ipl-logo

Frankenstein And The Subversion Of The Masculine Voice Summary

915 Words4 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 …show more content…

In his essay, Davis is benevolent and sympathetic towards the women in the novel, thus he is insistent on advocating for women’s rights. By revealing the suppression of women in the novel, Davis hopes to evoke emotion from his audience and that the audience will feel compassionate to support women’s rights. Davis’ essay is a cultural warning and it demonstrates that the continuation of the superiority of the masculine voice will lead to social destruction. Frankenstein, as well as the other male characters, crowd out the feminine voice, therefore Shelley presents Frankenstein is a representation of the consequences of suppressing women. In the novel, Shelley demonstrates Frankenstein as the historical aboriginal man, learning how to forage for food, learning a new language, and discovering fire. If men continue to suppress the feminine voice, then all cultural innovations will be halted and all people will return to the time of the aboriginal

Show More
Related

Frankenstein Chapter 1 Dialectical Journal

189 Words | 1 Pages

7: Warm southern gales reinvigorate Robert Walton. 9: Leaving fresh air made Victor faint. 12: Beautiful nature helps elevate Victor’s downtrodden soul on Walton’s ship. 39 : The coming of spring helps lift Victor’s spirits.

Read More

Summary Of The Article 'Cooped Up' With Sad Trash

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

Examples Of Dialectical Journal For Frankenstein

452 Words | 2 Pages

Frankenstein, Dialectical Journal- Chapter 4- The End A theme that was very prevalent in these final chapters was, Creator and Creation, furthermore how the monster and Frankenstein are more alike than they like to think. Both characters had been wronged by the other and made it their missions to destroy each other, losing parts of themselves along the way. “You, who call Frankenstein your friend, seem to have a knowledge of my crimes and his misfortunes.

Read More

How Did Mary Shelley's Life Affect Her Writing

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

Similarities Between Frankenstein And Fifth Business

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

Essay On Gender Roles In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

613 Words | 3 Pages

As per usual, advancements in a story are made through various literary elements, Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley's Frankenstein is of no exception. Though what sets this authors use of these elements apart is the effectiveness in which they are presented in what can be considered a prologue of sorts, the letters. As a foreshadowing to what may occur between characters of differing sexes, gender roles are established. For the development of the a main character, Robert Walton, season (a key factor in character development as discussed in the literary work To Read Like A Professor) is described in thorough detail by non other than Walton himself, as he also goes on to discuss his opinion on it. Gender roles remain an important developmental tool

Read More

Annotated Bibliography On Frankenstein

1439 Words | 6 Pages

“Frankenstein and the Tradition of Realism” Shelly, Mary Frankenstein. Ed. J. Paul Hunter. New York: Norton Critical Edition, 2012. 311-16.

Read More

Examples Of Feminism In Frankenstein

885 Words | 4 Pages

Riley Dupert Mrs. Peleshi English V 03/07/23 Frankenstein Topic 4 A Lack of Feminism in Frankenstein Frankenstein lacks feminism and female power entirely. Most of the women in the story do not further women’s rights but instead diminish them. Though the story has hardly any female characters, only one stands out. The women in Frankenstein are submissive and adhere to the rule of men over women at that time.

Read More

Gender Inequality In Frankenstein

1278 Words | 6 Pages

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein touches on the inequality between males and females in society. In much of the novel women are being presented as less than or a supporting cast to the men in the novel. It is true though, that the novel also serves as a stepping stone for women and a warning that females are important to both men and the creation of a balanced and functioning society. From the beginning of the novel, male characters share strong similarities with traditional male ideologies.

Read More

Pros And Cons Of Frankenstein

485 Words | 2 Pages

Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1994. Print. London, Bette. “Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, and the Spectacle of Masculinity.” PMLA 108.2 (March 1993): 253 – 67.

Read More

Captain Robert Walton In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

661 Words | 3 Pages

In the novel “Frankenstein”, written by Mary Shelley in 1818, illustrates the human nature in which consists of ambition versus responsibility as well as innocent versus evil. At the beginning of the story, Captain Robert Walton is introduced as the first character by narrating in the series of letters that he writes to his sister, Margaret Saville. Walton functions as a foil character for Victor Frankenstein, the protagonist and main narrator. By contrasting and highlighting Victor’s characteristics in the book, they have similarities in the desire of acknowledgment in achievement, loneliness, and differences in the realization of life.

Read More

Duality Of Human Nature In Frankenstein

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

The Narrative Voice In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

1003 Words | 5 Pages

When writing any piece of fiction, an author 's choice of narrative voice has a huge impact on how readers experience the story. From the slightly less personal yet versatile third-person to the narrow, limited view of first-person, the narrative voice literally provides the voice of literature. It affects which characters the reader really connects with, the opinions that influence them, the knowledge they have, and numerous other aspects. While most authors stick with only one tense, Mary Shelley challenged that standard in Frankenstein. In Frankenstein, Shelley changes her narrative voice numerous times in order to fully develop all aspects of the story through Walton 's letters, Frankenstein 's story, the Monster 's story, and also the

Read More

Why Does Mary Shelley Use Of Personification In Frankenstein

656 Words | 3 Pages

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley is a gothic novel that tells the story of scientist, Victor Frankenstein, and his obsession with creating human life. This leads him to creating a gruesome monster made of body-parts stolen from grave yards, whom upon discovering his hideousness, the monster seeks revenge against his creator, causing Victor to regret the creation of his monster for the rest of his life. Shelley uses the literary elements of personification, imagery, and similes to give a vivid sense and visualization of Victor Frankenstein’s thoughts and feelings as well as to allow us to delve deeper into the monster’s actions and emotions. Throughout the novel, Shelley uses personification of various forces and objects to reflect the effect in Victor’s actions.

Read More

Role Of Women In Frankenstein

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

More about Frankenstein And The Subversion Of The Masculine Voice Summary

Open Document