Female Characters In Frankenstein

765 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Women in English literature

In Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, female characters are the stereotypical,weak women who wait on men hand and foot.As much as readers of the novel can see how women hate the stereotype,you can go on to say that women are not what it says women are. Now throughout the story we see slowly but surely how men ruined women.They were too afraid to tell the truth or too stupid to protect women. Even though the females of this story are not the main characters that does not mean that they did not have a role and that they were not the watchers and keepers of the men in Frankenstein. Margaret Saville, a character who is the sister of the Robert Walton and who he also addressed all his letters too was never described but readers of this novel can conclude Margaret is Waltons keepeer.To write to your sister and only your sister as you might be frozen to death trying to chase glory and fame you need to actually have a very close bond.She is an invisible force that gives Walton comfort and manages him silently from the distance. Caroline Frankenstein is Victor’s mother and she was also in the book for a period of time but she made a huge impact on Victor.Her love and support helped him deceide he wanted to go to University.As much as she impacted him in life she impacted him in death.When Caroline died of a fatal

Show More
Related

  • The Importance Of Romanticism In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

    1270 Words  | 3 Pages

    This means that the importance of women was small, but the size of their role was increasing during the early 19th century. Although Frankenstein gives the reader clues about the 19th century, inferences can be made on how the individual sees society through the tale of Frankenstein’s monster. After Frankenstein aborted his creation, the monster goes off into the world and experiences society without having any prior knowledge about society. He speaks of how he learns about basic human functions as well as how he has come to terms with being a monstrosity. The event in his story that gives the most evidence towards the events occurring in the 19th century was his encounter with the De Laceys.

    Read More

  • Feminism in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

    1061 Words  | 3 Pages

    For centuries, women have been forced to live life on the outskirts of a male-dominated society. During the 1800’s, the opportunities for women were extremely limited and Mary Shelly does an excellent job portraying this in her gothic novel, Frankenstein. Furthermore, in this novel, Mary Shelly shows how society considers women to be possessions rather than independent human beings. In addition, the female characters rely heavily on men for support and survival, thus proving their inability to do it on their own. Lastly, the female characters in this novel are in many ways victimized by the male characters.

    Read More

  • Frankenstein: Shelley Use of Mascuine and Feminine Roles

    2033 Words  | 5 Pages

    Caroline is, on surface value, a perfect parent, together with her husband, which renders Victor’s irresponsibility in abandoning the creature more unforgivable.

    Read More

  • Character Differences In Frankenstein

    1486 Words  | 3 Pages

    To begin with, Victor Frankenstein grew up in Geneva. Spoilt by his parents, Victor had a good childhood and his parents wished nothing but happiness for him. The way they showed it was through Elizabeth in which his mother presented to him as stated in the article, “my mother had said playfully,—"I have a pretty present for my Victor—to-morrow he shall have it." And when, on the morrow, she presented Elizabeth to me as her promised gift, I, with childish seriousness, interpreted her words literally, and looked upon Elizabeth as mine—mine to protect, love, and cherish.

    Read More

  • Othello And Frankenstein Comparison Essay

    957 Words  | 2 Pages

    Gender inequality will always affect the way women are portrayed in society, the weaker, unnecessary, and other sex. It is not just a subject of the past, but still holds a name in society, however in the olden eras the way women were treated and are looked at, in a much more harsh condition. In Shakespeare’s Othello and Shelley’s Frankenstein women’s roles in the books are solely based on the way they are treated in their time period. The way women are portrayed in these books, demonstrate that they can never be in the same standing as men, considered the second option, and therefore will never have the same respect as men. In both Othello and Frankenstein women are treated as property, used to better men’s social standards, and lack a voice,

    Read More

  • Ambiguous Character In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

    257 Words  | 1 Pages

    Victor Frankenstein is a very emotional character as seen in the book. throughout the book Victor is sad and guilty. As a result we could make the connection that Victor make the best decisions when he is not in a normal state of mind. When

    Read More

  • Themes in Frankenstein

    545 Words  | 2 Pages

    Robert Walton is another character that is involved with his family. The letters he sends at the beginning and end of the novel show his relationship with his sister. He is caring enough to tell her about how he is doing and does it often enough so she does not have to worry....

    Read More

  • Mary Shelley's Frankenstein as a Critique of Masculinity

    1775 Words  | 4 Pages

    Perhaps the most obvious way we can read the novel as a critique of masculinity is the very obvious way in which Shelley develops the male characters more than she does the female. She portrays the male characters as the stronger sex with the female characters seemingly completely dependant on the male, and their whole lives seem to be taken up by the males every move. The female characters in the novel ar every much idealised figures of perfection and passiveness. She portrays women as weak, beautiful, subservient beings who live only for the men in their lives.

