Gender Representations in Frankenstein Essay Example
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley – Extended Written Response
Gender representations are present within texts as an example through which an author is able to communicate their own opinions to a wider audience. The presence of gender representations within texts are used to communicate the blatantly recurring inequality between male and female. A gender reading itself will interrogate all representations of gender and the power distribution within the text in order to come to a full understanding of the nature of the characters and the major theme behind their personalities and actions. Mary Shelley was influenced substantially by her mother's feminist views and despite never knowing her remained firm in her belief of women's equal worth. The novel Frankenstein or The Modern Prometheus although not a feminist novel at first glance is rather a powerful statement made by Shelley concerning the plight of women and the differeing social expecations placed upon them. The female characters are stereotypical in such a way that they embody the idilic, nurturing, loving, selfless and dutiful qualities so sought after during the time. Rather than write a radical novel and alowing the female characters to be of equal standing to the men Mary Shelley constructs her novel in such a way as to show how things ought not to be.
The construction of the female characters within the novel positions them as stereotypical women who exist in such a way that their whole lives are either for or revolving around a man. This representation of women is an avenue that Shelley explores in order to communicate the severe disadvatage to which it puts women in relation to men. The two most extensive examples of women whos charcter puts them in this position are that of Caroline Beaufort and Elizabeth Lavenza. Caroline Beaufort is very much the embodiment of the womanly figure, a true angel. Amidst this was her constant gratitude towards Alphonse for resquing her from a life of poverty and
Gender representations are present within texts as an example through which an author is able to communicate their own opinions to a wider audience. The presence of gender representations within texts are used to communicate the blatantly recurring inequality between male and female. A gender reading itself will interrogate all representations of gender and the power distribution within the text in order to come to a full understanding of the nature of the characters and the major theme behind their personalities and actions. Mary Shelley was influenced substantially by her mother's feminist views and despite never knowing her remained firm in her belief of women's equal worth. The novel Frankenstein or The Modern Prometheus although not a feminist novel at first glance is rather a powerful statement made by Shelley concerning the plight of women and the differeing social expecations placed upon them. The female characters are stereotypical in such a way that they embody the idilic, nurturing, loving, selfless and dutiful qualities so sought after during the time. Rather than write a radical novel and alowing the female characters to be of equal standing to the men Mary Shelley constructs her novel in such a way as to show how things ought not to be.
The construction of the female characters within the novel positions them as stereotypical women who exist in such a way that their whole lives are either for or revolving around a man. This representation of women is an avenue that Shelley explores in order to communicate the severe disadvatage to which it puts women in relation to men. The two most extensive examples of women whos charcter puts them in this position are that of Caroline Beaufort and Elizabeth Lavenza. Caroline Beaufort is very much the embodiment of the womanly figure, a true angel. Amidst this was her constant gratitude towards Alphonse for resquing her from a life of poverty and