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Feminisminthe19
century(general)
Womenwereexpectedtoliveathomedoingchoressuchascooking,cleaning,andchildrearing.Theywerenotexpectedtosocialize
duringfreetime,limitingtheiractivitiessignificantly.
Womenweregenerallynoteducatedaseducatingwomenwasseenassubversiveapossibleperversionofthecorrectsocialorder.
Women(whowerenotconsideredpersonsunderthelaw)werenotallowedtovoteandwereboundtotheirhusbandsundercommon
law.Theywereconsideredtooemotionaltomakeinformeddecisions,andbecausethegovernmentweresaidtodealwiththenavy,army,
andotherempires,theirinputwasnotneededbecausethesedecisionswereseentoonlyaffectmen.
Femalesrarelyruledexceptionsinpreviouscenturieswereduetoaccidentsinthebirthanddeathofmaleheirs.
Womenweregenerallyshutoutofthepublicsphereofsocietyunlesstheywereaccompanyingtheirhusbandsorfathers.
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The19
centurywasthestartofwomentakingonseriousrolesinabolitionmovements:
Thetemperancemovementwaslargelydrivenbylowerandmiddleclasswomen,whowereupsetwiththeamountoftimeandmoney
menoftenspentonalcohol.
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Radicalfeministsinthe19
centuryinsistedonawomansrighttoexercisecontroloverherbody,includingtherighttoremainsingle,to
pursueindependentsexualrelations,andtobearchildrenoutsideofmarriage.
FeminisminMaryShelleyslife
MaryWollstonecraft,Marysmother,wasahugeadvocateofgreaterequalityforwomensomesayshesparkedthefeministmovement.
PublishedAVindicationoftheRightsofWomen(1792)whichgreatlyinfluencedthefeministmovement.Shearguedthattheinequalitiesthat
markedwomenslivescouldbecorrectedbyequalaccesstoeducation,andthatwomenwerenotinferiortomen.
HerfatherexposedMarytohermotherswritingsandfeministidealsatanearlyage,andthisinfluencedherlife.Forexample,itledhertoliveby
anearlyfreelovephilosophyatseventeen,andpursueanopenmarriagewithhusbandPercyShelley.
WhenwritingFrankenstein,Marywastheonlyonewhotookthecompetitionseriously.ShemostlikelywantedtoimpressPercyandLordByron
withherwritingskills,astheywouldhavefeltshewasinferiortothem.
MaryalsohadtopublishFrankensteinunderamalepseudonym,sothatherbookcouldbecomeknown.
Depicted:MaryShelleyin1840.
Reflectionof19thcenturyfeminisminFrankenstein
WomenareportrayedintwowaysinFrankenstein
Womeninthetext:
Elizabeth
ConsideredanobjecttoVictor.VictorsparentsadoptherasaplaymateforVictor.Victordoesnotseeherasapersonoranequalbutratheraprettythinghecandowith
whathewants(28).
th
Portrayedasaperfectwomenwithnoflawsthepersonificationoftheperfect19
centurywomanasdeemedbysocietyisreflectedinElizabethscharacter.Elizabethis
flatanddepthlessmoreofanarchetypethanacharacter.
Elizabethreflectshowwomenareviewedintheearly19thcenturyasElizabeth,throughoutthenovel,isquitehelplesssurroundingwhatishappeningwiththemonsterand
spendsmostofhertimewaitingforthereturnofVictor(53).
Thefemalecreature
WhenVictoriscreatingthefemalemonster,heeventuallydecidestodestroyherbecauseheisafraidthatshewillnotchoosetolikethemalemonster(142).Thiswould
makethemonsterevenmoreupsetfromwhichonecanconcludefemaleautonomyseemstobeathreattoVictor.
Victorcreatesthemalecreature,thencreatesanddestroysthefemalecreature.Theabsenceofafemalecreaturebecomesthesourceofconflictinthenovel.
Themonstrousattitudesexhibitedbythemonsterafterthefemalemonsteriskilledrepresentshowwomenplayanimportantroleinfamilyandinsociety.
Theabsenceofwomen:
TheabsenceofthefemalemonsterisveryimportanttotheplotasthatiswhatmakesthemonsterviciousandleadshimtokillElizabethandmakeVictormiserable.
ShelleysnovelcritiquesFrankensteinsdecisiontocreateamasculinemodeofreproduction.
ThepassivecharacteristicsofthesecharactersemphasizethedestructiveandobsessivebehaviourofFrankensteinandhismonster.
Thisnovelisbasedaroundtheideathatmenarenotperfectbeingsandaresubjecttoerrorandmistakes.Theimportanceofthepresenceofthefemalecharactersinthe
novelrepresentshowwomenarethebackboneofsocietyduringthistimeperiod.
Thoughwomeninthiserawereoftenseenaspowerlessandsubmissive,andalthoughthefemalecharactersinthenovelseemtohavefewlinesandarepassive,their
presenceorlackthereof,isindirectlytheveryfoundationoftheplot.
Whatdrivesthemonstertoanger,sadness,andtocommithisviolentactsisduetotheabsenceofthecreationofthefemalemonsterbyVictor.Themonsterreactswiththe
ultimateformofrevengebymurderingElizabeth.
FromthiswecanconcludethatwomenseemtobetheultimatecompanionforVictorandthemonster.
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