The feminine presences in the fresh Frankenstein by Mary Shelley are used as a device by Shelley to show her positions on society and issues set uping adult females to her readers. That Shelley ‘s narration is a feminist work is argued in Anne K. Mellor ‘s article, “ Possessing Nature: The Female in Frankenstein. ” Shelley provides distinguishable societal unfavorable judgments every bit good as a review on the patriarchal society, which, at the clip that Frankenstein was written, was the dominant political force and school of thought. Shelley uses the feminine presences in the novel to do the reader reflect upon and inquiry her judgements of society. Within the narrative, it is clear that the three male storytellers oppress the voice of the female and possibly it is Shelley ‘s purpose to dispute her readers to believe about the manner that the feminine voices are left as powerless and about redundant because the work forces are seen as the taking supporters.
The most noticeable of the powerless female voices within the narrative is Walton ‘s sister, Margaret Saville, who ne’er replies to Walton ‘s letters and so the reader is left to oppugn her ideas and reactions to the events related to her through the letters. It could be said that she is used by Shelley to demo the male ‘s demand for company of a female to confide in: “ I bitterly feel the privation of a friend ” ( Shelley 10 ) , gives us the feeling that the company of his sister is adequate to fulfill this demand for chumminess. However, Walton besides states “ I desire the company of a adult male who could sympathise with me ” ( Shelley 10 ) . This statement makes the presence of Margaret redundant one time more as it is the male presence he craves non her ain ( Mellor 281 ) .
Shelley so goes on to analyze the manner adult females are portrayed within the novel with Elizabeth being described as “ the most beautiful childaˆ¦ of all time seen ” ( Shelley 19 ) . Both Elizabeth and Caroline, Victor Frankenstein ‘s female parent, are shown as the domestic angel of the place who do non hold a voice but spend their clip caring for others about them as this is how their function as a female has been defined, “ house married womans, child care suppliers, and nurses ” ( Mellor 275 ) . The submissiveness of the females to the male presence is once more shown, foregrounding their subjugation under a patriarchal regulation. Victor ‘s description of Elizabeth as “ light and airyaˆ¦ the most delicate animal in the universe ” ( Shelley 20 ) makes it sound as if her presence is something about supernatural and she is non something that can be touched she is merely something to be felt and held by work forces. The thought of her being held is expressed by Victor utilizing the genitive pronoun ‘my ‘ when mentioning to Elizabeth proposing that adult females are viewed as objects by work forces. Elizabeth is referred to as “ a tie of domestic loveaˆ¦ my future married woman ” ( Shelley 19 ) which is seen to be oppressive, repeating the impotence of the female presence.
The powerless voice of the female is presented to the reader once more through Justine, who is found guilty even though she expresses her ain artlessness at her test. This shows how the patriarchal system of the jurisprudence is suppressing the female presence ( Mellor 276 ) . This is besides a societal unfavorable judgment by Shelley of the manner that the justness system of the clip was run as Justine is accused without being able to support herself as she shows “ utmost confusion of mode ” ( Shelley 50 ) . Justine ‘s confusion may be a manner of demoing how adult females were considered non to hold cognition of of import societal affairs and how work forces thought they would merely go baffled if duty were to be given to them. The deficiency of female voice and the manner females are supposed to set the feelings of work forces before their ain are displayed in Elizabeth ‘s missive to Victor and it is one of the few times in the novel she is given a voice. “ Be happy my friend ; and if you obey me in this one petition, remain satisfied that nil on Earth will hold the power to disrupt my repose ” ( Shelley 130 ) . Although we get some penetration into her feelings it is clear to see how she is willing to give up her felicity for Victor ‘s, even adverting how she hopes non to increase his wretchednesss by being “ an obstruction ” ( Shelley 130 ) to his wants, demoing the feminine presence as weak and submissive to the dominant male, as she is truly merely viewed by Victor as a sister ( Mellor 280 ) .
The usage of an independent feminine presence is a welcome alleviation for the reader from the domestic presences of Elizabeth and Caroline. The alien foreigner adds enigma every bit good as being a utile character for secret plan development as her debut inspires the Animal to come in the De Lacey family, as they are welcoming of those who are different from themselves ( Mellor 277 ) . The Animal asks, “ Could they turn from their door, one nevertheless monstrous, who solicited their compassion and friendly relationship ” ( Shelley 88 ) . As the narrative goes on nevertheless, it is seen that the household do drive the Creature off from their place. It can be observed that the feminine presence is what leads both the Creature and Victor to their ruins as the decease of Elizabeth causes Victor to seek retaliation, the Creature being driven away in contrast to Safie causes him to move out of malice and turn away from being good.
The female animal is a presence that is simply hinted to in the novel as she ne’er reaches completion, in a manner it could be that a female who dares to be different is destroyed by the male influence. Here we see the mate for the Creature ( who once more shows the male demand for a female presence for company ) destroyed by the custodies of Victor demoing a deficiency of the feminine side of his character through his rejection of both the Animal and his female comrade. Through Victor ‘s rejection of the female animal before her completion, Shelley is suggesting that the female voice is rejected and alienated in society. The Animal is entirely and abandoned by society, which shows societal unfavorable judgment of a deficiency of credence of distinctness as the Creature describes flying the “ atrocity of adult male ” ( Shelley 71 ) . The usage of a female animal inquiries what hope a female has of being different in such an oppressive society ( Mellor 279 ) . In this manner Shelley is demoing the reader the manner the female authors voice is pushed aside by the male laterality in literature and how any hope a adult female might hold of being different has to be repressed to go what male society deems acceptable or happen herself destroyed by her ain aspiration, such as the devastation of the Creature ‘s mate.
Shelley could besides be utilizing the deficiency of feminine presence to great consequence ; this is seen through the manner the Creature is created without a female parent figure. Victor places great importance on how “ A new species would bless me as its Godhead and beginning ; many happy and first-class natures would owe their being to me ” ( Shelley 32 ) . This suggests that life is created by adult male and could be seen as Victor ‘s overreaching into given. “ No male parent could claim the gratitude of his kid so wholly as I should merit theirs ” ( Shelley 32 ) presses out the demand for the Animal to hold a female parent figure and therefore, Victor has eliminated the necessity of the female presence ( Mellor 274 ) However, the Creature, in his ain narrative, Tells Victor how it was the force of nature, frequently referred to as the ‘mother, ‘ who raised him and taught him how to see the universe around him. This is a manner of puting importance on the demand for a kid to hold a female parent figure to raise them. Shelley is demoing how a adult female has merely every bit of import a function to play in child raising every bit good as in society as a whole to steer the kid on a moral way, which is non achieved by patriarchate entirely.
It would look that the feminine presences in the novel are of great significance to Shelley. They are her manner of conveying to the readers her positions on the manner adult females are oppressed within society. They besides allow her to expose societal unfavorable judgments under a mild head covering so that with a greater understanding and knowledge the reader is able to find the true significance of the inclusion of the female presences within the text.