Paper
Mary Shelly?s Frankenstein focuses on human nature and on the possibility of
controlling experience in order to shape character and cultural values.
Specifically, it focuses on the influence of education and experience in
effecting behavior. In general, the characters are divided in to three groups by
education and experience: passive rescued women, ambitious bourgeoisie men, and
the self-taught lonesome creature. Through the female character group, Mary
Shelly illustrates how the combination of education and experience shape
attitudes and behaviors of women to be passive objects, which leads to their
demise. Mary Shelly spends the least time describing the education of women,
repeating one version of female upbringing. The lack of time devoted to female
characters in general is not a blatant disregard of women; rather, it is
testimony to the limited role women exercised in public sphere of society.
Caroline Beaufort is the model of virtuous femininity rescued from poverty to
bourgeois passivity. Caroline, the daughter of a proud, failed businessman,
follows her father into self-imposed exile to avoid the humiliation of failure
where he falls into a terrible sickness of humiliation. Completely dedicated to
her father, Caroline ?attended him with the greatest tenderness; but she saw
with despair that their little fund was rapidly decreasing? (Shelly 32)
Luckily Caroline ?possessed a mind of uncommon mould; and her courage rose to
support her in her adversity… and by various means contrived to earn a
pittance scarcely sufficient to support life? (Shelly 32). She not only cares
for him during his pathetic free fall from life, but she also actively procured
work and single-handedly supported herself and her father. It is obvious that
has Caroline possesses the skills and tenacity to support not only herself, but
her father as well. However, when her fathers falls victim to death she
immediately transforms from a caring, productive women to ?an orphan and
beggar? (Shelly 32). There is nothing to note any changes in the attitude or
actions of Caroline to warrant such a change. Rather, the change is a direct
result of the death of her father. Despite the fact that Caroline possessed the
ability to provide for herself, her description and social status remained tied
to her father. Even though women had the ability to act as free agents in
society, their description, status was invariably tied to a male. Luckily, for
Caroline, an associate of her fathers rescued her from her sudden socially
imposed poverty. While mourning her father?s death, Alphonse Frankenstein
?came like a protecting spirit to the poor girl, who committed herself to his
care? (Shelly 32). Caroline translates her gratitude of being saved from a
tough mans world into lifelong subservience. She immediately transfers her
selfless dedication from one man, her father, to another, her new husband
Alpohnse Frankenstein demonstrating the female?s artificial dependence on men.
Saved to the feminine life of passive servitude, Caroline similarly rescues
other girls from poverty and educates them in the virtues of bourgeois
domesticity. Thus, she finds Elizabeth, whose seemingly innate, upper class
feminine virtue makes her shine amid a family of ?dark-eyed, hardy little
vagrants? (Shelly 34). Upon being rescued, Caroline ?presented Elizabeth to
[Victor] as her promised gift? (Shelly 34). Immediately following her
introduction to bourgeois life, Elizabeth is transformed to possession of a
male. Once in the Frankenstein household, Elizabeth learned to be ?the living
spirit of love to soften and attract? (Shelly 38). Once under proper middle
class guidance, Elizabeth becomes the ideal female by providing comfort and
support while becoming dependent on male energy and male provision. Thus, like
her foster mother, she is the perfect domestic woman: daughter, sister, friend,
and wife-to-be. Justine Moritz, a poor girl is also saved from her tyrant,
exploitive mother by Caroline. Once introduced to the bourgeois Frankenstein
family Justine trained to be a servant. Just like Caroline and Elizabeth before
her, Justine quickly learns the female role of serving others. Undoubtedly
thankful for Caroline saving her from her tyrannical mother, Justine idealized
her and considered her to be ?the model of all excellence, and endeavored to
imitate her phraseology and manners? (Shelly 65). Evidently, Justine attempted
to emulate Caroline?s middle class virtues making her equally passive and
obedient. Justine, along with Caroline and Elizabeth, are manifestations of how
women fulfill and are fulfilled by their servitude dominated domestic lives.
