Women and the Society as Presented in Frankenstein by Mary Shelly - Research Paper Example

Women and the society as presented in Frankenstein Introduction Mary Shelly was born during the period of French revolution. Her mother was a prolific writer who was against gender inequality, her father was a novelist and a radical political activist, and hence this helped create the base for Mary’s work. Mary’s mother had after her birth due to after birth complications (Davis 309). Her upbringing environment gave her an opportunity to acquire education and hence her competence in writing articles. This article is going to discuss on her article, Frankenstein, and the theme on the position of women in the society as she portrays it from the story in her book. This essay will also discuss on the modern woman compared to the traditional women and extend to which women are in the book are a reflection of Mary Shelley’s view of women’s position. Shelley published her book during the late 18th centuries and all through she reflects the themes of revolution and the social happenings during that period. She clearly portrays the existence of class systems in the society, and their challenges especially on women in such societies (Dickerson 82). The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia argues that, Shelley contradicts her mother’s work that portrayed women as inferior and as subjects to all the policies in the society. Women are abandoned and uneducated in her mother’s case, but with modernization, they acquire education that liberalizes them (Davis 313). They are free to pass their views and opinions on various issues in the society though at some point the society abandons them as arrogant to their traditions. Frankenstein shows men to be highly positioned in the society and with the freedom to pursue all their dreams as merchants, scientists and with power over women who perform house chores (Mellor 278). Women’s views are not considered, and they are supposed to be submissive to their men. It portrayed women through victor and his expectation to leaders and their powerless nature. They believe women are assets that can be used in however way the men desire. Elizabeth, a character in Frankenstein and presented as a gift to Victor, but during times of hardship and danger he does not care about her welfare and he rather looks after himself. He does not even care of what she thinks and hence he goes on with his business according to his plans (Kierski and Christopher 163). Elizabeth, who is a gift to Victor, is a perfect woman with all the best characters, but with this entire, victor fails to trust her and does not tell her of the project he works on. The new being that he creates turns out to punish him by killing his wife and a friend. Both Caroline and Elizabeth who are married are orphans who were once beggars, and none of them acknowledges and appreciates their marriage institution. Since there are limits on the choices that women in the society make they have to abide by them. Women lack freedom and are not allowed to complain about on any choices that men make on their behalf. Mary Shelley has also used another female character, Margaret Seville, to show how men take control of their women in the family institution. Being submissive to men and respecting all their decisions without objection. Mary tries to show how any male dominated society fails to consider women’s role and view on factors affecting the whole society. Though Margaret does not show the hardships, she condones in such a society, we are sure that this is due to lack of freedom and hence locks her views within herself. According to the Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, due to the nature of women in the society, she is accused of murdering William Frankenstein, but cannot save herself from the situation. Women in such societies do not enjoy any privileges, and this makes them prey of selfish and senseless men (Veeder 271). Justine on the other side represents the enlightened women in the society are able to speak up for their justice in the societies. She tries to speak up for Margaret during the court trial, and her voice creates little impact to the judges. We also see how the church does not recognize women in the society and even threatens to excommunicate the enlightened, who try to deny the men’s orders (Dickerson 90). Lack of protection on women from both the society and religion makes them weak and even results to further degradation. The laws in the society condemned Justine to Her death showing how all authority was under men and the irony in their laws that instead of protecting its people only pushes for their oppression. Elizabeth, Justine, and Caroline, the female characters in Frankenstein are constrained from taking part in any active roles in society. Women confined to house chores and bringing up of children are denied the chances to gain any titles of power in their society. All the women demonstrated as subjects to men and without any right to speak up any opinion of matters affecting them (Mellor 280). The suppression of women as domestic servants, who are open to any risks and are unprotected by the societal rights or the church laws, makes the women lose their value in societies. The voice of women s withheld and none of their opinions is heard from the public raising a feeling of denial and the desire for retaliation to the men. Men in Frankenstein are strong but have fear of a female dominated society. Victor Frankenstein demonstrated this after he came up with the female monster. He fears that women may be more