Most people think of Frankenstein
as a giant, green, stupid monster that terrorizes small cities. However, the
novel written by Mary Shelley is a well developed piece of literature with many
overarching themes. One of the themes in the modern interpretation of Frankenstein is the passiveness of the
female characters. Events and actions happen to them, usually for the sake of
teaching a male character a lesson or sparking an emotion within him. Each of
Shelly’s women serves a specific purpose in Frankenstein.
On the surface the women appear
obedient and submissive; Caroline obeying her husband Alphonse and Elizabeth supporting her beloved Victor. If one were to look
more closely, these women are controlling the plot line. They are constantly
taking it upon themselves to make the first move during a crisis. The female
characters in this novel are truly stuck between a rock and a hard place
constantly faced with catch 22 moments. These women are selflessness,
always putting family and their loved ones ahead of themselves. Midst all the
tragedy they can not escape, the women manage to leave a distinguishable mark
in the novel but most importantly on the male characters. The significance of their
passiveness is pure intellect and compassion.
To begin, let us start with
Caroline Frankenstein who is portrayed as the most passive female in the first
half of the novel. The first sign of obedience is noted when she marries her
late father’s close friend Alphonse. It is easy to classify her marriage to an
elder man an obedient act but it should also be viewed as foreshadowing.
Caroline’s marriage to her father’s friend demonstrates her feelings about
marrying inside the family. This action foretells the dynamic relationship
between Victor and Elizabeth later on in the story
. Another
situation where Caroline’s actions can be viewed or mistaken as passive
involves the adoption of Elizabeth. Victor’s mother rescues Elizabeth from a
destitute peasant cottage while she and Alphonse visit Italy. On page 26 the
text portrays this scene as Alphonse the
heroic savior who makes the decision to provide shelter and protection to
Elizabeth. Alphonse gets credit for rescuing the orphan when in reality it was
Caroline who initiated the adoption. She was instantly drawn to the little blue
eyed child and grew extremely fond of the child. Her initial interest in
Elizabeth led Alphonse to accept her into the family. Had Caroline not shown
interest from the beginning Alphonse would not have felt obliged to adopt the
child. Once again Caroline made the first move igniting and displaying the
warmth of her husband.
Caroline’s
selflessness is most evidently seen when she jeopardizes her own life to care
for her adoptive daughter Elizabeth as she suffers from scarlet fever.
Ultimately Elizabeth regained her health as her Caroline contracted the sickness
and died. Staying true to her maternal duties, Caroline’s last wish was for
Elizabeth and Victor to marry (keeping marriage within the family, similar to
her marriage to Alphonse). Physically Caroline is removed from the earth but
her dying words continue to live inside Victor and Elizabeth. Caroline may seem to be a minor
character, but she’s actually hugely important in explaining Victor’s
motivations and psyche.
The text portrays Elizabeth Lavenza
as a passive female patiently awaiting the attention of Victor. Under the
surface I believe she is just buying her time. Aware of Victor’s sensitivity
and frequent trips out of reality Elizabeth supports him from the sideline.
Consistence is what Victor lacks so she took it upon herself to fill that void
of always remaining by his side. She supports him and hopes he makes the right
decisions; she’s gaining his trust as a companion so one day they will
eventually work as a unit. For example, she joins Victor’s side and tries to
support Justine’s case of innocence when she is charged for the murder of their
brother William. It’s important for her to remain by Victor’s side.
Admitting to a murder while
knowing one is innocent is a headline that every journalist would love to
print. Justine Moritz, also adopted into the Frankenstein family willingly
confesses to the murder of William, Victor’s younger brother. The text states
she confesses to the murder seeking salvation. Her confession was purely meant
to relive her family. She knew her loved ones would feel at ease if there was a
name and face attached to the murder. “God knows how entirely I am innocent.
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). This quote
demonstrates her peacefulness throughout all the murder chaos, God knows she is
innocent and that allows her to be executed peacefully. Justine’s execution
does damage on many levels; the Frankenstein family is devastated by another
death while Victor feels twice the guilt for his secret monster creation has
now resulted in two family members deaths.
The women featured in Frankenstein demonstrate characteristics
that allow the story plot to flow. Not only are they responsible for their own personal
duties but more importantly they allow the audience to see the multi-layers of
the male characters that would have been overlooked if the females were not
present. Their coy actions have purpose and should not be underestimated.
2 comments:
Firstly, you should proof-read your essay more closely; there are a few grammatical errors. As for the content, I don't really understand what your thesis is. Are you saying that their passivity is intentional and beneficial? Or are you saying that they may seem passive superficially, but in actuality are subtly acting? It seems like you're arguing both points throughout your essay. You bring up that Caroline spearheaded the adoption of Elizabeth, which backs the latter argument. Then you mention how Justine is acting peacefully and passively during her trial in order to ease the minds of those she cares about, which backs the former. Overall, your point seems to be that the women in this novel are important. My suggestion is that you specify this further. Are they actually being passive? Or do they only seem passive? Are they important because of their passivity? Or are they important because they are in actuality not passive? These two possible arguments are contradictory, and as such you should focus on one only. I think it would add some unity and direction to your essay.
Really, but the first two paragraphs are introductory - they could have been combined and shortened. The approach sounds good, but you want to move quickly from generalizations to details.
Your detailed reading of Caroline is good. You elaborate on her selflessness as length; one could also say more about how she cared for his father on his sickbed here. Where this discussion is weakest, though, is rather significant: you really don't say much about her marriage to Alphonse, and whether it is part of her selflessness, or an enabler of it (giving her power to help other people), etc. Your analysis of her character *is* strong, but it fumbles at perhaps the most critical point.
Re: Elizabeth, this line stuck out to me. "It’s important for her to remain by Victor’s side." Doesn't this mean that she *is* passive, especially since Caroline is the one who told her what she should desire? Or is it truly her own desire, which she is pursuing as actively as she can? Again, I don't disagree with your reading of her overall, but I feel like you're fumbling a little at precisely the central question of passivity: why does she put Victor first? Where does that desire come from? Is it her own, or is it dictated to her?
In the case of Justine, I think you are actively showing how passivity and selflessness can be the same thing, but you are (maybe) trying to treat them as antonyms. I think you're trying to make them antonyms when they aren't. Unless passivity means something different to you, of course, in which case you should make clear what it does mean.
Overall: Your readings of the characters are smart and detailed - Caroline especially. You do a good job of showing the *importance* of the female characters. But especially by the end, I think you have grown ambiguous and unclear about whether you see them as passive - about whether passivity = selflessness, or whether they are actively selfless rather than passive, for instance. There is a lot of room here to clarify your overall argument, while developing your already strong readings of the individual characters.
Note that Matt says many of the same things as I do, if in different ways - we both have the same reaction to your overall argument.
Post a Comment