THE MISTREATMENT OF WOMEN IN FRANKENSTEIN

The novel explicit early scientific fiction and during that time of its publication it was declared by some as the first genuine scientific story. In her novel, Shelley portrays women as the most submissive characters. She describes women as disposable, passive and plays a pivotal role in utilitarian function. Characters such as Elizabeth, Margret, Safie, Justine, and Agatha mainly play the roles of supporting the male characters. They happen to face different events and functions in their lives just to reach out to the male characters. But I do not pretend that my protestations should acquit me; I rest my innocence on a plain and simple explanation of the facts…” (65). Her speech demonstrates passivity. She becomes a docile victim and an inactive character who seems to be having no authority over her life.

Even though Victor is equally aware of the person who killed his youngest brother, he keeps the secret to himself and watches with amusement how the young, innocent and kind girl undergoes execution just to protect himself and his creation in the dark. Justine submits her will to the male-dominated society and even blinded that she cannot even see her innocence. She completely does not anything in the novel but only waits patiently for that day Victor will marry her. Even after her marriage, she is constantly disturbed by the monster that goes ahead and ends her life. Before her death, she is faced with difficulties. On the day she was brought to the family of Victor, Elizabeth is described as a gift to Victor and hence a figure and possession for Victor’s happiness instead of considering as a whole being and a bona fide member of the family.

Elizabeth on her first encounter with the family is seen as a very beautiful child thereby winning the affection of every family member. Eventually, Victor’s father, who was just a friend to his father, saves her from homelessness. In the text, Victor’s dad is described as “a protecting spirit to the poor girl, who committed herself to his care. ” Here, Shelley depicts women as weak and helpless human beings especially when they are alone and can only be assisted by men during difficulties. We can as well consider the female monster that was incomplete. Victor explains that he got the female monster destroyed before he could complete the creation with the knowledge that the female monster could not be able to control her actions and could be more catastrophic when the creation is completed thereby resulting into people knowing his secrets.

A female monster that would accept him the way he is since he was pretty sure nobody on earth would be able to accommodate her and therefore, she would be left with no option but to marry him. The monster says and I quote, “I demand a creature of another sex, but as hideous as myself: the gratification is small, but it is all I can receive, and it shall content me. It is true we shall be monsters, cut off from all the world: but on that account, we shall be more attracted to one another. This tells us that the destiny of the female monster was going to be determined even before she is born just the same way Elizabeth’s destiny was determined even before she could be able to differentiate what is right and wrong.

Furthermore, the female gender in the text is silent so that they can help the society know how women are mistreated by the male-dominated culture. This depicts how women are mistreated and undermined since they are the only victims seen by ill-mannered men in the society when it comes to vengeance. This causes the two to be lonely. Also, Elizabeth’s inability to defend herself while being killed by the monster depicts how women are weak in the society and submit to everything said by the male gender. We expected that she could have even defended herself but then as meek as a lamb she presents herself to the monster without defense. She does nothing but screams for help targeting that Victor could hear and come and rescue her from the jaws of death.

Victor even recalls how they had different interest during childhood with Elizabeth indicating that they share very little in common and hence communication between them is minimal. Elizabeth even lacks voice with which they can communicate with thereby leading to her being abandoned by Victor. There is no way she can help bridge the gap between her and Victor leading to misfortunes and the miserable death of Elizabeth. According to Barbara Johnson, he views Mary’s novel as a representation of a “struggle for feminine authorship. ” Maybe it is the writer that suffered lack of self-expression in her male-dominated society which left no space for women. ” The writer is kind of trying to follow the steps of her mother, Mary Wollstonecraft, who was a famous feminist having written A Vindication of the Rights of a Woman in the year 1792.

She also spent her whole time in the novel depicting how they had undergone sufferings in the society spending their lives only within their domestic spheres. In conclusion, women in the novel have been represented as lesser human beings in the male-dominated society. They are despised by the male gender and used just like tools. Though all the characters were generated by an author who is also female, they are given traits that are demeaning.