It is quite ironic that Mary Shelley, a woman who grew up daughter to the important Victorian feminist Mary Wollstonecraft, portrayed women in her most notable novel, Frankenstein, as passive beings inferior to their male counterparts. However, this farcical viewpoint is direct in pointing out the flawed treatment of women in society. Through her pessimistic portrayal of women, Shelley exhibits the typical attitude of women of the Victorian era in the nineteenth century. These characteristics of woman are exemplified through Caroline's motherly self-sacrifice, Justine's unjustified execution, and the murder of Elizabeth by the monster.
The women in Frankenstein play no roles that directly influence the plot of the novel. The main action exclusively follows male figures; Walton, Victor, and the monster. The only roles women play are that which accompany men. Margaret is the target of Walton's letters, Caroline is Victor's loving mother, and Elizabeth is Victor's companion and......
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Approximate Word Count: 533
Approximate Pages: 3 (260 words per double-spaced page) |