Compare How the Writers Present the Subjugation of Women in Accordance to Victorian Social Value in the Three Texts.

Compare how the writers present the subjugation of women in accordance to Victorian social value in the three texts.

Over the ages, the roles of women have changed and evolved in accordance to the social norms of the particular time period. In the 19th century, women were canonised in literature as objects of beauty and of reverence; an idea which was carried into the very height of the age of enlightenment.
From the very first gothic novel, Horace Walpole’s ‘The Castle of Otranto’, women have been nothing but gothic elements, simply there to support and bolster the plot. Thereby, Victorian literature was highly influenced to incorporate this notion. This concept of submission is shown in Mina’s character whereby she wants to “keep up with Jonathan's studies” whilst she is studying “shorthand very assiduously” in order to be “useful” to him. The use of the word “assiduous” has the effect where the reader understands how she shows “great care and perseverance” and dedicates her entire being to helping Jonathan. Furthermore “useful” reiterates the concept of complete servitude to the male. Elizabeth’s behaviour in Shelley’s Frankenstein echoes this as she waits for years for news of Victor. The extent of her patience, to be able to wait for so long is admirable however, considering that in Victorian times courtship lasted for an exorbitant amount of time, mostly due to the intercession of the male, it can be assumed as to why Elizabeth has the ability to wait. “I had worked hard for nearly two years, for the sole purpose of infusing life into an inanimate body. For this I had deprived myself of rest and health” By Victor “depriving” himself of the warmth and comfort of Elizabeth’s apparent love, to pursue his twisted dreams, Shelley, with the aid of this essential gothic element, is indicating the lengths males go in order to fulfil a self-imposed quest.
Given this interpretation, the image of Victor trying to impregnate a woman is created with the reader. Of course such behaviour was expected of a man in Victorian times as women were not expected to be “lecherous and voluptuous” but men had a “natural disposition” to be unfaithful and commit adultery. This use of “voluptuous” is reiterated by Stoker in his description of Lucy. He uses the word; an example of onomatopoeia, in order for the reader to understand the change of Lucy into the ‘New Woman’: An entity with unacceptable forward thinking and sexuality. Such an obvious disregard for the social norms was to be punished which is seen in Lucy’s downfall and eventual ‘deliverance’. However, Poe seems to be against this as he seems to place women above the act of fornication and possibly that it is the men that cause fornication. An idea of this is seen in ‘Annabel Lee’ where the envious and presumably male angels cause the narrator’s love to “dissever” and “came and bore her away”. This view is dismissed by Tannahill as he suggests that women were “sweet, untouchable guardians of morality whose distaste for sex led to an explosive increase in prostitution…” Thereby meaning that women were not the “passionless, sexless individuals” that is told by history. On the other hand, Shelley also supports Stoker as she portrays the consequences of undergoing the adventure that Victor embarked on; particularly in the case of leaving their women behind. The situation of women’s subjugation and blatant disregard for the female form is reflected in Horace Walpole’s ‘The Castle of Otranto’ where Hippolita is portrayed as the obedient wife to a tyrannical royal whom “she would not only acquiesce…to a divorce but would obey,…in endeavouring to persuade Isabella to give him her hand” By doing this, it showed how women were seen at the time, they were expected to obey and submit fully to their husbands.
