Masculinity In Frankenstein

In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (1818), the characterization of women is based on the rigid gender division in eighteenth-century Geneva. Shelley depicts the social status of women in contemporary London by presenting the female characters as ineffective to the public sphere. Male characters in Frankenstein are categorized as scientists, politicians and explorers, leaving women confined to the home as mere companions, wives and often caregivers. By upholding women’s views of the familial, Shelley illustrates the patriarchal social system, which favor men over women. The division highlights Shelley’s portrayal of women’s passivity and inessential role in society; hence the disposal of majority of the female characters in the novel. Shelley’s

Margaret provides nothing more but a channel of action for Walton. The entire novel’s purpose resides in the letters addressed to Margaret describing Walton’s enterprise. Anne Mellor argues, the men in Frankenstein’s world all work outside the home as public servants, scientists, merchants, or as explorers (2). A sexual division of labor is present as masculine work is kept outside of the domestic realm; hence intellectual activity is segregated from emotional activity. In other words, the male sphere is centered around intellectual advancement versus the feminist ideals of domestic life. In Frankenstein, Shelley illustrates the discord through the characterization of Walton, who spends his days exploring and devotes his nights studying (53). However, Walton desires the company of someone who can sympathize with him and “whose eyes would reply to [his]” (54). Ultimately, Walton misses the kindness of his sister and their companionship. Shelley characterizes Margaret as a companion when Walton writes, “I have no friend, Margaret,” and that Walton wishes to have someone on the expedition with him to participate in his joy (54). Margaret sets up the framework for the division between male and females; Margaret represents companionship while Walton represents exploration and intellect which defines the separate

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. Hodges writes, the violation of casual sequence “communicates the monstrous burden of female difference as it is defined by patriarchal culture” (8). In essence, the suspension of female characters in Frankenstein favors the patriarchal culture. Indeed, Shelley implies the division which favors the advancement of the male. However, one female character who seems to survive the novel is Margaret, which can be attributed to her independent relationship to Walton. Caroline’s and Elizabeth’s dependency on Alphonse and Victor lead to their death. Hodge would agree that Shelley’s disposal of Elizabeth and Caroline was based on the fact that the patriarchal society views Elizabeth and Caroline as burdens. Female