Feminist Bio
Feminism Themes in Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
Devon Silverman
Devon Silverman, Yahoo! Contributor Network
May 12, 2009 "Share your voice on Yahoo! websites. Start Here."
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Most people think of Frankenstein as a giant, stupid, green, monster with bolts holding his head on and a gravelly incoherent voice that terrorizes small towns. However, the novel written by Mary Shelley, that the monster in popular culture is derived from, is a well developed multi-layered piece of literature with many overarching themes. One of the least thought of themes in the modern conception of Frankenstein is feminism. However, feminism subtly pervades the entire novel. The story of Frankenstein by Mary Shelley explores feminist themes through the characters of the story, plot development, and the setting the novel.
Frankenstein is riddled with passive female characters who suffer throughout the novel. Not one female character throughout the novel ever exhibits behavior outside of the submissive and reactive female role. Elizabeth, Victor's love, dies at the hand of the male monster while waiting for Victor to come rescue her. Elizabeth is not able to do anything to defend herself without the help of a man. She meets her demise while waiting, like a princess in a tower, for Victor to save her. Justine is put to death for a murder that the monster committed. She is unable to defend herself and prove her innocence against her accusers and dies for it. Justine is a victim of circumstance, but her passive role leaves her helpless to make her own destiny and defend herself against the false accusation.
However, Mary Shelley was the daughter of, Mary Wollstonecraft, a strong activist in the feminist movement. Wollstonecraft has been called "the first feminist" and even "The mother of feminism". During the 19th century, within Genevian society, where the novel was written, men dominated the social and intellectual sphere completely while women
Devon Silverman
Devon Silverman, Yahoo! Contributor Network
May 12, 2009 "Share your voice on Yahoo! websites. Start Here."
MORE:Frankenstein
FlagPost a comment
Most people think of Frankenstein as a giant, stupid, green, monster with bolts holding his head on and a gravelly incoherent voice that terrorizes small towns. However, the novel written by Mary Shelley, that the monster in popular culture is derived from, is a well developed multi-layered piece of literature with many overarching themes. One of the least thought of themes in the modern conception of Frankenstein is feminism. However, feminism subtly pervades the entire novel. The story of Frankenstein by Mary Shelley explores feminist themes through the characters of the story, plot development, and the setting the novel.
Frankenstein is riddled with passive female characters who suffer throughout the novel. Not one female character throughout the novel ever exhibits behavior outside of the submissive and reactive female role. Elizabeth, Victor's love, dies at the hand of the male monster while waiting for Victor to come rescue her. Elizabeth is not able to do anything to defend herself without the help of a man. She meets her demise while waiting, like a princess in a tower, for Victor to save her. Justine is put to death for a murder that the monster committed. She is unable to defend herself and prove her innocence against her accusers and dies for it. Justine is a victim of circumstance, but her passive role leaves her helpless to make her own destiny and defend herself against the false accusation.
However, Mary Shelley was the daughter of, Mary Wollstonecraft, a strong activist in the feminist movement. Wollstonecraft has been called "the first feminist" and even "The mother of feminism". During the 19th century, within Genevian society, where the novel was written, men dominated the social and intellectual sphere completely while women