ipl-logo

Frankenstein Research Paper

1534 Words7 Pages

Anna Dehlendorf Ms. Prince English 10 1 May 2024 Women in Society: How Frankenstein Showcases Gender Inequalities Women are powerful. For centuries they have been overshadowed by men, but what happens when they are not? Female role models like Cleopatra and Joan of Arc revolted against societal norms and captivated all the power around them. Although it may not be seen at first glance, the women in the novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley are influential. Elizabeth shows great strength despite her dark story, Justine gracefully accepts her fate, and the female monster exhibits potential for challenging the status quo. Even though these are all positive attributes, they go unseen due to gender discrimination. This is illustrated in numerous ways. …show more content…

Creation is constantly used as a theme throughout Frankenstein, representing maternity. The novel Frankenstein was published in 1818 by Mary Shelley. At first, she kept her identity hidden due to her gender, worried that she may not have a successful outcome if people knew the truth. During this time in the world, women were considered second class citizens. It was prior to the Women's Suffrage Movement and a woman's status was determined solely on her husband or father. This led to Shelley’s doubt about her abilities as a writer due to her gender. Many believe that “in giving birth to herself-as-author, Mary Shelley is here able to conceive only a monster" (Hustis 6). Even the women in the novel do not give birth to this monster, it is always a male. Victor Frankenstein takes the place of a mother during childbirth, but still goes through a similar process. As he’s creating the monster, he states that he spends “so much time spent in painful labour” (Shelley 56). The lack of a female presence in this ‘birth’ highlights the exclusion of females, even in an act that should traditionally be …show more content…

They both took the plunge, unable to speak up and defend themselves. Although William was not a woman, strangulation is still symbolic. It represents Justine not being able to speak out for that murder, because when someone is strangled it blocks their airways, making them unable to speak. Justine, “whose devotion to her mistress and resignation to her fate embody class as well as gender-specific domestic subordination”(Smith 368). Even though she dies, unable to save herself, she goes with grace. Justine recognizes that she must die, and there is nothing she can do about it. She is stripped of all of her powers and control over herself, even though she is clearly innocent. One of Justine's best friends, Victor’s wife, also seeks a similar demise. In search of further destruction and revenge, the monster goes after Victor's prized possession: Elizabeth. [SP 10] While on their honeymoon, the monster comes to their house and murders Elizabeth. When Victor finds her, he notices “the murderous mark of the fiend’s grasp was on her neck, and the breath had ceased to issue from her lips” (Shelley 168). Elizabeth serves as a strong representation of women's

Show More
Related
1508 Words | 7 Pages

Elizabeth Lavenza, Victor Frankenstein’s adopted sister and later wife, is a character whose power is significantly compromised by the prevailing gender norms. Despite her intelligence, compassion, and resilience, Elizabeth is constrained to a passive role within the narrative, often waiting for Victor’s return, representing the societal expectations of a virtuous and submissive woman. Elizabeth’s lack of agency is evident in her relationship with Victor Frankenstein. Victor’s decision to pursue his scientific ambitions leads to a postponement of their wedding, prolonging the wait for Elizabeth. This delay in their marriage highlights Elizabeth’s dependence on Victor’s decisions and further emphasises the limited control she has over her own life.

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
956 Words | 4 Pages

Throughout Frankenstein, Mary Shelley presents a satirical exploration of the nature of women and motherhood in her time. The novel delves into the profound role that mothers and women play in the development of children while also characterizing the women within the story as passive figures. This dual focus not only critiques the societal expectations imposed on women but also emphasizes the essential influence of maternal figures in shaping the ethics and emotions of society. She portrays women as submissive and passive through her use of traditional gender roles, limited agency, and the narrative’s focus on male ambition but also emphasizes the profound role mothers play in maintaining life. Women are frequently pushed to submissive and

Read More
1028 Words | 5 Pages

The novel, Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, tells the story of a scientist, Victor, who unleashes chaos after he creates a monster that society deems ugly. The monster learns about humanity and navigates through the world. As the monster learns about humanity, he seeks vengeance on Victor and this leads to the tragedy of his loved ones. His love interest, Elizabeth, who is seen as beautiful by society is one of the loved ones affected by Victor's actions. It is important to understand how both Elizabeth and the monster were judged superficially and the consequences it had.

