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The Destruction of the Female Monster Paper

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THE DESTRUCTION OF THE FEMALE MONSTER 1

“The Destruction of the Female Monster”

The Destruction of the Female Monster

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THE DESTRUCTION OF THE FEMALE MONSTER 2

Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley was a young woman well versed in the cycle of birth and death, not

from scientific learning; but from the experiences of her own life. She gave birth to three children in the

course of her life and witnessed the deaths of three. Her inherent association with the intersection of life

and death likely inspired her famous work; “Frankenstien” published in 1818. While the thesis of the

story focuses on the concept of reanimated life and the concept of science “playing God” so to speak;

there may be an underlying theme relating the gender and the othering of the female species. Women's

rights was becoming a prominent issue of discussion in Mary’s day, and as a woman herself, she may

have seen the treatment of women in the 1800’s as almost subhuman. The mistreatment, disregard, and

general othering that occurred towards women in that time could easily be compared to the treatment of

Frankenstien’s monster in the story.

The book both praises and demonizes scientific inquiry, the act of becoming a scientific scholar is

framed as wielding great power over existence. Shelley writes in the male voice because women are not

seen to have the ability to comprehend the complexities of science. This is seen prominently in Elizabeth,

who remains home to become caretaker of others. The role of the woman is to serve and nurture those

who go to do greater things, while never given the chance to do those things herself. The character of

Safie had a mother who "taught her to aspire to higher powers of intellect and independence of spirit

forbidden the female." She is, for all practical purposes, the author of "A Vindication of the Rights of

Women"(Shmoop, 2008). Confirmation that Mary Shelley was thinking of her mother was supplied

shortly after. Shelley herself was a woman of great imagination and a master of storytelling, while also

maintaining the image of a “proper” woman of her time. The monster that Victor Frankenstien creates is

not mindless, nor is he inhuman; but he is perceived to be this way due to the stubborn public mindset.

The path between this aspect of the story and the real-life treatment of women is very direct. Women are

capable of the same intelligence and pathos as men, but were never allowed to express those traits.

The monster experiences great hatred and ostracization from the people of the town and

confusion at his own recreation; therefore finding himself longing for companionship. He requests

Frankenstien to, “create a female for me, with whom I can live in the interchange of those sympathies

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THE DESTRUCTION OF THE FEMALE MONSTER “The Destruction of the Female Monster” The Destruction of the Female Monster 1 THE DESTRUCTION OF THE FEMALE MONSTER 2 Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley was a young woman well versed in the cycle of birth and death, not from scientific learning; but from the experiences of her own life. She gave birth to three children in the course of her life and witnessed the deaths of three. Her inherent association with the intersection of life and death likely inspired her famous work; “Frankenstien” published in 1818. While the thesis of the story focuses on the concept of reanimated life and the concept of science “playing God” so to speak; there may be an underlying theme relating the gender and the othering of the female species. Women's rights was becoming a prominent issue of discussion in Mary’s day, and as a woman herself, she may have seen the treatment of women in the 1800’s as almost subhuman. The mistreatment, disregard, and general othering that occurred towards women in that time could easily be compared to the treatment of Frankenstien’s monster in the story. The book both praises and demonizes scientific inquiry, the act of becoming a scientific scholar is framed as wielding great power over existence. Shelley writes in the male voice because women are not seen to have the ability to comprehend the complexities of science. This is seen prominently in Elizabeth, who remains home to become caretaker of others. The r ...
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Tags: The Destruction of the Female Monster Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley Frankenstien female monster