This overpowering air of passivity present in the 19th Century is carried on in Shelley’s Frankenstein where each female character is objectified in a demeaning manner. Considering Mary Shelley’s mother was a radical feminist, one would think that her women would be portrayed in a much more dignified and independent way. Elizabeth, although the female protagonist of the novel, does not seem to be particularly difficult to understand. Victor realises this fairly early in his memoirs and relates that “All praises bestowed on her I received as made to a possession of my own” This manner of thinking can be seen in humans where if their possessions are complimented, they see this as a compliment to their person. By using “a possession” Shelley re-emphasizes the notion of the subjection of Elizabeth by Victor whether he means it or not. On the other hand, Stoker’s portrayal of Mina goes against this, as she actively submits to Jonathan. She sees herself as his possession, his property, to be used according to his discretion. However it is a debate between nature vs. nurture as Elizabeth has been raised to be submissive especially to Victor as his mother describes her as a "a pretty present” not as a human being but more of an object. Hence, with both Victor and Elizabeth being raised this way with the mentality of master and servant, it can be argued this is the source of Victor’s disposition towards Elizabeth and vice versa. Wollstonecraft herself recognises this in her ‘Vindication of the rights of women’ as she understands that women “Taught from their infancy that beauty is woman's sceptre, the mind shapes itself to the body, and roaming round its gilt cage, only seeks to adorn its prison.” This notion of Nature vs. Nurture is more typically associated with Poe as most critics agree that it is his nurturing that made his adult nature. One with an affinity to death and decay. This is seen in his ‘Ulalume’ where he describes leaves “withering and sere” and the “ghoul-haunted woodland” with “sulphurous currents” in the landscape. This particularly musical poem registers feelings of sadness and anguish with the reader. Such can be said for Mina as she is raised in such times where she does nothing but “gilt” her cage in order to please her husband. The further use of “cage” increases the feeling of emancipation as it suggests that the character is locked behind bars without freedom or free will. Hence this issue of nature vs. nurture raises an interest within the reader as one might question the truth behind the women’s words. It is possible that Mina and Elizabeth act in such a manner to conform to the accepted ‘Old Woman’ that they were raised with. Wollstonecraft further clarifies this unbreakable habit of women submitting to men as she is saying that by raising females to believe that they are limited by their “beauty” within the world, they are useless. She suggests that females become almost programmed to become subservient like a bird in its “gilt cage” devoid of freedom. This means that nurturing women to be submissive in Victorian times and prior have turned women into creatures incapable of nothing but subjection. Therefore, Shelley leaves it to the reader to determine whether Elizabeth’s portrayal is due to her nature or due to the nurturing she has endured from Victor’s family. This very debate of nature vs. nurture is one that most critics conclude to be non-existent with Poe. This is because it can be easily deduced that it is how he was nurtured through the encounters he had as a young man. Being stuck in a “never ending game” of life and death as suggested by Bloom, has a tell-tale effect on his poetry as he himself exclaims “the death…of a beautiful woman unquestionably is the most poetical topic in the world…” Thus meaning he has concluded that death is nothing but a poetic topic. This effect is seen in his work as he particularly wrote about the death of women in most if not all his work. Almost a century after Wollstonecraft’s comment on women, the apparent continuation of female emancipation is seen in Ira Levin’s novel ‘The Stepford Wives’. The novel embodies all of Wollstonecraft’s fears as Levin creates an entirely dystopian microcosm for women. Levin portrays the women in the most extreme form of subjection; total and complete dependency on the word of the males.
This inability to be independent is echoed in Edgar Allan Poe’s life as he was very much ruled by women throughout its length. This acted as a stimulus for his literature and provides the controversial issues still being discussed in the modern day. Having lost his mother at a young age, the female input into his childhood was non-existent which is seen in his literature. Unlike the male characters of Shelley and Stoker’s literary masterpieces, Poe’s life involves the inversion of the accepted gender roles of the time period. The constant losses and near-misses are reflected in the characters he created in his poetry. In the poem, ‘Sonnet to my Mother’, Poe refers to Mrs Maria Clemm; his aunt as being “more precious than the one I knew” thus meaning that he considered her to be more important to him than his real mother. This attachment to women and their effect on his work is further seen in ‘The Oval Portrait’ where the male character is seen to be a mirror image of Poe himself; this being that the poem was written as a testament to the last moments he spent with his dying wife. Although Poe evidently gratifies and sets women on a pedestal like “Pallas-Athena”, the females in his work are almost always shown to be dead. With that said, it can be argued that he portrays his women in such a manner, in order to inspire and motivate his male characters to become the characters he imagines them to be. Therefore in such a case, he is echoing the words of Shelley as Poe’s women serve only to act as a means