Frankenstein: Political and Social Issues

By: Iliana Rodriguez, Kiara Hernandez, Dilair Jamal, Alice Tran, Connor Allensworth

Literary Meaning

The literal meaning of the prompt is to find a book that focuses and describes political or social issues in the society. Then analyze how the author uses literary devices to explain the political or social issues that contribute to the work as a whole.

How this topic relate to material This topic relates to Frankenstein because throughout

the novel Mary Shelly makes connections to political issues abortion, women’s role, and prejudice. She describes these issues using literary devices to emphasize their importance in the setting and the novel as a whole.

Creating a 6-Step Thesis

1. The themes presented. 2. The political and social themes astutely presented. 3. In the novel “Frankenstein,” the political and social themes are

astutely presented throughout. 4. In the novel “Frankenstein,” the political and social themes,

those of man vs. society, abortion, and passive women, are astutely presented throughout.

5. In the novel “Frankenstein,” the political and social themes, those of man vs. society, abortion, and passive women, are astutely presented throughout as a statement of man’s oppressive and destructive nature.

6. In the novel “Frankenstein,” the political and social themes, those of man vs. society, abortion, and passive women, are astutely presented throughout as a statement of man’s oppressive and destructive nature, manifested in the creature’s transformation from innocent to evil, Frankenstein’s constant wishing to destroy his own creation, and Elizabeth and Justine’s pacifist natures.

Abortion

“I felt as if I was about the commission of dreadful crime, and avoided with shuddering anxiety any encounter with my fellow-creatures. At one time the moon, which had before been clear, was suddenly overspread by a thick cloud, and I took advantage of the moment of darkness and cast my basket into the sea; I listened to the gurgling sound as it sunk, and then sailed away from the spot” (Shelley 125).

Frankenstein’s disposal of the second creature’s body is symbolic of abortion, in that he is destroying that which he has created. This motif of abortion is reflective of the struggle women were facing in those times, not only for control over their bodies, but also for control over their position in society as the intellectual and political equals of men.

Women as the Submissive Sex

“ ‘I know ,’ continued the unhappy victim, ‘how heavily and fatally this one circumstance weighs against me, but I have no power of explaining it, and when I have expressed my utter ignorance, I am only left o conjecture concerning the probabilities by which it might have been placed in my pocket’”

Justine remains tranquil and peaceful during the trial where she is accused of murder. Justine is put to death as she does not go against the false accusations and simply accepts punishment for a crime she did not commit. Justine and all of the other female characters present in the novel have a very demeaning characterization. Shelley’s women are objectified, used, mistreated, and easily discarded.

Prejudice

“ There was none among the myriads of men that existed who would pity or assist me; and should I feel kindness towards my enemies? No: from that moment I declared ever lasting war against the species, and more than all, against him who had formed me, and sent me forth in this insupportable misery” (Shelley 97).

Prejudice is judging something beforehand. Throughout the novel, the creature is attacked with undeserved preconceptions . Nearly all of the people who encounter the creature assume he is dangerous due to his physical appearance when in actuality the creature is benevolent. His good deeds and intentions are rejected by the people of the villages and the family he settles near. The violence and prejudice the creature encounters convinces him that all men are cruel.

Dynamic Character :

“Inflamed by pain, I vowed eternal hatred and vengeance to all mankind” (Shelley 101).

  In this point of the creature’s stories to Victor, he

reveals his final and true nature of evil towards mankind after being abandoned and shunned. The creature changes from an innocent being to an evil rancor beast. Shelley is trying to portray the human condition when being unwanted and ignored. This changes the creature and shows how women in society can and will fight back when they feel underprivileged in Mary Shelley’s time.

Personification :

“One secret which I alone possessed was the hope to which I had dedicated myself; and the moon gazed on my midnight labours, while, with unrelaxed and breathless eagerness, I pursued nature to her hiding-places” (Shelley 34-35).

“Despair had indeed almost secured her prey, and I should soon have sunk beneath this misery” (Shelley 154).

Victor gives an inanimate object, the moon, human-like qualities such as gazing. The moon is represented many times throughout the novel when the creature is about to appear and play a role in the novel. The moon has a negative connotation as death or suffering was soon to follow. The second quote showing personification gives the word “despair” the ability to secure the prey. This is obviously a human-like characteristic given to an ideal. It is portrayed to show that the despair has attacked upon the troubles or misery of Robert Walton.

Flashback:

“He then told me, that he would commence his narrative the next day, when I should be at leisure” (Shelley 13).

“Strange and harrowing must be his story, frightful the storm which embraced the gallant vessel on its course and wrecked it – thus!” (Shelley 14).

  Victor decides to tell Robert Walton his story of the

creature. This entire section is a flashback to Victors past few years and the creation of the “monster”. Inside the flashback of Victors, is another flashback when the creature is telling Victor his story and his journey after his “birth”. These flashbacks are important as it lets the reader understand multiple points of view. It gives the POV of Robert Walton, Victor Frankenstein, and the creature.

Pivotal Points

When Frankenstein’s creation comes in contact with humans and is rejected harshly, the monster becomes critical of human society and vows to destroy it. This leads him to seek to destroy Frankenstein and ruin his life. Through the creature’s rejection from society, Mary Shelley criticizes how quickly society judges based on appearance and not the character of an individual.

Pivotal Points

Another pivotal point is when the creature teaches himself to be literate. This causes the monster to become very intellectually adept and at the same level of thought as Frankenstein, a normal man. This is representative of women in the time period Mary Shelley lived in. In that era, women traditionally did not receive hardly any education, and if they yearned for an education that had to be self taught like the creature.

Citations

http://www.historiann.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/frankenstein-218x300.jpg

http://www.doctormacro.com/Images/Karloff,%20Boris/Annex/Annex%20-%20Karloff,%20Boris%20(Frankenstein)_12.jpg

http://www.themusicradar.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/frankenstein.jpg

http://cdn1.sbnation.com/entry_photo_images/5119293/Frankenstein1_large_verge_medium_landscape.jpg

http://rationalist.org.uk/images/NewHumanistFrankenstein.jpg

http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/frankenstein/themes.html

Shelley, Mary. Frankenstien. London: Macmillan, 1994. Print.