    Read More

  • Frankenstein

    1684 Words  | 4 Pages

    Shelly’s Frankenstein is easily regarded as one of the world’s finest pieces of literature. A reason why it’s in a class of its own is because of the strong feminist undertones present throughout the work. All of Shelly’s female characters come across as inferior to the males; this character portrayal was accurate to the time period when the novel was written, in which this did happen to be the case. An example of this would be how Shelly described Elizabeth, “Who’s hair was the brightest living gold, and despite the poverty of her clothing, seemed to set a crown of distinction on her head,” when the Victor’s mother came across her (Shelly 20). Right from the start of the novel Elizabeth is presented as weak. Victor later stated when his mother brought Elizabeth home that she was “A possession of my own” (Shelly 21). Not only is Elizabeth presented as weak, but also an item to be used however the Frankenstein family wants. And that want was for Elizabeth to become Victor’s wife, “Till dead she was to be” Victor’s only (Shelly 21). She is showed to the reader as feeble, in a powerless position, and overall incapable of supporting her-self without others; at the mercy of men (Feminism and Frankenstein). Putting fe...

    Read More

  • Feminist Criticism In Frankenstein

    1030 Words  | 3 Pages

    Within Frankenstein, the level at which a female is portrayed is quite low. Like we have heard in class, women were not necessarily respected as much as men were when the novel was written. Published in 1818 by Mary Shelley, her story tells of the adventure of young Victor Frankenstein and the creation of his creature. Though deep within this narration of Frankenstein’s life, there seems to be an underlying theme seeping through Shelley’s writing. Shelley seems to venture into the idea of feminism and grotesquely show how men are treated much better than women. Her novel includes various concrete examples to support this hypothesis.

    Read More

  • The Incomparable Strength and Bravery of Women in Frankenstein

    795 Words  | 2 Pages

    Throughout Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein there are many female minor characters. Some view these minor characters as passive and subordinate, the epitome of a delicate woman, that reflect the gender roles during the author’s era. This simplifying view of the intricately complex female characters does not accurately represent the powerful and firm importance of their underlying, yet commanding, voice. One of these characters is Justine Moritz who, although charmingly modest and gentle, is a testament to the dignified power of women. During her short appearance in the novel, it is clear Victor Frankenstein fears her for the bravery and strength she exquisitely exhibits through her unjust trial. In addition, the contrast between the characters is distinct. Evidently Victor fails to posses such courage and admirable traits reflecting the insufficiency of supposed male dominance as compared to feminine vigor. Mary Shelley’s minor character Justine is a subtle yet potent force who depicts the perseverance and strength of women by illustrating the considerable lack of such traits Victor Frankenstein.

    Read More

  • The Analysis Of Women In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

    1317 Words  | 3 Pages

    Many women like those in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein suffer from inequality and oppression. Many women are treated like property and are deprived of rights that men have. The women are murdered and created in Shelley’s novel to represent how quickly women can be replaced. Women are clearly presented in the novel as classless individuals who are forced to comply as submissive beings living under the wing of man, the dominant leader in Frankenstein society.

    Read More

  • A Feminist Reading of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

    591 Words  | 2 Pages

    When reading Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, one cannot help but notice that the women characters seem to have little substance compared to the male characters. This may have been caused by the time period in which she wrote: one in which females were considered inferior to males. This difference between the sexes can be looked at using a variety of different perspectives. Johanna M. Smith, a professor at the University of Texas at Arlington, discusses this issue using feminist eyes in her essay entitled "'Cooped up': Feminine Domesticity in Frankenstein." The main points in Professor Smith's essay are that the female characters are there only to reflect the male characters, and that the Frankenstein family has a weird style of living, which she describes as a "bookkeeping mentality" (Smith 279).

    Read More

  • Roles of Women in Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

    1128 Words  | 3 Pages

    Overall, women in “Frankenstein” are displayed unimportant to society compared to men. Besides being household servants and wives, women also play an important role in society like men. Shelley’s use of describing Safie going against the passive role of women compared to Caroline, Justine, and Elizabeth symbolizes how women should have the same rights like men such as getting an education, working in the medical field, and having their voices heard to others. Without the appearance of women in society, the workforce would be cut in half with men working and earning money for a living, and women taking care of children. Therefore, one should not forget that women are the backbone of our society.

    Read More

  • The Role of Female Characters in "Frankenstein"

    1468 Words  | 3 Pages

    Can you imagine Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley's Frankenstein, the great work of literature, without, for example, such female characters as Mrs. Margaret Saville, Elizabeth Lavenza, and Justine Moritz? In this case the novel will have no meaning. All the women help to develop the plot, and without them Frankenstein will lose its spirit. Although these heroines have a lot in common in their characters: they are all strong-willed, kind, careful, and selfless, at the same time, each of them is unique, and each plays her own role in the novel. Mrs. Margaret Saville is the woman to whom the narrator tells the story. Elizabeth Lavenza is the beloved of Victor Frankenstein. Justine Moritz is the heroine who is accused by mistake of murdering William and executed instead of the fiend. There is close connection between the female and male characters, and if we break it, Frankenstein will have no sense. The author of the novel, Mary Wollstonecraft Shelly, characterizes the women in the same way as the men, and shows that they are independent players. So, the female characters in Frankenstein are as important as the male ones.

    Read More

More about Female Characters In Frankenstein

Open Document