ipl-logo

Examples Of Empowerment In Frankenstein

992 Words4 Pages

emale Oppression and Empowerment in Frankenstein
In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, the haunting tale of creation gone awry, lurks a profound commentary on the status of women in a patriarchal society, unveiling the hidden shackles that confine them, and illuminating the urgent need for empowerment and equality. Within the chilling narrative of Frankenstein, Shelley skillfully weaves a tapestry of female oppression, showcasing the limitations imposed by patriarchal norms, while also underscoring the imperative for women’s empowerment and the pursuit of equality. Mary Shelley's Frankenstein portrays women as oppressed by patriarchal norms, highlighting female limitations, and the need for women's empowerment and equality.
Through the lens of male …show more content…

By portraying Victor's apprehension, Shelley exposes the inherent misogyny within patriarchal ideologies, where women's agency and sexual autonomy are perceived as a threat to male dominance. This fear of female sexuality reinforces the urgent need for women's empowerment and the dismantling of oppressive societal structures, challenging the prescribed gender roles and advocating for women's liberation and equality. Shelley's narrative highlights the urgent need for women's empowerment and the dismantling of oppressive structures that hinder their agency and sexual autonomy. The fear of female sexuality serves as a stark reminder of how women's autonomy is perceived as a threat to male dominance. Through her depiction of female characters like Elizabeth and Justine, Shelley portrays their strength, intelligence, and resilience, countering the notion that women exist solely for male pleasure. Frankenstein serves as a powerful critique of patriarchal ideologies, prompting readers to question and challenge the norms that suppress women's agency and potential. It compels us to strive for a world where women are free from the pervasive limitations placed upon them, and where their empowerment and equality are fundamental …show more content…

Set against a backdrop of societal norms and gender expectations, the narrative exposes the detrimental consequences of denying women agency and subjecting them to a subordinate position. As Victor Frankenstein's creation wreaks havoc, the quote "Elizabeth has become another inert victim in this game of insanity and male-centered mayhem, she has been demeaned and reduced to a simple tool of revenge, along with the other female characters appearing in Frankenstein" (Haddad). Aptly captures the plight of the female characters. Elizabeth, along with other women in the story, is stripped of her autonomy, reduced to a mere instrument in the vengeful pursuits of male characters. This portrayal underscores the urgent need for women's empowerment, as it exposes the harmful repercussions of denying them equal status. Shelley's work serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of challenging patriarchal structures and advocating for gender equality. By highlighting the consequences of suppressing women's voices and limiting their potential, Frankenstein reinforces the need to empower women, enabling them to shape their destinies and contribute meaningfully to society. Through the lens of this gothic masterpiece, Shelley brings attention to the injustices faced by women and emphasizes the transformative power of granting them agency and equality. The

Show More
Related
906 Words | 4 Pages

“‘Cooped Up’ with ‘Sad Trash’” Analysis Dr. Johanna M. Smith, the author of the scholarly article “‘Cooped Up’ with ‘Sad Trash’”, is an associate professor of English at the University of Texas at Arlington. In her article “‘Cooped Up’ with ‘Sad trash’” her approach to the novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley is one that takes a feminist viewpoint. In her article, Smith divides her argument into two sections, one that focuses more on the notion of an unpayable debt of gratitude, and the other that focuses on Victor Frankenstein’s transition from alchemical science to chemistry and how that relates to the “tensions and conflicts of contemporary gendered science” (324). Both articles, although presented as two separate entities, flow together magnificently and

Read More
488 Words | 2 Pages

Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, the author of the novel Frankenstein and an advocate for women’s rights, has often stated while in the face of adversity, “the agony of my feelings allowed me no respite” (“Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley”). While Shelley’s prose has influenced millions of people throughout the world, she has faced several hardships in attaining this goal. Both her tragic upbringing and life and the people surrounding it imposed a profound impact on her writing. The tragedies Shelley experienced throughout her childhood left an unforgettable impression on her life today.

Read More
1250 Words | 5 Pages

To him, femininity is synonymous with weakness, and masculinity is synonymous with power, and he creates his characters accordingly to this belief. Similarly, author Mary Shelley also creates characters in a sexist manner in her novel Frankenstein. She creates female characters who serve little purpose other than to be disposed of by males. This can be seen in the way the Creature values the lives of females in the novel. In an attempt to seek revenge on Victor Frankenstein, the Creature frames servant to the Frankenstein family, Justine, for the heinous crime of murdering Victor’s young brother.

Read More
985 Words | 4 Pages

The majority of the characters in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and John Gardner’s Grendel comprises of men, often travelling or going on adventures while the women stay at home and wait for the men to return. The passive role of women is offset by the more aggressive nature of men in Frankenstein and Grendel, but the perceived submissiveness of the women does not necessarily detract from their strength and stability that they provide to society. In fact, both novels are full of the men’s oversight that consequently leads to devastation, revealing the idea that women make up the foundation of society. In both novels, women are the ones to soothe conflicts.

Read More
1316 Words | 6 Pages

Uncovering Injustice: An Analysis of Social Inequality and Power Dynamics In Mary Shelley’s novel, Frankenstein, the idea of justice, or rather its absence, is navigated deeply throughout the story. This is shown through the exposure of the failures of the system and the general lack of truth within this setting. Through the perspectives of crucial characters like Justine Mortiz and the monster, Shelley uncovers the social inequalities and prejudices that deprive individuals of their basic human rights. Yet there are characters like Victor Frankenstein who are treated differently due to their higher status. This is a society where wrongdoings remain unpunished while innocence is punished and revenge is the only factor to end the suffering.

