Essay on Role of Women in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and in Society

Elizabeth Lavenza is another important character of the novel. We know the story of her life from the beginning to the end, and can notice that she changes during the narration. In the beginning, the only daughter of the deceased sister of Victor Frankenstein's father, "she [is] docile and good tempered, yet gay and playful as a summer insect" (923). She is yet a child, she does not realize the complexity of life, and does not know what suffering is. The character of Elizabeth becomes apparent when the mother of Frankenstein has died. Then "she [is] continually endeavoring to contribute to the happiness of others, entirely forgetful of herself" (927). When Frankenstein returns to Geneva after the death of Henry Clerval, he sees a new change in Elizabeth. "She [is] thinner, and [has lost] much of that heavenly vivacity that [has]

One such aspect of Shelley’s life portrayed in the novel was the role of women in society. In general, the predominant contenders in literature in the Romantic era were men. Mary Shelley, who was tutored by her father, had to publish her novel anonymously because it would not have been accepted otherwise. In Romantic literature, women were depicted as passive with a sense for nature and intuition. This can be seen in Frankenstein during Victor’s description of Elizabeth Lavenza: “While I admired...pretension” (Volume I, Chapter I, p 39). This quote can be viewed as an oppression of women due to the patriarchal structure of the language, as well as an emphasis on the nature of women. Mary Shelley also criticizes this oppression, but does not criticize overtly. This may be due to the fact that Shelley read her mother’s works as a child, and was influenced by the pro-feminist ideals that her mother advocated for. In addition, Frankenstein, at its core, is an expression of Shelley’s political viewpoints. The years 1811 to 1817 were ones of severe deprivation and hardship for the new working class created by the Industrial

Near the start of the book, the reader can see that Victor is very fond of his adopted cousin. The reader can see this through his continued communication with her and by the description that Shelley uses that tells the reader of the countless hours they spend together. This lasts until Victor leaves to go off to school. When he is away from home Victor receives countless letters from his “beloved” Elizabeth and fails to read or respond to any of the letters (Shelley, 66). This implies that Victor feels that he no longer needs a female companion and thus is why he no longer interacts with Elizabeth.

Part of your identity has become snagged by perceived insults and threats to the way you see yourself, causing inner conflict or escalating existing problems. Knowing this, we can conclude that Victor’s battle of his own insecurities led to a series of even bigger problems. To make this claim, the reader needs to know about the Victor’s character, but more so how terrifying he can be. The reader does not yet know the capacity of Victor’s love for Elizabeth. In turn, the reader does not how much regret festers inside of Victor. He suffers his own internal despise for his own monstrous creation. My topic of my essay is the numerous amounts of about conflict Victor had faced. The four topics I will be addressing are Person

While in Paris, Victor receives a letter from Elizabeth saying, “[t]ell me, dearest Victor. Answer me, I conjure you, by our mutual happiness, with simple truth—Do you not love another?” (Shelley 194). Elizabeth is convinced that Frankenstein has found another love that satisfies him more when he is on his journeys—although she writes in the most respectful way. Frankenstein is aware that Elizabeth will believe anything that he says and he is able to use that to his advantage knowing that Elizabeth will wait great lengths of time—as she already has—to marry him. In his response to Elizabeth’s letter, he justifies his love to her but also informs her he has “one secret, Elizabeth, a dreadful one; when revealed to you, it will chill your frame with horror, and then, far from being surprised at my misery, you will only wonder that I have surprised what I have endured” (Shelley 196). Frankenstein is desperate to marry Elizabeth still knowing the consequences of his actions as the creature previously tells him. Conscientious of his decisions, out of his selfish love for Elizabeth, Victor wants to marry Elizabeth and tell her of the threat only after the ceremony is finished. Although Frankenstein does have a good intention in marrying Elizabeth, it is destroyed by his selfish behavior.

He tells of the void he feels in his soul. He tells of the bitter grief one experiences after the death of loved one and what it feels like to no longer see them and hear their voice. Mary Shelley illustrates that this life is not the end, but there is another life where loved ones will be seen. Victor’s mother is demonstrating how special Elizabeth is to her and that she wants her to take care of the family and to someday marry Victor. Later in the novel, Victor leaves for school. Victor’s father tells him, “I know that while you are pleased with yourself, you will think of us with affection, and we shall hear regularly from you. You must pardon me if I regard any interruption in your correspondence as a proof that your other duties are equally neglected”(33). After, Victor leaves for school to begin his studies he becomes self-absorbed in his work. Family is very important to Victor’s father. Victor realizes that he has become too involved in his studies and knows that it is unhealthy to behave in such a way. However, he does not want to quit and begins to justify his actions. He suggests that if others had given up, then history could have been altered. Victor feels isolated and lonely. He thinks of his family and how disappointed they are that they have not heard from him. Shelly uses this quote to emphasize the importance of human relationships and how important they are to a person’s well-being. The theme of human