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
2221 Words | 9 Pages

However, Dr. Frankenstein is the perfect representation of maternal apprehension, but that is not seen in the opening of the story. Victor Frankenstein is an egotistical mad scientist that believes he can play God. His aspirations almost outweigh his ego, seeking to create a new species by resurrecting a stitched-together creature, "Life and death appear to me ideal bounds, which I should first break through, and pour a torrent of light into our dark world" (Shelley 49). With this egotistical nature, his downfall is inevitable, as he does not truly grasp what atrocities he was about to release on the world and this will eventually lead to his own death. The analogies of Frankenstein to maternity are prevalent right away, having his laboratory representing the female reproductive system.

Read More
327 Words | 2 Pages

When Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein in 1818, feminism was different from what it is today. In the early 19th century, feminists were reacting to gender inequalities. These inequalities left many women attempting to achieve many of the Victorian standards that had been previously set for them. By analyzing her work in this novel, it becomes apparent that Shelley used her writings to highlight many of the above-mentioned inequalities seen within the Victorian Era. One specific instance of this could be seen in the Creature within Frankenstein.

Read More
1494 Words | 6 Pages

Shelley writes that “she died calmly and her countenance expressed affection even in death” (Shelley 33). This furthers the idea that women were to remain tranquil and presentably at all times. There is not much detail on her death or the aftermath of her passing, which exemplifies the lack of importance of the female characters. Justine, who was charged unjustly for the murder of William, is sentenced to death and accepts her fate willingly. Although innocence, she remains calm and shows no sign of fear and sacrifices herself.

Read More
395 Words | 2 Pages

Interestingly enough, the novel resembles Shelley’s own life and can be interpreted as a reflection of her perception of families. Shelley shares many of the same characteristics with most of her characters. As the main character in the novel, Frankenstein’s creature is depicted as “a motherless orphan” who had an “unnatural birth” (Griffith). This correlates with Shelley’s own childhood as she was raised without a mother and her birth was in some ways “unnatural” as mothers are not naturally made to die during childbirth.

Read More
1140 Words | 5 Pages

Though Caroline was thought to be the center of the Frankenstein family, her death disrupted the expected sequence of events. The death of Caroline, along with the death of Elizabeth, illustrates the contemporary views of women as passive individuals who can be easily discarded. The Creature’s madness that results from parental neglect, leads to the murder of Elizabeth. Even when Elizabeth’s life is threatened, Victor values the game of wits between himself and the Creature above protecting Elizabeth. The death of Elizabeth displays the idea that masculine values of intellect and power reign supreme over the importance of women.

Read More
524 Words | 3 Pages

One of the many was an event she couldn't recall, for she was an infant; Mary Wollstonecraft, her mother, died few days after Mary Shelley's birth due to infection. Another event tied to childbirth through the death of her mother would be that in her novel the monster was brought into the world with only a father, when it had a face only a mother could love. Shelley was also said to read by her mothers grave, furthering the necessity of mothers love that lacks in Frankenstein. As previously mentioned Shelley was writing Frankenstein the majority of her first pregnancy, having the thought of

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
879 Words | 4 Pages

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein examines how the presence of a mother, negatively or positively, affects the development of a child. Victor’s mother, Caroline Frankenstein, dies while Victor is still a young man (he is about 17 years old), breaking their relationship between mother and son. Because Victor loses his bond with his mother, he is unable to act as a mother would when he creates his creature. Caroline Frankenstein’s absence in Victor’s life creates a disunion between the mother and child bond, which is evident in Victor’s creation and his fragmented relationship with the creature. Caroline Frankenstein, Victor’s mother, portrayed a traditional mother in the Frankenstein household, until her death.

Read More
251 Words | 2 Pages

Further in the story, Victor already decides the female monster’s fate, as the creature demands a mate. This is a recurring theme scene in Frankenstein. Moreover, Elizabeth is not the only individual female character who is under Victor’s control; in fact, Victor presents the female monster to the creature as a bargaining tool, before decimating her; “I shall deliver in your hands a female who will accompany you on your exile” (Shelley,137). Alike Motif in Shelley’s novel, men repeatedly decide women’s fate, and the women are left to accept these verdicts without any objection. In conclusion, the female characters fulfill the role of an object in the novel.

Read More
1242 Words | 5 Pages

This relationship changes when Elizabeth and Victor eventually marry. The short lived happiness is cut when Frankenstein’s monster kills Elizabeth on the night they were married. This act fills Victor with negative emotions of all kinds. The loss of his precious Elizabeth destroys victor and causes him to pass out from the sheer amount of shock. The act of losing Victor begins his true descent into insanity as his body and mind feels with hate.

Read More

More about Frankenstein Research Paper

Open Document