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The Depiction of Women in Frankenstein: Mary Shelley as a Staple of Social Commentary
A/n: As promised, my final piece of uni writing! This landed me a 13.75/20, which means that it is fairly-well substantiated and a valid piece of literary analysis. The main point of critique was that I didn't interact or go into discourse enough with existing sources. Otherwise my essay was deemed "quite inspirational". So instead of uwu fanfiction I'd like to present you this more scientific and academic (maybe even boring) side of myself. Do enjoy!
P.s. My dm's are always open should anyone be interested in going into this a little bit more or should anyone have any questions.
The Depiction of Women in Frankenstein: Mary Shelley as a Staple of Social Commentary
Daughter of two vociferous literary revolutionaries and wife to a renowned poet and activist, societal expectations for Mary Shelley and her work were always set high. Her publication of Frankenstein was nothing short of successful and pivotal in that āShelley invented modern science fictionā (Sturgis 59). Though the novel was initially presented and perceived as a āghost storyā (Shelley 7) there appeared to be an underlying tone of social commentary present. This, however, is not surprising, as Maryās mother, Wollstonecraft, was an avid advocate for womenās rights and gender equality. It becomes apparent through the characterisation of women within the text that Shelley seeks to denounce the idealisation of uneducated, objectified and submissive women. In doing this she presented herself, akin to her mother, as an activist for women and their rights.
In this essay I will argue that Shelley condemns the view of women as submissive, passive creatures through the male protagonistsā descriptions of women. I will do this by analysing the stark contrast in depiction and characterisation of several women within the text, through the male protagonistsā eyes. To achieve this, I will primarily focus on three female characters, namely Elizabeth Lavenza, Safie and the female creature. I chose these personalities specifically because they each represent different values and types of women. In addition to this, I will also be touching on Mary Wollstonecraftās call to the education of women as addressed in her A Vindication of the Rights of Woman. This because Shelley herself plays around with the same ideas and concepts. In doing so I will bring forward Shelleyās own advocation for the education and emancipation of women.
Before I start analysing Shelleyās work I want to introduce Mary Wollstonecraftās A Vindication of the Rights of Woman. In her work, which was āthe first book on womenās rights published anywhere in the worldā (Botting 296), Wollstonecraft called for the education of women as she believed that āif woman isnāt fitted by education to become manās compassion, she will stop the progress of knowledgeā (2). She furthermore argues that education was crucial in womenās understanding so they wouldnāt revolt or rebel against their ādutyā (Wollstonecraft 2). On top of this, she condemns the sensibilization of women, stating that ātheir conduct is unstable because they feel when they should reason: and their opinions are wavering because of contradictory emotionsā (Wollstonecraft 42). Here we see that Wollstonecraft disapproves of the emotionalism of women and how she wants to step away from the stereotypical depiction of woman as a sentimental creature. In her work she ultimately claims that due to the lack of reason and plethora of sensation, women are considered to be weak and āfragile in every sense of the wordā she also adds that they are therefore āobliged to look up to man for every comfortā (Wollstonecraft 42). This then implies that the emancipation of women is achieved through education and reason.
Continuing on, I would like to shift my focus to Shelleyās novel and its female characters. As stated before, I will be analysing the three figures of Elizabeth, Safie and the female creature. In this part of my essay I will concentrate on Elizabeth Lavenza specifically. I will be analysing her characterisation and portrayal through the eyes of Victor, the main narrator in the book. In the novel, we are introduced to Elizabeth through Victor who describes that she, as a āsweet orphanā (Shelley 35) was taken in by his parents. From the very start she is presented as some sort of object, Frankensteinās mother even referring to her as āa pretty present for [her] Victorā (Shelley 35). He seems to consolidate this sentiment, describing Elizabeth as ā[his]ā (Shelley 36), the possessive pronoun reaffirming the objectification. Aside from being seen as a possession, we see that after mother Frankenstein passes away, Elizabeth is appointed the new matriarch of the house. This is especially shown here: āShe devoted herself to those whom she had been taught to call her uncle and cousinsā (Shelley 44). Here Elizabeth is presented as the nurturing, parental figure and even further along in the story we see that she often intervenes as a nurse or caretaker: āhow often have I regretted not being able to perform it myself! I figure to myself that the task of attending on your sick bed has devolved on some mercenary old nurse, who could never guess your wishes, nor minister to them with the care and affection of your poor cousinā (Shelley 64). Examples such as these reinforce the portrayal of the compassionate, caring woman. In terms of her personality, we soon learn that Elizabeth is a very emotional and sensitive woman. A good example would be her reaction to the death of William: āShe fainted, and was restored with extreme difficulty. When she again lived, it was only to weep and sighā (Shelley 72). Remarkable here is that Victor is said to be the ācomforterā (Shelley 73) of the family, which coheres with a concept that Wollstonecraft previously introduced: because Elizabeth is so frail and emotional she needs Victorās support. Wollstonecraftās sentiment regarding the wavering of rationality and reason due to overwhelming emotionality is furthermore confirmed when Elizabeth is called on as a witness during Justineās trial. We see here that while āsimple and powerfulā Elizabethās testimony āwas excited by her generous interference, and not in favour of poor Justineā (Shelley 85). In other words: her passions and emotions contributed to the conviction of her friend, thus reinforcing the idea that strong emotions are a weakness, as they cancel out any reason. In terms of characterisation, we also see that Elizabeth is often described as a āsweet girlā with āgentleness, and soft looks of compassionā (Shelley 189-190). Throughout his narration it becomes apparent that Victor sees Elizabeth, as the perfect woman, even going so far as to state that he ānever saw any woman who excited, as Elizabeth does, [his] warmest admiration and affectionā (Shelley 151). We can conclude from this, that Victor deems the emotionally vulnerable, nurturing and motherlike woman the ideal one.