Women once guided into what Mary Shelly?s mother Mary Wollstonecraft describes
as ?[g]entleness, docility, and a spaniel-like affection,? are less agents
then they are objects acted upon (6) . This theme is evident by the early deaths
of Caroline, Justine, and Elizabeth, which Mary Shelly implies are a logical
outgrowth of the bourgeoisie ideal. This is especially evident in the death of
Caroline. Elizabeth was severely ill due to a case of scarlet fever. Although
she initially refrained from helping, Caroline attended Elizabeth who ?was
saved, but the consequences of this imprudence were fatal to her preserver?
(Shelly 42). Knowing full well the potential consequences of her actions,
Caroline choose to ignore the advice of others and choose to attend Elizabeth at
her sick bed. Caroline died because of her selfless dedication to others.
Essentially, Mary Shelly is implying that women who selflessly dedicate their
lives to others are in danger of killing themselves. The death of Justine Moritz
is an example not of women selflessly dedicating their lives to others, but
rather, of passive women being acted upon. Justine was wrongfully accused of
killing William Frankenstein due to circumstantial evidence. A family servant,
while washing clothes, found a locket that Elizabeth had given to William
shortly before his death. Once on trial, Justine is unable to effectively argue
her innocence due to a series of odd circumstances and questionable explanations
for those circumstances. Upon this, Justine declares that she ?commit[s] [her]
cause to the justices of [her] judges, yet [she] see[s] no room for hope?
(Shelly 54). Fully educated in the female bourgeois ideal of a passive female,
she neither is unable to nor even effectively attempts to prove her innocence.
Rather, she calls on people to testify on her behalf, including Elizabeth.
Elizabeth, like Justine, does not even attempt to effectively uncover the truth
regarding William?s death. Instead, she focuses on how well Justine fulfilled
the role of a bourgeois woman and had no reason to murder anybody. Elizabeth,
like Justine, lacks the ability to effectively argue against Justine being the
murderer. Instead, relying on their perceived goodness effectively making them
passive to the entire ordeal. Both Justine and Elizabeth have learned well the
lessons of submissiveness and devotion that Caroline Beaufort epitomized for
them. Similarly, their model behavoir lowers their resistance to the forces that
kill them. The death of Elizabeth is the final example of the implication of
passivity leading to the death of a female. In this case, Elizabeth is attacked
and killed by the creature due entirely to the actions of Victor. This is
another, though extreme, example of women being completely acted upon. Elizabeth
did nothing at all to warrant this death except follow bourgeois virtues. Those
virtues told her to be dedicated to a man whose actions cause her death. Thus,
she was entirely acted upon and had absolutely no agency or freedom from a man
ever in her life. Mary Shelly uses the female characters of Frankenstein to
demonstrate the ridiculous manner in which women were educated in the bourgeois
ideal. These ideals taught women to be passive and in turn were acted up instead
of being active agents. Thus, Frankenstein is a call for a method of educating
women, one that does not limit and weaken women.
Другие работы по теме:
Frankenstein Essay Research Paper Philip HwangPer 1
Frankenstein Essay, Research Paper Philip Hwang Per 1 Mc Cracken 9/5/00 Summer Reading Drearier enough it all began with a choice to chose what was to be read this summer. Many book to select from, yet one with a magical tone to it caught my eye, Mary Shelley?s Frankenstein. Reading it gave a 2nd person point of view, interchanging with Dr.
Why Viewers Have Compassion For Frankenstein Essay
, Research Paper Because each person reacts to differences in different ways it is a difficult subject to explain. In my opinion the films “Frankenstein” and “Edward Scissorhands” both mirror how society as a whole reacts to differences.
God Makes All Things Good Man Meddles
? With Them And They Become Evil?. Show How Frankenstein Illus Essay, Research Paper Mary Shelley wrote the novel Frankenstein in the early part of the nineteenth century.? Frankenstein has been considered as possibly
Frankenstein 4 Essay Research Paper Throughout the
Frankenstein 4 Essay, Research Paper Throughout the course of Frankenstein, the acquisition of knowledge is one of the most important themes in the novel. In this classic Romantic Novel, knowledge comes in many forms and is used in many ways. Knowledge can be credited with saving someone s life, or it can be the justification for ending another s.