In Elizabeth’s letter, she is worried about Victor’s health and asks him to write to his back as soon as he can. She also tells him that Justine Moritz has returned to their house after her mother died. When Victor gets well, he introduces Henry to the professors at the university. He decides to go back to Geneva and waits for a letter from his father telling him when he will leave. Meanwhile, he and Henry take a walk through the country, moving their feelings with nature's beauty. When they arrive back to the university, Victor finds a letter from his father telling him that his youngest brother, William, has been killed. Sad and shocked, Victor leaves right away for Geneva. When he arrives, it is nighttime and Geneva’s gates have been shut, so he spends the evening walking in the woods around the border of the town. As he walks near the spot where his brother’s body was found, he sees the Creature and becomes certain that his creation is the one who killed William. The next day, Victor finds out that Justine has been blamed of the murder. After the body was found, a servant had found a picture of Caroline Frankenstein, which belonged to William, in Justine’s pocket. Victor says that Justine is innocent, but the facts against her were

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

Even though Elizabeth, Victor’s sister, lives an amazing childhood and is always happy, she is an outsider in certain aspects. She was a “sweet orphan,” (Shelley 17), and the only Frankenstein not to be a blood relative. Although she is an outsider, Elizabeth lives a mostly happy life. Also, De Lacey, the old man that Frankenstein’s monster watches, is very different than the rest of his family. Victor’s monster perceived the old man “to be blind,” (Shelley 77). He seems to be at peace with the fact that he is blind, but still is “outside” of the group of people that can see. Furthermore, Victor’s dad loses his wife, daughter, and one of his sons. With Victor being away making Frankenstein a mate, he feels very isolated and alone, with only Ernest to talk to. A few days after Victor gets home, “[his dad] [died] in [his] arms,” (Shelley 147). Many characters in Frankenstein cope with being an outsider in different

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley is a horrific novel that avoids strong and independent female leads. It is hard to believe the daughter of Mary Wollstonecraft, an important feminist, could write such a thing. Within Frankenstein, it seems as if Mary Shelley is demoralizing women by keeping them fairly absent and focusing upon men in the novel (Behrendt 1). Shelley acts against women by making the three main narrators of Frankenstein men. Robert Walton, Victor Frankenstein, and the monster all narrate this haunting tale. However, these central characterized men make plentiful mistakes throughout society. One may think, therefore, that Shelley’s treatment of Dr. Frankenstein and Walton actually acts as a female critique of male ambition since the characters both possess an insensitivity that leads to their downfall (Aldrich and Isomaki 3). Perhaps, in her novel, Shelley is actually showing how women are instead a backbone to society. Mary Shelley makes a truly feminist point within her well-known literary classic, Frankenstein.

All through their books, these two writers put an adoration story between embraced kin into their pages. Both Shelley and Bronte utilize that sentimental affection between kin to enlighten the high feelings that is available in all characters. In Frankenstein, Victor is enamored with his "cousin"/adopted sister Elizabeth.” The two in the long run wed based off of the arrangements that Victor's mom had set up. "I, with childish seriousness, interpreted her words literally, and looked upon Elizabeth as mine-mine to protect, love, and cherish". At this presentation, Victor considered her to be bound to him, with him being the main defender that

During the nineteenth century, the men were seen as more superior than the woman. Women were shut out of the public sphere unless they were accompanying their husbands or fathers. In the novel, feminism is a crucial aspect that leads to a death of innocent women. Justine was a servant of Frankensteins, who had been accused of murdering Frankenstein's younger brother William. Justine was not given the opportunity to defend herself to be proven innocent of this crime. “I know […] how heavily and fatally this one circumstance weighs against me, but I have no power of explaining it; […] it might have been placed in my pocket. But here I am also checked. I believe that I have no enemy on earth, and none surely would have been so wicked as to destroy me wantonly.” (____?____). The following quote portrays how women were not able to stand up for themselves or express their feelings. Justine knew beforehand that it did not matter what she had to say about this as she would not be listened to. This shows how women during the nineteenth century did not have a voice in society and were forced to accept what they were given without rebuttal. The nineteenth century was tough for women because of childbirth and the mental illnesses that went along with it. The author is an example of a nineteenth-century women who followed the typical standards or went through the same path as a “typical” women during this century. “By nineteenth-century standards, Shelley's female body had pursued an

Frankenstein has caused many feminist critics to castigate not only roles the female characters have within the book but also the deprivation of women throughout the novel. Mary Shelley isolates the female characters to their gender role responsibility and also possess them to have passive roles. - ABSENCE OF WOMEN - Feminists have criticized Frankenstein for the confinement and objectification of women to gender roles within the novel. Although when analyzing the text, it is apparent that Mary Shelley’s life is unconsciously filtered through her novel Frankenstein. It seems as though Victor’s emotions are projected from the author with her feelings of indignation, tribulation, and heartbreak from her life. Her work was a reflection of the constant death that plagued her life; from the death of three of four children, Percy, mother, and several others. What was going on with her? Why did she have the mentality that that was okay? What was going through Mary Shelley’s mind? Many writers have considered this to be odd considering her mother was a strong advocate for women.