The second character I will be discussing is Safie. Here it is important to mention that unlike Elizabeth and the female creature, this character is observed and narrated from the creatureās point of view. We are introduced to this character in chapter XIII when the monster is in hiding, taking refuge in a local cottage. Very noticeable is that in comparison to Elizabeth, the focus with Safie mostly lies on the womanās physical features rather than her emotionality. The creature describes her as having āa countenance of angelic beauty and expressionā (Shelley 116) and being ācharmingā (Shelley 121). In terms of her personality, the creature deems the Arabian to be āsweetā as well as ālovelyā (Shelley 117). She is furthermore described to be āalways gay and happyā (Shelley 118). While these traits are directly worded by the creature, through reading her story we see that Safie is actually a very brave, smart and self-governing woman rather than an overly sentimental one. Her independence and bravery were inspired by her mother who ātaught her to aspire to higher powers of intellect, and an independence of spirit, forbidden to the female followers of Mahometā (Shelley 124). Following her motherās advice, Safie abandons her religion and sets out to Europe as āthe prospect of marrying a Christian, and remaining in a country where women were allowed to take a rank in society, was enchanting to herā (Shelley 124). This reveals to the reader that Safieās priorities include intelligence and independence, rather than motherhood or love. While Felix is definitely a romantic partner to her, having been referred to as her āloverā (Shelley 127), the marriage is also a sort of leverage, ensuring her freedom as it offers an escape from her repressive and sexist religion, as mentioned in the quote. However during her travels to unite with Felix, Safieās companion falls ill and passes away, leaving her āunacquainted with the language of the country, and utterly ignorant of the customs of the worldā (Shelley 127). Here her true bravery shines through as she keeps pushing forward with the help of an Italian family, despite being alone in a foreign country. Eventually once settled in with the De Laceys, the creature, who is equally āunacquaintedā (Shelley 127), informs the reader on their learning process, stating that āshe and [him] improved rapidly in the knowledge of languageā (Shelley 118). This then also supports the statement that Safie is indeed a smart woman, being capable of learning a new language in a matter of months. When we apply Wollstonecraftās philosophy to this, we see that Safie closely resembles that new woman considering that she is in touch with both her reason and passion. She furthermore endorses Wollstonecraftās educational stance as she actively pursues knowledge. In terms of sensibility Safie has only been described to ā[appear] affected by different feelings; wiping a few tears from her lovely eyesā (Shelley 117) once, when meeting Felix. We can conclude that in terms of this character we see a healthy balance between emotionality and rationality, therefore introducing a different ātypeā of woman. It is safe to say that Safie is to be regarded as āthe incarnation of Mary Wollstonecraft in the novelā (Mellor 5).