powerful, competent compared to men, and if they get to power, they may cause destruction. He fears for the rule of all men in the society by women Victor fears that the demands of the feminine ruler cannot be satisfied by any man in the society, threatening their existence. He fears for the independence of women and fears if they procreate this may threaten the existence of all men in the society. This horror pushes victor to destroying the female monster since it threatens his peace in the society that he declares himself that he is horrified. Victor is not the only character who is at fear of a female dominated society. Margaret’s silent role threatens Robert Walton and builds up fear that she might be up to something dangerous silently. Shelly shows that Margaret’s attentive character is able to control Walton to some extent (Davis 321). Her brother also suffers from fear of women domination. Walton clearly states it that he suffers from isolation and he fears having women around him, and he rather prefers having men around him than women. Women threaten his peace, men would sympathize with him, and they would communicate in a better way compared to the way he does it with Women Company. Mary Shelley clearly demonstrates the effects of oppression of women in the society and the effects of men overshadowing women’s opinion on certain issues in society. Social inadequacy results to the vulnerability of women in the society and lack of protection from their men (Kierski and Christopher 170). Neither the society nor the religion that they believe in does protect them. She shows how women in the 18th century were taken as personal possessions and how much respect they give to men’s decisions. With more study on the male figures, Shelley shows that men hate women and this as the reason why they oppress women and push them to living caged lives without freedom of their own. The denial of women’s sexual independence creates fear to Victor Frankenstein and Robert Walton and that if women dominated the societies and got their sexual freedom no man would be able to control them. Unlike the traditional woman, who followed rules and practices of stigmatization, the modern one repelled the discriminating practices of the society. The emergence of technologies to the society has helped women understand their position in the society as equals to men and as creatures who have their rights (Mellor 283). They understand their role to take in the family structure and on the need for educating their children without gender discrimination to help liberate their societies. The issue of men acquiring all the respectful positions in the society is no longer a manly issue, but even women in the modern society take roles in society. Women have been equipped with reproduction knowledge, and they do not act as subjects to men. Women in the modern society decide on the number of children to bring up. The male dominated families and societies do not exist (Veeder 272). Women are enlightened and are able to fight for their rights and ensure equality of all individuals despite the age, skin colour, nationality, and gender. Such factors in the society have triggered the rise of other literature writers who discuss the issue of women in the society in relation to the rise of modernization. This literary works have enhanced the spread of equality and the recognition of women in the societies. To conclude, men considered the dominant figures in the society have the authority and supreme power, bestowed to them by their cultural practices to rule over women. Male domination in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein threatens the existence of women by relinquishing their power and giving men all the authority (Veeder 273). This makes the society view women as powerless, but threatens the power of men through the silent nature of the feminine figures in the society. The oppression of women in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries muted women from revealing their opinions and taking any significant roles and tittles in the society. Women are generally less potent and are victims to male domination (Dickerson 90). Shelley illustrates how men force women into deadly situations and how they take advantage of women’s susceptible nature. Men’s authority makes them dominate over the females sexual needs, but with time, they start to fear for their peace if the females are to dominate the society. This clearly shows that women are also capable of being rulers just as the men. Works Cited Davis, James P. "Frankenstein and the Subversion of the Masculine Voice”. Women's Studies 21.3 (1992): 307-322. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 6 Apr. 2010. Dickerson, Vanessa D. "The Ghost of a Self: Female Identity in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein." Journal of Popular Culture 27.3 (1993): 79-91. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 4 Apr. 2010. Kierski, Werner, and Christopher Blazina. "The Male Fear of the Feminine and Its Effects on Counseling and Psychotherapy." Journal of Men's Studies 17.2 (2009): 155-172. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 6 Apr. 2010. “Matriarchy.” Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th Edition (2009): 1-1. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 15 Apr. 2010. Mellor, Anne. “Possessing Nature: The Female in Frankenstein.” Frankenstein. Ed. Paul Hunter 1st ed. New York: W.W. Norton. 1996. 274-286. Print. Veeder, William. “The Women of Frankenstein.” Frankenstein. Ed. Paul Hunter 1st ed. New York: W.W. Norton. 1996. 271-273. Print. Read More