of support to the male. Not only that, it also follows on from Wollstonecraft’s words that woman have cages built for the purpose of supporting and following their spouses. Hence, Poe shows his underlying disempowerment of women. In his ‘The Raven’, he describes the Raven to be “perched upon a bust of Pallas” which indicates the male suppression of the female mind. ‘Pallas’, another name for the Greek goddess of wisdom Athena; believed to be the most intelligent of all mythical beings. By Poe posing the Raven to be “perched” upon the bust, Poe is undermining the wisdom of the Athena. The very choice of the word gives the image of a dark creature with its talons firmly inserted onto the surface, in order not to topple over. This can be a conceit to represent the male dominant ideology that is favourited by a patriarchal society. It can be argued that he does this to indicate that no matter how intelligent a woman is, she is always beneath the evidently male character of the Raven; which again indicates the conformity to the social norms and expectations of women. This is seen in Mina where she is portrayed to be an especially brilliant and independent woman but she conforms to the Victorian social ideals of the woman. One can argue that although Mina conforms to the traditional ideals, she embodies the independence and strength of the “New Woman” whilst Lucy embodies the increased sexuality of the “New Woman”. Mina’s self-imprisoning is actually seen in Wollstonecraft’s words where “the mind shapes itself to the body” as she confines herself to the limits of her body. Poe’s continuous dependence is further seen in “Lenore” where the narrator is incredibly forlorn about the death of the poem’s namesake. It is obvious for the reader that such emotion is only derived due to death of a young beauty. A fact that Poe himself observed that “the death…of a beautiful woman, unquestionably is the most poetical topic in the world…and beyond doubt that the lips best suited…are those of a bereaved lover” Such an extremist view of poetry, death and love is shown in ‘Dracula’ where the defamation and death of Lucy spurs the men to chase the Count to atone for his misdeeds. Just as Poe suggests that it is the “death…of a beautiful woman” that brings about such an emotional reaction by the men. However it is the same woman who becomes a creature “callous as a devil” who seeks young children. Hence this indicates that there is a ‘method to the madness’ of Poe’s literature as he shows he understands how to manipulate the feelings of the reader towards his tragic characters.
Essentially the women portrayed in this way serve a purpose, not as individuals but as aids for the men, objects to be manipulated and twisted for the benefit of creating a reaction in the reader. Shelley uses the females within Frankenstein to accentuate a particular feature and trait of the male protagonists. Even though Shelley is a dedicated feminist, her women are belittled, cast down and degraded in quite a violent manner. Most of the female characters come to a gruesome death without feeling or remorse as portrayed by the authors. These women, these “tools of the trade that the men toss aside like a rusty nail.” are completely devoid of self-worth and free thought. A trait displayed in Justine, an extremely passive and seldom vocal character. It could be said that Shelley portrays her in such a manner in order to let her death signify the end of the innocent female mentality as Justine realises that her “protestations” will not set her free. Although she is assured in her innocence and filled with pride, she is unjustly accused of the murder of William and of “calm…countenance” as she believes in a system that is run by ‘ignorant males’. A system specifically designed to constrict her freedom and individuality as a human being. She symbolises the death of the female belief in the male run system. Shelley does this to promote her belief of the end of male dominance which can be argued to be the doctrine of feminism. J.M. Smith’s words, “Like Elizabeth’s destruction, the monsterette’s creation and destruction dramatize how women do not function in their own right but rather as signs and conduits for men’s relations with other men”; reaffirms this power imbalance. Similarly to Justine, the monsterette is destroyed without given the choice to choose between right and wrong. Unlike the monster that was given this choice, the monsterette pays for the mistakes of her predecessor, which goes against Milton’s epic where it is wise to “know What misery th’ inabstinence of Eve/Shall bring on men”. This means that Milton saw women to be lustful creatures with the ability to bring misery to men; however this is not seen in Frankenstein as it is actually the “inabstinence” of Victor from Mother Nature that brings misery unto those around him in the form of the monster. The Count is also similar to this as it is his inabstinence that causes the death of countless people. Hence, it could be argued that Shelley does this to subvert the story of creation where Adam pays for the mistakes of Eve; causing them to both be thrown out of the Garden of Eden. By doing this Shelley is trying to reverse the blame of the original sin from women but to men. This is reiterated by Shelley’s constant reference to Milton’s epic ‘Paradise Lost’ which tells the story of man’s creation, the events leading up to the original sin and also man’s banishment from the Garden. To create juxtaposition between the accepted and the abhorred, the character of Lucy Westenra is introduced. Lucy although praised for her sweet nature, beauty and vivacity, is depicted to be lustful and with ideas of independence. These qualities were especially frowned upon in the Victorian era; qualities not expected from a wife but rather a prostitute. Her fall from grace to the depths of