Frankenstein 2 Essay Research Paper Frankenstein
Frankenstein 2 Essay, Research Paper Frankenstein’s Creation and Rejection of the Creature As the reader reads farther into the story Frankenstein, the reader learns more about Victor Frankenstein and his creature that he hopes to create. The reader understands why he wants to create his creature and why after he creates it, he rejects it.
Frankenstein Reanimation Essay Research Paper Frankenstein ReanimationIn
Frankenstein: Reanimation Essay, Research Paper Frankenstein: Reanimation In the story Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, a mad scientist named Victor Frankenstein is intrested in natural philosophy. One day when Victor was fifteen, he saw lightning strike an oak tree, and blast the oak tree in half, leaving nothing but a stump in its place.
Frankenstein Themes Still Present In Today
’s Society Essay, Research Paper Many of the themes of Frankenstein relate to the life and times of today. Classics such as Frankenstein contain many of the qualities of a timeless book, because people today can still relate with the same issues and problems as the people during Frankenstein’s time. I believe the reason Frankenstein has remained a classic is because so many of the themes still relate to the times of today.
Frankenstein Essay Research Paper The theme of
Frankenstein Essay, Research Paper The theme of Mary Shelley s Frankenstein is when you play God it will always come back to plague you. Frankenstein is a creature created from dead flesh sewn together like a jigsaw puzzle of human parts. Victor Frankenstein is the mastermind behind the creation and becomes haunted with the unthinkable of what nature can produce.
Frankenstein Essay Research Paper Life is full
Frankenstein Essay, Research Paper Life is full of choices; however a ?right? choice made by one may seem barbaric to another. In Mary Shelly?s Frankenstein, Victor Frankenstein the protagonist, struggles in making a decision. He must determine which situation concerning himself, his family, and the world is morally correct.
Frankenstein Versus Prometheus Essay Research Paper Frankenstein
Frankenstein Versus Prometheus Essay, Research Paper Frankenstein Versus Prometheus What do a god and a crazy doctor have in common? Nothing right! Wrong! In the stories Prometheus and Frankenstein the protagonists are very alike in many ways. They both tried to play god, steal, and they both get punished for what they did.
Frankenstein Essay Research Paper Mary Shelley 192ppFrankenstein
Frankenstein Essay, Research Paper Mary Shelley 192pp. Frankenstein Copyright1957 Almat Publishing Pyramid Books The conflict in the story Frankenstein is self vs. another. Victor Frankenstein is a man interested in chemistry, who alters dead flesh therefore creating a superhuman being of rotted corpses.
Public Education A Right Or A Privilege
Essay, Research Paper Public Education should be a right not a privilege. In my opinion, public education should be a right. We need public education. When it comes to voting,
FRANKY Essay Research Paper Main Theme Mary
FRANKY Essay, Research Paper Main Theme Mary Shelley’s novel, Frankenstein, gains increasing significance in the modern world with its relevant theme of “man playing God.” Creation
Frankenstein Essay Research Paper The story of
Frankenstein Essay, Research Paper The story of Frankenstein by Mary Shelley is about a man who createdsomething that messes with nature, and nature came back to mess with himbecause nature is more powerful than man. Victor Frankenstein was very interested in natural philosophy andchemistry and basically tried to play G-d by creating life.
Marry Shelley
’s Frankenstein Essay, Research Paper Marry Shelley’s Frankenstein is a story that portrays an ambitious young scientist Victor Frankenstein who is not satisfied with his previous knowledge. Following his egotism, he plays God and creates a being that will destroy him. The story develops to a complete tragedy and there are many reasons for Frankenstein’s misfortune.
Frankenstein Essay Research Paper Reading Response on
Frankenstein Essay, Research Paper Reading Response on Frankenstein When reading Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley, I found myself having a hard time understanding it. I also found it hard to stay motivated to read it. I was really disturbed by the thought of bring someone back in the way Victor did. As being one of the people who’d lost a loved one, it was hard to imagine them coming back in the way the novel described.
