FEMENISM AND FRANKENSTEIN
Nick Tobin
Professor Scott Kapuski
Women and Literature
Feb 25, 2024
Feminist, Science Fiction, and Frankenstein
Mary Shelley’s seminal 1818 work Frankenstein is widely regarded as one of the masterclasses in works of fiction. However, the book has sparked debates about what genre of fiction it belongs in. Some argue that Frankenstein is a work of fantasy while others claim that it is a work of science fiction due to the fact that science is integral to the plot. And while there is no single way to define either genre, science fiction is typically viewed as more grounded in science than fantasy writing, and Frankenstein has a grounding in science that would be understandable in the early 19th century. To further examine the argument of fantasy or science factions, there are many different lenses that we can view Frankenstein under. For one example, one can use feminism as a lens to examine Frankenstein, and specifically look at the feminist metaphors at the time in which Frankenstein was released. Many aspects of Shelley’s novel support the notion that Frankenstein is a work of science fiction, but especially in the way that the novel incorporates feminist leanings and thoughts into its characterization of Frankenstein’s monster. Through the lens of feminism, Frankenstein is a work of science fiction because of the ways that Shelley uses science and the creation of the monster as a metaphor for struggles of women in the 19th century.
To briefly recap the novel, Frankenstein is split into two narratives that complement each other, one is Victor Frankenstein’s journey from college student to scientist who resurrects life and then runs away from his creation. Victor’s rejection of the monster causes torment for both of them and leads to death and destruction all around Victor. The other narrative is a series of letters written by Captain Walton to his sister while he is exploring the Arctic and finds Victor unconscious. He then takes him on his ship and then Victor starts telling his story to Walton. Walton’s story is the frame narrative to Victor’s story. Victor tells Walton of the monster that he made and then ran away from. In a way, this is Shelley warning us about the potential dangers of science and the way that science can be twisted to fit one’s needs. The novel’s theme of the danger of science is most evident in the character of Victor Frankenstien, his creation and all of the tragedies that befall them both. His goal of creating new life through science is what sets up the events of the novel. When Frankenstein creates his monster, he is horrified to find out what he has created and he starts to question why he did his experiment in the first place. Ultimately, the story ends in tragedy as both Victor Frankenstein and his creation both die.
Cultural studies is described as “an approach to literature that examines both popular and literary works in relation to a larger cultural matrix of other writings - historical, political, or commercial” (Frankenstein, Feminism, and Literary Theory - Diane Hoeveler). Cultural studies, especially in the 20th century, has often looked at feminism and society. A common definition of feminism is the belief that women should be allowed the same rights, power, and opportunities as men. Using cultural studies - and specifically feminism - can make us think about the context of Frankenstein and the world of Mary Shelley at the time of writing Frankenstein. Shelley was born in 1797 to intellectual parents who were respected in their community. Shelley started writing at a young age and in fact, she started writing Frankenstein when she was just eighteen. Growing up during the early 19th century, she came of age during the period of gothic fiction. Gothic fiction is a literary genre that usually includes elements of mystery, horror, and the supernatural. Shelley was one of a number of female writers that made up a group known as “female gothic” writers. However, what turns Frankenstein into a science fiction work rather than just a typical gothic tale of the early 19th century is the multi-layered characterization of the creature.
One of the ways to look at Frankenstein using a feminist lens is through the examination of the female characters and how they are subordinate to men. Three of the main female characters are his mother Caroline, his adopted sister Elizabeth and the servant Justine. As is typical of the time, “these women revolve around Victor like embodied wish-fulfillments, suggesting that he has created them out of, and as an expression of, his own psychic needs'' (Fantasy, Trauma and Gothic Daughters: Frankenstein as Therapy - Diane Hoeveler). Many novels and media from the 19th century focused on the perspective of a man. These novels rarely covered women’s issues before and at the time, there weren’t many female writers in the world of fiction. Similar to how the women of the book are almost entirely there to serve Victor, the creation of the creature is also merely a tool for Victor’s desires and ambitions. The creation of the creature is definitely a science fiction element - something that could be understood but not really created using the technology of the day. Shelley uses this science fiction element to draw parallels to the other women in the story and to protest the way that society puts the needs and desires of men in front of any consideration of women’s wants and desires.
Another way that a feminist lens can see Frankenstein as a science fiction story is when Victor makes a female companion for the creature. Victor initially refuses to make a female companion when the creature asks for one. The creature is struggling to fit in in the world and desires a companion. Shelley uses this as commentary on the male particracy in the way that Victor shuts down the creature’s idea for a female companion. Victor’s refusal reinforces the power dynamic that dominated the 19th century at the time. The only way that the creature could get Victor to consider making him a companion was to threaten him. “I will revenge my injuries; if I cannot inspire love, I will cause fear, and chiefly towards you my arch-enemy, because my creator, do I swear inextinguishable hatred. Have a care; I will work at your destruction, nor finish until I desolate your heart, so that you shall curse the hour of your birth” (Frankenstein - Shelley p156). However, even with the creature threatening him, Victor ultimately refuses to create a female companion. This is Shelley’s way of highlighting the male patriarchy that Victor is a part of. It is easy to see the symbolism of Victor’s decision as part of the man’s dominance in the 19th century over women.
A third way to examine Frankenstein through feminism to determine if this gothic story is science fiction or merely a very famous example of a female gothic story is to view the creature Frankenstein as a metaphor for women’s trauma and being lost in a man’s world. In the story, the creature is ultimately abandoned by his master, in this case a man, Victor, and is forced to find his way around the world by himself. With no one to help the creature, and with many scared by his appearance, the creature is forced to fend for himself with ruinous consequences to both him and others around him. This can be seen as Shelley’s way of protesting how women in the 19th century are essentially defined by the men in their lives and would be cast adrift like the creature if they were left on their own. By drawing the parallel between women and the creature, who is the science fiction element in the story, Shelley is making a statement about the plight of women at the time.
Mary Shelley’s seminal 1818 work Frankenstein can be looked at through many lenses. Some see Frankenstein as a work of feminist fiction. Because of how the characters are portrayed. The debate on whether or not Frankenstein is a science fiction book or a fantasy book has been a long debate. However, in my opinion, I think Frankenstein is in fact a science fiction book.
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Works Cited
Hoeveler, Diane. Frankenstein, Feminism, and Literary Theory, 2003, epublications.marquette.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1051&context=english_fac.
Hoeveler, Diane. “Fantasy, Trauma, and Gothic Daughters: Frankenstein as Therapy.” Essays in Romanticism, vol. 8, no. 1, Jan. 2000, pp. 7–28, https://doi.org/10.3828/eir.8.1.1.
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