Moving on, the third and final character I would like to discuss is the female creature. It is once again important to note that this part of the story is told from Victorās perspective and that this creature was never actually brought to life. She was merely an idea and request. We learn that the idea of the female creature is introduced by Frankensteinās monster, after he fails to find a human counterpart: āI am alone, and miserable; man will not associate with me; but one as deformed and horrible as myself would not deny herself to me. My companion must be of the same species, and have the same defects. This being you must createā (Shelley 144). This request, or demand, is however not well-received by Victor: āShall I create another like yourself, whose joint wickedness might desolate the world? Begone!ā (Shelley 145). However after a lot of contemplation and convincing, Victor agrees: āI consent to your demand, on your solemn oath to quit Europe for ever, and every other place in the neighbourhood of man, as soon as I shall deliver into your hands a female who will accompany you in your exileā (Shelley 148). The task proved easier said than done, as Victor struggles to āovercome [his] repugnance to the task which was enjoined [him]ā (Shelley 149). Victor seems to think and overthink his decision until ultimately he decides against it, therefore breaking the agreement. He comes to this conclusion after thoroughly considering what a new creation might bring forward:
I was now about to form another being, of whose dispositions I was alike ignorant; she might become ten thousand times more malignant than her mate, and delight, for its own sake, in murder and wretchedness. He had sworn to quit the neighbourhood of man, and hide himself in deserts; but she had not; and she, who in all probability was to become a thinking and reasoning animal, might refuse to comply with a compact made before her creation. They might even hate each other; the creature who already lived loathed his own deformity, and might he not conceive a greater abhorrence for it when it came before his eyes in the female form? She also might turn with disgust from him to the superior beauty of man; she might quit him, and he be again alone, exasperated by the fresh provocation of being deserted by one of his own species. (Shelley 165)
This revelation brings more to light than meets the eye and requires a more thorough reading. I will start with analysing the female creatureās speculated character. This is speculation because she was never actually brought to life. In other words: this version of the female creature only ever existed in Victorās inner thoughts. Nonetheless, we see that this female is depicted as malevolent or violent and seemingly emancipated since she might not conform with what her creator, Frankenstein, imposes on her. On the other hand, the creature is also described as āa thinking and reasoning animalā (Shelley 165), which strives from Victorās ideal woman (cf. Elizabeth) and makes her a threat. Here lies the sexism and Shelleyās critique thereof. She exposes Victor because āhe is afraid of an independent female will, afraid that his female creature will have desires and opinions that cannot be controlled by his male creatureā (Mellor 6). What we can also deduce from this is that Frankenstein seeks to adhere to the āsexist aesthetic that insists that women be small, delicate, modest, passive, and sexually pleasing ā but available only to their lawful husbandsā (Mellor 7). We see throughout the story that aesthetics and beauty are important virtues as both Elizabeth and Safie, though perceived by two different protagonists, are praised for their beauty. This is in stark contrast with the female creature, as Frankenstein reasons that the male creature might perceive her as a āgreater abhorrenceā (Shelley 165). Shelley with this shows the superficial mind of Victor Frankenstein and brings a whole system of sexism in societal standards to light. It is remarkable to see how, despite never even having lived, the female creature becomes one of the most crucial characters in outing her criticisms.
When comparing the three female characters with one another, we notice a sort of spectrum. On the one end there is Elizabeth who is seen as the perfect woman and wife by Victorās standards and on the other end we have the female creature who is nothing short of horrifying, violent and a threat to him and his standards. Somewhere in the middle we then find Safie, the fictional embodiment of Wollstonecraft and her ideals. Now, what sets Elizabeth apart from these other two women is her objectification. She is often presented as a matriarch and sometimes even an object or something akin to a pet in relation to Victor. She is submissive and for the most part reliant on the men in her life as previously mentioned. The other two women differ in that they strive for emancipation and independence. Furthermore these two women are described as rational creatures, rather than āsensibleā or emotional ones, which is exactly what Wollstonecraft was advocating for.
To conclude, while Shelleyās Frankenstein at first glance presents itself as a āghost storyā (Shelley 7), a thorough, more critical read brings to light a sharp piece of social commentary. Shelley masked her criticisms, which were heavily inspired by her motherās A Vindication for the Rights of Woman, by writing mostly from the perspective of males. These criticisms entailing women and the sexist expectations that society has provided are revealed through the male depiction of three female characters. There are several things to be established surrounding these women. First of all it becomes apparent that Victor favours his Elizabeth, who is the staple of a housewife: submissive, oppressed and dependent on her husband or provider. Then there is the self-governing Safie, who travelled across the continent just to obtain her freedom as a woman. The third and final personality, the female creature, is pivotal in that she is the epitome of Shelleyās critique. Victor Frankenstein fears this female creation as she is rational and will likely have a strong will of her own and can therefore not be controlled by his male creature. He furthermore is appalled by this creature as she does not conform with the stereotypical beauty standard. Throughout this narration Shelley brought to light the intricate and subtle elements of sexism in which Victor, the man, presents himself as superior to women. Shelleyās work went on to inspire and āmanaged to change the Western worldās conception of womenās rights, human reason, education theory and romantic loveā (Sturgis 55). In her work Shelley advocates, as her mother before her, for the education of women and gender equality and seeks to denounce the submissive woman as a whole.
(2681 words)
Works Cited
Botting, Eileen Hunt. āCrossing Borders and Bridging Generations: Wollstonecraft's āRights of Womanā as the āTraveling Feministā Classic.ā Women's Studies Quarterly, vol. 35, no. 3/4, 2007, pp. 296ā301.