Frankenstein Summary Essay Research Paper In Mary
Frankenstein Summary Essay, Research Paper In Mary Shelley s Frankenstein, the young doctor Victor Frankenstein, creates a monster through the use of dead human body parts and electricity. The monster comes to life before the doctor s very eyes and scares the doctor to death, leading him to flee his laboratory and the monster.
This Is An English Book Report On
“Frankenstein” Essay, Research Paper The story of Frankenstein by Mary Shelley is about a man who created something that messes with nature, and nature came back to mess with him
Comparison Of Mary Shelly
’s Frankenstein To Movies And TV Show’s Frankenstein Essay, Research Paper Comparison Of Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein to Movies and TV Show’s Frankenstein
Frankenstein By Mary Shelley 1797
– 1851) Essay, Research Paper Mary Shelley wrote this novel on a dare at the age of nineteen. While she and her husband (the renowned poet Percy Bysshe Shelley) were vacationing with Lord Byron and others in the Alps
Frankenstien
–Playing God Essay, Research Paper The theme of Mary Shelley?s Frankenstein is when you play God it will always come back to plague you. Frankenstein is a creature created from dead flesh sewn together like a jigsaw puzzle of human parts. Victor Frankenstein is the mastermind behind the creation and becomes haunted with the unthinkable of what nature can produce.
Untitled Essay Research Paper FrankensteinFrankenstein
Untitled Essay, Research Paper FrankensteinFrankenstein Morality. It has been questioned by people, honored by people and revered since the beginning of time. Yet even today not one person can say what is morally right. It is a matter of opinion. It was Dr.Victor Frankenstein’s opinion that it was alright to create a “monster”.
Mary Shelleys Frankenstein Essay Research Paper Mary
Mary Shelleys Frankenstein Essay, Research Paper Mary Shelly`s Frankenstein The story of Frankenstein by Mary Shelley is about a man who created something that messes with nature, and nature came back to mess with him because nature is more powerful than man. Victor Frankenstein was very interested in natural philosophy and chemistry and basically tried to play Gud by creating life.
Op Essay Research Paper Article Critique
Op Essay, Research Paper Article Critique ? New Hotel Project The article talks about the possibilities of making ?One card, For Many Doors?. They are trying to make a room key with an internal credit card. Using a new system guests will be able to check in and issue a room key (double encoded) using their own credit card.
The Real Monster Victor Frankenstein Essay
, Research Paper The Real Monster, victor frankenstein Mary Shelley s narrative, Frankenstein is the story of Victor Frankenstein and his creation. It was on a dreary night of November that I beheld the accomplishment of my toils by the glimmer of the half-extinguished light I saw the dull yellow eye of the creature open; it breathed hard, and a convulsive motion agitated its limbs.(52) This was the time and the place in which the creature came to life.
Frankenstein Essay Research Paper FRANKENSTEINMary Shellys Frankenstein
Frankenstein Essay, Research Paper FRANKENSTEIN Mary Shelly?s Frankenstein, directed by Francis Ford Copola, is a movie about a creature named Frankenstein that is created from various body parts. The creature turns into a monster when the creator, Dr. Frankenstein, rejects him. The director guides us through the story of Frankenstein?s quest for knowledge, and his creatures search for his “father”.
Evolution Of Frankenstein Essay Research Paper Frankenstein
Evolution Of Frankenstein Essay, Research Paper Frankenstein s Evolution In the novel, Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley, the major character, Victor Frankenstein, evolves synonymously with the character of his monster. The evolution of Victor from a man of good to a man of evil leads to his isolation and eventual destruction.
Human Nature Essay Research Paper Shawn Gullberg
Human Nature Essay, Research Paper Shawn Gullberg Dr. Katz 4-01-01 Human Nature Man is constantly attempting to be better, faster, stronger, and smarter. This has been occurring for many years and has become human nature to strive forward and advance. It is uncommon for an individual to be reasonable and make the decision to stay within his limits.