Resilience In Frankenstein Essay

527 Words3 Pages

The concept of resilience is widely praised as one of humanity’s virtues; however, what if true resilience is not in spectacular actions, but rather in steadfastness and the ability to endure emotions? Interpreting human conditions and human interactions, literary criticism assumes a central role as it provides various viewpoints that enhance the reader’s comprehension of the literature and his/her life. With the help of certain critical approaches, readers can analyze various issues, find hidden meanings and messages, and think about the norms that are set in society. Gender criticism is one such lens that can be utilized to obtain a better understanding of resilience, as it reveals the way characters act and cope with the difficulties of …show more content…

The feminine stereotype of a submissive and kind woman who is engaged to Victor Frankenstein is illustrated by Elizabeth. This made her character in the novel to be mainly a product of her interactions with the male characters especially Victor, this shows the subordinate roles given to women during the mentioned period. However, Elizabeth’s form of resilience surfaces through emotional strength and determination aspects that have been overshadowed by the conventional male-oriented resilience, which appears in action and dominance. Even though Elizabeth remains a secondary female character, her ability to persevere in the conditions of social oppression and individual suffering may be seen as the proper display of resilience from the gendered perspective. Essentially, Elizabeth’s strength is best demonstrated through her loyalty and emotional encouragement of Victor. Her strength is not one of the great gestures but of the daily and the fact of being able to remain emotionally balanced in a climate of