Marxist Reading Of Frankenstein

Marxism is a system of economic, social, and political philosophy based on ideas that view social change in terms of economic factors. It is an awareness that money is what governs most people’s ambitions, which is believed by the Marx theory, is detrimental to society because we seek progress over order. The literary analysis views work as reflections of the society it comes from. The socialist idea based criticism focuses on class structure, race and equality, straying away from the hidden meaning of work. It is blunt in its process and to its point. Works are taken into account in its unvarnished meaning and then analysed. This philosophy was originated by Karl Marx as he defined classes by the relations of its members to the means of production.

The being is physically bigger and stronger, but Victor is wealthier and educated, despite being weaker. This compares directly to the characteristics of the working and middle class in the 18th and 19th centuries. Shelley suggests the idea of the working class rising above the middle class when Victor pauses his creation of the monster’s requested companion as the Monster orders to Victor, “Slave, I have reasoned with you, but you have proved yourself unworthy of my condescension.” “You are my creator, but I am your master - obey!” (Shelley 146). This relates to a threat of revolution, implying the tensions experienced during the real life revolutions. The working class began the revolutions with good intentions, but the result was mass violence and unnecessary deaths. Upon the monster’s first meeting with Victor on the summit of Montanvert, he states, “Remember, thou hast made me more powerful than thyself; my height superior to thine; my joints more supple. But I will not be tempted to set myself in opposition to thee. I am thy creature, and I will be even mild and docile to my natural lord and king, if thou wilt also perform thy part, the which thou owest me.” (Shelley 93) The key words “lord” and “king” are critical to the passage’s understanding. The “king” and the “lord”, Victor, must do his part, to

He constructed the being in an insensitive way as he treated the monster as a science experiment and not a living being with true emotions. Similarly, the upper class looks down on the lower class in society, viewing them as inferior. Shelley emphasizes the effect of the differences in the social classes by looking at the text through the monster’s eyes. The being realizes early on in his life of the importance of wealth in his society, saying that without wealth he is, “doomed to waste his powers for the profits of the chosen few” (Shelley 109). This passage is a reference to real society, saying that if you are not part of the “chosen few”, the bourgeoisie, and are born into the lower class, you have almost no choice but to serve those above you. They will treat you as a slave and will have no control of your life. By clearly stating that wealth will determine your power in her novel, Shelley criticizes the real world society. Frankenstein was written in a time recent to two major revolutions that clearly influence the text. It is a text filled with criticism of society, culture, and economy. The production of the Bourgeoisie is what will inevitably be the downfall of themselves. This theme of the working class always having the power to destroy the Bourgeoisie intertwines itself with the story of Frankenstein, bringing to light the deeper problems of a