Read More
563 Words | 3 Pages

Mary Shelley's Frankenstein is a classic novel that explores the consequences of cruelty, both towards oneself and others. Through the course of the story, the theme of cruelty functions as a crucial motivator and major social and political factor, driving the plot and the development of the characters. This essay will analyze how cruelty functions in the work as a whole, the impact it has on the characters, and what it reveals about the perpetrator/victim relationship. One of the most striking examples of cruelty in the novel is the treatment of the creature by his creator, Victor Frankenstein.

Read More
1101 Words | 5 Pages

Abhinav Divi Mrs. Bakkala English, 10 May 9, 2023 Gender Roles in Frankenstein Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein explores the traditional gender roles of the 18th century setting that determines the role of society depending on being a man or a woman, Shelly critiques the social and cultural norms at the time by showing the different characters and their role in society based on gender. Characters like Victor are given more freedom in accordance to their gender while characters like Elizabeth really have no say and are not really included within the storyline, examples like these are a significant driving factor in the plot of the story. In the novel Frankenstein written by Mary Shelly, gender roles reflect the norms of society during the 1700’s.

Read More
915 Words | 4 Pages

In James Davis’ literary essay “Frankenstein and the Subversion of the Masculine Voice,” he discusses the oppression of women and the minor roles of females in Mary Shelly’s novel Frankenstein. With a feminist perspective, Davis claims, “He [Victor Frankenstein] oppresses female generation of life and of text; he rends apart both the physical and the rhetorical ‘form’ of female creativity. In fact, all three male narrators attempt to subvert the feminine voice, even in those brief moments when they tell the women’s stories” (307). Throughout his essay, Davis demonstrates the underlying message of Shelly’s subversion towards men and the social consequences of misogyny. Davis draws parallels between the three men, Robert Walton, Victor Frankenstein, and Victor’s creation, Frankenstein, in which they

Read More
510 Words | 3 Pages

Responsibility and alienation were evident scenarios in 19th-century societies. Mary Shelley supports these themes through her writing in the novel Frankenstein. Through the plot, setting, characters, imagery, and other themes, Mary Shelley portrays how 19th-century society neglected their individual and social responsibility, leading to the alienation of specific people in the community. Shelley uses imagery throughout the novel to make the element of alienation and responsibility more concrete and appealing to the readers.

Read More
987 Words | 4 Pages

By denying both main characters the sensation of domestic affection, or any other kind of social belonging, Mary Shelley highlights the importance thereof. The resulting isolation became the driving force behind both Frankenstein and his creation’s abominable actions which, in turn, shows that trying to avoid isolation and seeking the feeling of social belonging is the primary message of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and of

Read More
819 Words | 4 Pages

Duality is shown in Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein, a gothic tale of a scientist whom looks to advance the life-giving qualities of mother nature. Through this novel, Shelley proves that good and evil in human nature is not always simple to define, and that everyone has both of these qualities within them. The duality of human nature is shown through the characters of Victor Frankenstein and his monster, who are both heroes in the novel while simultaneously displaying anti-hero qualities. Shelley forces the reader to sympathize with them both but also creates gruesome ideas of the two. Frankenstein’s creature places himself in a submissive position when he begs his creator to have mercy on him and asking the creator to “create a female for [him] with whom [he] can live in the interchange of those sympathies necessary for [his] being.”

Read More
1921 Words | 8 Pages

The fictional horror novel of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is driven by the accentuation of humanity’s flaws. Even at the very mention of her work an archetypal monster fills one’s imagination, coupled with visions of a crazed scientist to boot. Opening her novel with Robert Walton, the conduit of the story, he also serves as a character to parallel the protagonist’s in many ways. As the ‘protagonist’ of the story, Victor Frankenstein, takes on the mantle of the deluded scientist, his nameless creation becomes the embodiment of a truly abandoned child – one left to fend for itself against the harsh reality posed by society. On the other hand, Walton also serves as a foil to Victor – he is not compulsive enough to risk what would be almost

Read More
977 Words | 4 Pages

The presentation of women in Frankenstein Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein”, first published in 1818, was written in a time period where society’s general opinion was that a woman’s role was predominately to be a loving, caring mother and a faithful, docile companion to her husband. This attitude is reflected in Shelley’s portrays of women in her novel as passive, self- sacrificing, loyal, and completely dependent on men. They are a means by which emotions are invoked within male characters and serve only as companions and beautiful possessions. Caroline Beaufort, mother of the protagonist Victor Frankenstein, is an example of the embodiment of this ideal. She is the wife of Alphonse Frankenstein and within the novel plays the role of a perfect daughter, wife, and mother.

Read More
1260 Words | 6 Pages

Published in 1818, Frankenstein is one of the most famous works of Mary Shelley and its origin is almost as mysterious and exciting as the novel itself. The book is telling a story about the monstrous and mortal consequences of male creation, arising from a rivalry between man's affinities to his family and surely to science as well. Recently, modern literary critics do not perceive the work of Shelley merely as a fictional creation, but primarily as a novel that reflects the author's personal experience and above all her ambivalence about motherhood. The concept of maternity brings the author fatal connotations, which are associated not only with death, but also with other feelings surrounded it. A famous American literary critic, Ellen

Read More
883 Words | 4 Pages

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein Critical Analysis About the author Naomi Hetherington is a member of the University of Sheffield, the department of lifelong learning. She is an early researcher in sexuality, religious culture, the 19th-century literature, and gender. She holds a BA in Theology and religious studies, an MA and a Ph.D. in Victorian Literature. She currently teaches four-year pathway literature degree at Sheffield University for students who have already attained foundation degrees. Among the books, she has written the critique of Frankenstein.

Read More

More about Examples Of Empowerment In Frankenstein

Related Topics

Open Document