Frankenstein Women Essay

In the book Frankenstein, the author Mary Shelley tries to subvert what romanticism’s ideal woman was perceived to be during the 19th century by using female characters to prove that women are more than a piece of property. Romanticism in the 19th century was an increasing focus on the internal psychological life and a new emphasis on the person and the self resulted in skepticism of the constraints imposed by social organizations. During this time period, women were seen to only be conservative, elegant, humble, and pure, etiquette and morals reinforced this goal. According to Mellisa Ford, “Women were not allowed to be outspoken, and they were not given the same opportunities as men”. They were regarded as objects, and their sole responsibility

In the book, Justine was the housekeeper for the Frankenstein family. Justine is "frank-hearted and happy"; she repays the Frankenstein family's kindness by being "the most grateful little creature in the world"; and she's "very clever and gentle, and extremely pretty" (Mary Shelley Ch. 6,7,8). She exemplifies what it is to suffer for a good cause. She is a freedom fighter figure of beautiful hardship against injustice. However, in the nineteenth century, female housekeepers or maids were seen as slaves. According to The History Press’s article about female housekeepers in the 19th century, “The mistreatment of servants was commonplace, and young maids were especially vulnerable to being sexually exploited. Once hired, they found themselves in households in which a strict and unbreachable hierarchy below stairs ensured that they stayed on the lowest rung of that society” (Kate Clark). Even though Justine is the Frankenstein's housekeeper, she was well treated. She is treated and given the respect and love reserved for a family member rather than as a maid. Also, Justine is unjustly subjected to rejection from her own family so she is very thankful for the Frankenstein family. All in all, Mary Shelley uses Justine’s character to prove to the

The author uses her female character to help the reader understand that women and mothers were capable of so much more than what they were thought to be during the 19th century. The ideal mother during this time was someone who was emotionally invested, altruistic, the nicer half of the parental pair, blissfully economically dependent, and confined to the home to develop the character of children while her spouse worked outside the home. Historian author Jodi Daves wrote, “Many Victorians believed that motherhood was a married woman’s highest possible achievement and only path to true fulfillment”. According to Jodi, “Motherhood was a social responsibility and a full time job that excluded women from paid work”. In the book, the most fundamental responsibility a parent has to his or her child is to be consistently present in their life and to nurture and care for them. Caroline’s son is Victor Frankenstien. In contrast to the atrocities and tragedies covered later in the book, Caroline truly embodies the pure compassion that can be found anywhere through her manner of existence and how her son speaks of her. Unlike the biased role of a woman in the 19th century, Caroline made it through a challenging childhood where she had to perform menial jobs to assist her ailing father. Victor describes his mother as possessing “a mind of uncommon mold” (Mary Shelley Ch. 18). Her entire