What Is Melor's Argument In Frankenstein

When overviewing the life of Mary Shelley, it is an undeniable fact feminism saturated the viewpoints of Frankenstein’s author. Hence, reading Anne K. Mellor’s Possessing Nature: The Female in Frankenstein provides valuable insight into discovering the deeper message sown within the fabric of this early eighteenth century novel. However, though we may be able to say with certainty Frankenstein is a tale in the dangers of the destruction of women, the bold point requires further evidence to substantiate the sound logical reasoning behind Mellor’s argument. Let us focus on the point of contention where logic is strong but evidence is rather lacking: Creating a society of only men.

Mellor summarizes this argument in the opening paragraphs to her

In this way, the men then would have ultimate power in society by having reduced the necessity of the female to nil. Yet can the discerning reader truly adopt this as truth? In looking at the reasoning behind the creation of the story, never once does Frankenstein wish to create a female replacement in the way argued by Mellor. For, when she particularly looks at the strong symbolism between the creation of the monster and the loss of Frankenstein's mother a conclusion is drawn that he was trying to become his mother. However, how can we argue this point when we consider that the reasoning behind the monster’s creation was to reverse the death of a female character? Furthermore, the reasoning behind the creation of the monster given to the reader seem rather vague. In reviewing page thrity-one of our edition, it is clear from the outset our protagonist concentrates on the issue of creating the monster because of his desire to explore where life originated: “Whence, I often asked myself, did the principle of life proceed?” If Frankenstein is to be trusted, then we cannot conclude from his disclosed reasoning that his goal was the replacement of the female sex. Rather, it was to further the age old question of the origins of