Mellor, Anne K. āPossessing Nature: The Female in Frankenstein.ā Frankenstein: The 1818 Text, Contexts, Criticism. By Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley. Ed. J. Paul Hunter. New York: W.W. Norton, 2012.
Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein. Edited by M.K. Joseph, Oxford University Press, 2008.
Sturgis, Amy H. "Feminism, Frankenstein, and Freedom." Reason, vol. 47, no. 2, 2015, pp.54-60, 6.
Wollstonecraft, Mary. A Vindication of the Rights of Woman. Edited by J. Bennett, Oxford University Press, 2017.
Ace, Usopp and Luffy are my favorite characters. You can imagine what kind of stress I went through.
I definitely cried way more in W7 than Marineford... With Ace I was just... disappointed and very angry. Luffy vs. Usopp broke my heart because they're my favorite brotp EVER.
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It makes me so sad that people from non-english speaking/poorer countries often forsake their own literary tradition in order to feel more "intellectual" because our notion of intellectualism is so horrifically centered around mainly the US and England (maybe France and Russia sometimes as well).
Yes, you should read Dorian Gray and Hamlet and The Great Gatsby and whatnot, those are all great books, but don't underestimate national authors. Read things in your native language, read things about YOUR reality. Find out more about your own country's cultural and intellectual legacy.
It may be harder to gather motivation because it won't be as aesthetically pleasing as reading a book everyone is raging about on Pinterest, but you'll feel seen, you'll feel known. You'll find out that your struggles are not just your own, and if you're lucky, you'll see yourself in the writing. Not because a character is relatable, but because they have been socialized in such a similar way, have surroundings so similar to yours, and worry about things so alike those YOU worry about that you start to question what things are really your personality traits and what things are just the different ways you were socialized.
But know that it might hurt. Know that having someone say something so close to your heart hurts and it can be very uncomfortable. I sometimes can't finish a book because the topic is so close to home and that can be overwhelming, especially if you use literature as a form of escapism. I think it's worth it though, just to feel seen :)
What enrages me so much, by the way, is the comparison people from English speaking countries (US, mainly) tend to do with brazilian literature. It is totally pointless to compare Machado de Assis with James Joyce or Charles Dickens.
I am so sorry to say this, any english speaking person: you are unhappy enough to never be able to read "Grande Sertão: Veredas" from JGR, probably the biggest brazilian masterpiece of all time. Or even "Os Sertões" from Euclides da Cunha. Even I can't say I understand all of it. Any translation will ruin it.
More than we read the books from our country, it would be really nice to see people from other countries reading our books. Everyone loves "The Alchemist" from Paulo Coelho (I myself never read it, being honest) but what about the other outstanding masterpieces we have? It would be enriching for everyone to trade classics! I understand there may be some difficult in translating and editing, and some books may not even be translated yet.
There is, also, the modernism and postmodernism literature which I absolutely love: Clarice Lispector, Jorge Amado, Carlos Drummond de Andrade, Mario de Andrade... they are all amazing authors.
Give it a try. You will be surprised that some authors can be as great as the one's you are used to see being hyped. Or even more.
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Brazilās Indigenous march to pressure court on land ruling
Thousands of Indigenous people marched toward Brazilās Supreme Court on Wednesday to pressure justices expected to issue a ruling with far-reaching implications for land rights.
Wearing feather headdresses and with their bodies painted, they sang and danced along their 5-kilometer (3-mile) route. The group, which has been camping all week in the capital behind the National Theater, is comprised of some 6,000 people from 173 ethnic groups across the country, according to Association of Brazilās Indigenous Peoples, a rights group and one of the organizers.
Justices will be evaluating a lower courtās ruling that invalidated a claim by some Indigenous people in Santa Catarina state to what they say is their ancestral territory. The lower court based its decision on allegations the group wasnāt occupying the land in October 1988, when Brazilās constitution was signed after the nationās return to democracy, which the group denies.
The Indigenous people were frustrated that the court didnāt start discussing the case Wednesday. The majority of justices have yet to vote on another contentious debate, regarding the constitutionality of the Brazilian central bankās autonomy.
Protest organizers say the courtās decision could be āthe ruling of the century,ā because negating the 1988 benchmark would force judges across the country to impose that understanding on similar pending cases, and also affect the fate of a related, controversial bill advancing in Congress.
Farming groups argue the 1988 cutoff date provides certainty regarding property law, but rights defenders say it ignores the fact many Indigenous people had been forcibly expelled from their lands, particularly during the military dictatorship, or may not have formal means to prove possession.Ā
Emboldened by success in Afghanistan, the Taliban is now ordering religious leaders to provide them with lists of girls over the age of 15 to enter into āmarriagesā to Taliban fighters.
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