the struggle for women’s rights and gender equality within this seemingly anti-feminist novel. For example, in the very beginning of her article, Mellor brings light upon Victor Frankenstein’s perspective towards nature as a female. Additionally, Mellor argues that Victor’s experiment is a violation of nature, as he forcibly takes away the ability to create life from Mother Nature. Furthermore,

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein demonstrates a variety of women from distinct backgrounds where the majority faces a doomed fate due to the patriarchal society. Furthermore, the overall representation of women in Frankenstein is passiveness and submissiveness towards the decision and actions of men; they are portrayed as absent due to their minor roles. The “absence” of women could have been the very reason why there are so many downfalls throughout the novel. The death of Victor’s mother due to scarlet fever, the innocent Justine executed, Elizabeth (the beautiful wife) killed by the creature, proves the powerlessness and the passive nature of women that led to their unfortunate death even though, the only woman, Safie broke the chains of the