Literature is a fusion of the historical and social context together with the personal feelings of the writer. This is why it is so difficult to find a single interpretation of "Frankenstein". Shelley came from a radical background of two openly feminist parents, but whose father did not support her right to education. Shelley in this way symbolizes the creature. A symbol of the new order destroying the institutions of the old. An educated person who according to the time did not deserve such knowledge breaking down patriarchal literary barriers to write the greatest horror and gothic novel of the time. But Shelley always maintained that she was never a “radical”. The mother's politics, like her sins, are not carried forward by the daughter. So is your novel feminist? Can it be interpreted in other ways? "Frankenstein" is undoubtedly a feminist novel. Not only is female strength shown to be suppressed, but it is said to be greater than male strength. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Victor said that "the wretch" saw him "destroy the creature on whose future existence he depended for happiness." The verb "depend" is synonymous with "trust" and "need" and suggests that the creature could not have survived without a female. This alludes to the reproductive power that females carry within themselves. Without them, the human race would cease to exist and men, despite their supposed superiority, would not exist. Even the adjective “future” is an omen. If we apply the same logic and assume that the creature represents all men, then this clearly implies that men have no "future" without men. Therefore, by suppressing them, men are robbing themselves and also damaging their own existence. The abstract noun “happiness” and the idea that men provide it to women goes against an ancient doctrine of the church (an institution in decline at the time but still practicing much of it). This is the idea that Eve, and essentially all women, are as responsible for suffering in this world as they were for original sin. This was also first said in the classical Greek myth of Pandora's Box, where a woman is responsible for unleashing all the evil in the world. But no one ever remembers that Pandora also released hope. That phrase refers to the hope that women bring. Furthermore, Victor states that the reason he destroyed the female creature is that "it could become ten times more malignant than its mate". The subjunctive created by the adverb “might” shows the fear that lay in the minds of conservative men about empowering women in Shelley's era. They weren't sure what possibilities would arise. These multiple options that could present themselves and the fear they instilled in men's hearts are summarized in the adverb “could”. Victor also adds that the female creation could "become a thinking, reasoning animal" and that it "may refuse to obey." The noun "animal" is a metaphor for how women were perceived at the time, as inferior to men. The verbs "think" and "reason" are those that connote ideas of intelligence and refinement. The idea that Victor is afraid that a woman can think and reason shows how regressive the times in which Shelley was writing were. The fact that a woman could do what a man did, or rather what a human being did, terrified them. This was why Shelley and women were denied the right to education. The consequences would have been deadly. This last quote shows that if women were given sovereignty over themselvesthemselves, as the verbs "reject" and "conform" suggest when put together, would no longer adhere to the same old hierarchy. Anne K. Mellor argues the same thing in her essay "Owning Nature". She says that men must oppress women because they are terrified of what they are capable of. They will rise up and take their rightful place at the top. However, the novel clearly presents some aspects that are in antifemale values. The female characters are presented as weak and in need of male protection. This is especially evident in the way Victor describes the interaction between his father and his mother a protective spirit towards the poor girl". The epithet "poor" is used for most women in the society of the time. It showed their weakness and their lack of ability to survive and thrive without submission to superiority and male guide. The simile of comparing her father to a "guardian spirit" gives him the image of a guardian angel; a supernatural entity whose sole purpose was to keep her from her impending doom. This could apply to all of society at the time as men were seen as protective figures who had to keep a heavy hand on women when grooming them. Victor goes on to add that he "tried to protect her." The verb "repair" gives the impression that Victor's mother was a wounded animal in desperate need of care. The verb "strive" suggests a sort of duty in doing so. The man's role was to protect women. This reinforces the idea that men are secondary to women, an idea that permeated even the most revolutionary societies. Take France during the civil war. This was a war supported by Shelley's romantic husband and friends. The new revolutionary assembly they formed drafted a mock constitution to finally give the lower classes their rights. It has been labeled the "Declaration of the Rights of Man". The noun "man" should be emphasized. Their approach was to give men the rights they deserved and deal with the women's issue later... maybe. It was never clear. One thing that was is the idea that the needs of men trump the needs of the fairer sex. The novel clearly reflects this tone and cannot be said to be a feminist novel when it openly displays female subjugation. It could be argued that the dichotomy created by the two arguments above is simple and naive. Like all other issues, this one was complicated and multifaceted. This can be seen through the lens of another female character in the story. Safie is a character with complicated feelings and a complicated background. She is initially described as strong and fierce-minded. The creature claims to have an "independence of spirit, forbidden to female followers of Muhammad." At the time the noun "independence" was not generally associated with women. It shows that they had within themselves the ability to be free and strong and not need male assistance. The noun “female” is also significant as it shows that the creature is aware that there is a clear gender imbalance. Male Muslims enjoy rights that females do not have. The fact that they are described as “followers” shows that they are worshipers and slaves of one man. It is interesting how Shelley uses Islam among all Judeo-Abrahamic religions to criticize gender imbalances. Islam barely existed in his England. It may be to sweeten the bitter pill that religious Christian readers of the time would have had to swallow. Both religions in their most orthodox form treat women terribly. By pointing out the flaws of Islam, it is demonstrated that.
tags