vampirism can be interpreted to be a philosophical representation of what lies in wait for women who venture too far from the accepted ‘female sensibilities’ and attitudes. Lucy’s true colours were first shown in a letter to Mina where she exclaims: ‘Why can’t they let a girl marry three men, or as many as want her’, meaning that she would like the idea of having three men at her beck and call. With this single statement, the ‘New Woman’ is embodied in the unassuming character of Lucy as this single thought goes against all gender codes accepted at that time. By subjecting Lucy to an assorted array of sexually oriented encounters, Stoker allows the audience to relate to the consequences of the ‘New Woman’. On the other hand Mina is depicted to be the immediate opposite of Lucy’s character; she is the epitome of Victorian female ideals, “one of God’s women, fashioned by His own hand”. This statement by Van Helsing confirms the pure status given to Mina by Stoker, as by saying “fashioned by His own hand” Stoker is making a direct reference to the divinity of Mina and her connection to God. The very submissive nature bestowed on Mina allows her to be saved from eternal damnation at the hands of Dracula. Stoker very carefully ensures not to include any sexual references or connotations involving Mina as this would destroy the image of the immaculate purity being created by Stoker. If this illusion were to be tampered with, the very structure behind Mina would be nothing more than a house of cards. Of course, Stoker creates tension with the reader as he condemns ‘pure’ Mina to the same fate as the ‘voluptuous’ Lucy. This was done in order to test the extent of the accepted woman turning Mina’s trial into a triumphant victory over the ‘New Woman’ Sandra Causey offers that Stoker showed Mina to be the “Angel of the House” and Lucy as the ‘New Woman’ which is a denotation of the Victorian creation of social spheres in order to confine women to the patriarchal system already established. Women were supposed to be ‘whores in bed’ and ‘angels in public’ to be able to fit the social acceptance and view of women. The ideal woman must have had “... ardent and unceasing flow of spirits, extreme activity and diligence, her punctuality, uprightness and remarkable frugality, combined with a firm reliance on God ... carried her… both with credit and respectability ...'.” This idealistic dream of the men in Victorian society was dictated by this statement; by “extreme activity and diligence” the writer is referring to the duties of the female in the home and in public. Unlike Stoker where he berates the ‘New Woman’ and all things pertaining to women going against the social construct, Shelley actually encourages the ‘New Woman’ completely. Leigh Hunt reflects this as he suggests Shelley is “so sleek and so smiling… to think such fair clay should so darkly have dared”.
This act of punishing women for their character and behaviour has been an aspect of literature, not just gothic literature; that has carried on over the ages. This is because the women form an effective sense of reality of the story for the reader. In Dracula, Mina and Lucy being the main female characters, allow the reader to relate to their plight; despite the fantastical settings of their environment. However with that said, the three sisters go against this as they are a part of this fantastical world which Stoker rightly describes to be “dreamy”. As Mina is deemed to be of “God’s own hand”, by falling prey to the violent change that is the Count, Stoker is commenting on the temptations that are experienced by the most ‘ideal’ of women and their journey to overcome these enticements. It can be noted that Mina’s metamorphosis into a creature of desire is particularly delayed more than that of Lucy’s. This can be due to the fact that Stoker already displays Lucy’s underlying acts of desire as the ‘New Woman’; thereby with the bite of Dracula unleashing the floodgates, Stoker is able to portray Lucy as the “bloofer lady”, a creature of pure and expansive desire doting on children as her prey. Much unlike Mina, who is the “culmination of Victorian feminine propriety and goodness” and takes a very long time to change to this creature and eventually does not even change. Due to her Victorian sensibilities, she is able to provide help to the male characters to kill the count due to her unique connection with him. By doing this, Stoker echoes John Ruskin who believed that “man's power is active, progressive, defensive...the woman's power is for sweet ordering, arrangement, and decision... [she is] incapable of error" which coincides with the Victorian private sphere of the home that is related to women and the public and business sphere that is for men.
Ruskin is saying that women are expected to be protected from the forefronts of the war of life. By “defensive”, Ruskin refers to the then common belief that women were to be protected at all cost and they were seen as creatures in distress. Therefore, Shelley, Poe and Stoker use women as a tool to feed the male ego, this being because the women are constantly put in peril and are saved by the male. However it is important to realise that it is only Shelley who truly questions the status quo of a patriarchal society. Reviewing these highly recognised authors, one can realise that their texts have the ability to provide the modern reader with an insight into the life of the Victorian female, her worries and problems. With that said and due to the insurmountable evidence in their texts, the title does hold true in showing extensive female subjection to the male in Victorian times.

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Ledger, Sally. The New Woman: Fiction and Feminism at the Fin de Siècle (Manchester University Press) 1997
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