Frankenstein: Themes, Images and Metaphor

Birth, Biology and the Feminist Angle in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

Jul 7, 2008

In 1818 Shelley created a much loved Gothic novel, Frankenstein, which she would use as a medium to present her ideas and thoughts on birth, biology and feminism.

Birth is, for most women, considered to be one of the most important, precious and life-changing event ever to be experienced. Mary Shelley, in her novel Frankenstein took this theme and distorted it in order to produce one of the most famous gothic novels ever written.

Birth of the Monster

Birth was an important part of Shelley’s life also: tragically she suffered a miscarriage. Later she was to conceive a son and daughter. Hence why the pivotal moment of the novel is when Frankenstein gives birth, or creates, his nameless creature.

Frankenstein recalls how ‘the moon gazed on my midnight labours’ (Four Gothic Novels, 1994, pg.488) This imagery is not accidental: ‘The moon, a symbol of cyclically recurring feminine biology…the Greek moon goddess Artemis was the patroness of childbirth.’ (Valdine, 1999, pg.116)

The scene that Shelley sets for the birth of the creature echoes a woman’s labour: ‘He (Victor) strives to emulate in ‘his workshop of filthy creation’, a woman in labour giving birth.’ (Valdine, 1999, pg.116)

However, one must consider that perhaps the reason that Frankenstein’s child, his creation, is an abomination of nature is because of his own gender? Biology itself dictates that only women can give birth; anything else is against nature herself. Shelley reinforces this message continually throughout; always maintaining the position against those that attempt to ‘play god’ with nature.

Frankenstein’s Relationship to the Monster

Parenting too, is an important part of the novel Frankenstein. It is true both in the world of fiction and the real world that no child ever asks to be brought into the world. Thus, it is always undeserved if a child is victimised and abused by its parents.

Curiously, the monster is simultaneously innocent and guilty: ‘the monster’s symbolism is multivalent; he plays the role of both victimizer and victim.’ (Valdine, 1999, pg.113) It is argued that the creature’s actions were the result of Frankenstein’s rejection of him.

This argument raises an interesting philosophical question: was the creature born evil or was he made evil because he was ill-treated and rejected? Should the creature be pitied? Shelley never satisfactorily answers these questions instead leaving it to the reader to consider this dilemma.

Alongside Shelley’s arguments about what she considers to be the abuse of science, there are undertones of feminism in her writing. This is not surprising, as Shelley’s mother, Mary Wollenstonecraft was the author of the feminist text ‘The Vindication of the Rights of Women.’ (The Vindication of the Rights of Women, 1992)

The primary male character Victor Frankenstein, despite having noble intentions is essentially a flawed character. It could be argued that Frankenstein is guilty of far greater a crime than the beast which he creates; after all, had he not attempted to play god with nature then the creature which he despises could not have come into being. Again, this brings us back to an earlier point; children do not ask to be born.

The female characters of the novel are consistently dominated by the men, despite their shortcomings. When the creature murders Frankenstein’s fiancée Elizabeth, Shelly takes care to describe the way Elizabeth is positioned on the bed: ‘She was there, lifeless and inanimate, thrown across the bed, her head hanging down and her pale and distorted features half covered by her hair.‘ (Four Gothic Novels, 1994, pg. 586) The connotations of this attack are obvious to the reader.

As well known today as when it was written in 1818, Frankenstein is a celebrated and sophisticated novel deserving of the attention of the modern reader. The themes and motifs of Frankenstein are perhaps more important today than ever before.

References:

Valdine, C., (1999) ‘Return of the Repressed: Gothic Horror from the Castle of Otranto to Alien’ New York: State University of New York

Wollonstonecraft, M., (1992), ‘The Vindication of the Rights of Women’ London: Penguin

The copyright of the article Frankenstein: Themes, Images and Metaphor in 18th & 19th Century British Fiction is owned by Sabrina Louise Webb. Permission to republish Frankenstein: Themes, Images and Metaphor in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.