Essay Sample: Role of Women in the Frankenstein

Frankenstein's novel by Mary Shelley is a predominately male-oriented literary text. However, the strays from this stereotype have been rationed through the inclusion of an abundance of secondary female characters in that shape the novel into the feminist book which is portrayed in it. These female characters range from the soft-spoken Elizabeth who has a love interest to Victor to Safie who is adversely e strong-willed as well as the near-creation female companion Monster. Through the use of male narration in the novel, Shelley depicts the roles and influences of these women as treated or thought of by the male characters who deliberately put them into awkward situations which subtly frames the writer's own opinion in addressing the feminist ideologies.

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Similarly, Frankenstein depicts various problems that affected the position of women in the past, and are still prominent in the world where women have risen to power. The assumption portrays women as something disposable, subservient, and weak to men. The paper focuses on discussing feminist fosterage and the role of women in the male-dominated world. It also captures the influences of women in an attempt to create a rational world.

Role of Women in the Frankenstein

Women and Love

The most prominent female character in the novel is Elizabeth. She is the first to be introduced in the book in a love interest to Victor where she later became her wife. Although Elizabeth is regarded as the most present female character in a literary text, her significance is nevertheless put behind many male characters such as Henry Clerval through the influence by Victor (Shelley 78). Although it is apparent that Victor is viewing Elizabeth with nothing but fondness and submission to sex. The love in the novel is made without any blatant offense towards the female character. The males, for example, Victor subtly degrades Elizabeth something that belongs to him by undermining her re-existence in society. The presence of Elizabeth is predetermined as Victor's "future wife" thus killing the love triangle that always makes women feel part of society. Similarly, victor's mother describes the relationship between Elizabeth and victor is merely dependent on their two children. Contrary, Gubar and Gilbert elaborate on Victor's "ownership" towards Elizabeth through explicit comparison which kills women's love in Frankenstein.

The presence of Elizabeth is further utilized by Shelley to reveal her opinion regarding companionship and marriage that women are usually subjected to. Her untimely death during the wedding reflects the marriage and relationship deterioration that women go through in a male-dominated society. Similarly, Shelley briefly depicts that ideal relationship between women and men should legally bind the couple together.

The Female Monster

The female monster is the most influential figure which is represented in the Social Feminist fosterage in Shelly's work. The beast gives women the opportunity to be respected by men. For example, the victor becomes fearful of Elizabeth after realizing she has created a cohesive sense of rationale, human-like needs as well as knowledge of belonging. Similarly, the female gender is portrayed in a more sympathetic light amidst close response to Victorian ideals which view women as familial caregivers (Shelley 145). The description of Elizabeth as "docile and good-tempered" but "gay and playful" reveals that women have great duties in the family. The protective qualities also make women great monsters in society. They provide explicit care and affection that unites the family together.

Women as Guiding and Maternal Figures

The novel explores the central roles of the female gender as bulwarks in the social order. The book attempts to answer the earlier alluded question about the strange circumstances in the creation of the monster. However, the presence of women character reveals the ensuing abandonment of the male monstrosity by Frankenstein. This shows that in nature women are the guiding factors in an ideal state and family set up. The importance of tender care the novel helps in ensuring societal stability. As a result, the guiding rationale underscores a false dichotomy which exists between nurture and nature because of the contingencies of social cohesion depending on the contemporary female gender roles.

Additionally, on an organic level, the creation of a monster renders the female gender biological imperative moot because of the systematic removal of original feminized characters from the novel. The elimination of these female characters changed the guiding perspectives that women are elevating in the book to create a grand vision for their families (Shelley 66). In Frankenstein's dream during the creature's creation night portrays a real metamorphosis that women have gone through an attempt to reduce male dominance as well as feminist fosters.

In conclusion, the novel is very much like a commentary about the enlightenment as well as its failure to eradicate the blatant human condition through reason. The feminist fosterage shows that male chauvinism curtails most roles and influences of womenchauvinism. However, these notable marginal contributions which are subjected to women paints an incisive reflection of society. However, the creation of the monster in Frankenstein tries to attest the gender roles in both the social and domestic spheres with a view of paving the way for female genders to break from the limited confines.

Works Cited

Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein. Ed. D.L. Macdonald and Kathleen Scherf. Broadview Press, 2012. Print.