Treatment Of Women In Frankenstein

Dane Kirk
Dr. Basima Shaheen
British Literature ENGL.2323
February 17, 2023
Subtext of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein Or The Modern Prometheus, Shelley makes many comparisons between society’s views and treatment of women with the characters in the book. Though the book is mainly about two characters who are both male, Shelley doesn’t need a female voice to directly say her opinions because she finds the way to comment on society’s treatment of females through these male characters.Throughout the book, Shelley makes several comments on society through the actions of the male characters, the treatment of the monster, and the inaction of female characters in the story. After the monster asks Frankenstein to create

In the case of this female monster, she’d come into existence already able to act and live independently. Without having grown up in society, she would have no internalized subservience. Frankenstein would realize that a female monster would not be subservient, and therefore could not be controlled. While in the story, this is just given as a reason to explain why Frankenstein does not create a second monster, this still makes a critique on society. The story expresses that women are just as capable as men, and the only reason women aren’t seen as equal to men is because of a society where people grow

The importance of this role, and by extension, the importance of women, is shown through Frankenstein’s treatment of the monster. Frankenstein is essentially the only parent to the monster, and would have to act as both the Monster’s father and mother, but since Frankenstein abandons the monster, the monster becomes symbolic of someone who grows up without a mother. The monster spends a large time alone, learning to live by himself without a mother figure. Without having a mother, who would usually nurture a child, the monster “grows up” to be the violent and rash character that we see in the book. In the monster’s monologue in the ice caves, the monster tells Frankenstein “I was benevolent and good. Misery made me a fiend.” From this we can discern that from the monster’s perspective, all people are inherently good, just like himself, but it was because of the monster’s lack of guidance that he became the way he is. “He argues that the hateful, horrified eye turned on him as the newborn creature makes him a