Gender Roles In Frankenstein

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It is now 2018 and yet women are still looked upon as less than a "man". Why is it that women are still being discriminated simply because they are women? Stereotypes still exist; that women are much weaker than men, that female's sole purposes are to nurse their children and clean the house, that females are incapable of finding new discoveries and brilliant ideas. In Mary Shelley's novel, Frankenstein written in 1818, the roles of women are not seen as significant or important and are most often portrayed in a manner which is frail and weak. The novel is told from the point of view of three narrators, them all being male of course. The female characters that are introduced in the novel seem to be powerless and controlled by the male characters.…show more content…
He was a captain that had intentions to embark to the North Pole where he anticipated to find a passage from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean. Walton began writing letters to his sister, Margaret Saville about his ambitions. This was the starting point that demonstrated the little importance that women have in this novel. The readers are not provided with any information about Margaret's life, her personality, or what her ambitions are in her life. Readers are left in confusion on who is receiving these letters and whether or not Margaret got the chance to read them. Instead of Mary Shelley giving the reader information on Margret it is evident that Walter is more important and relies on his sister to make him feel better about being away from home. Secondly, Margret should not have had such a passive role in the novel considering without her Walton would not have been able to tell his story and the plot of the novel would not be relevant. The reader never gets to know how Margret reacts to her brother’s letters, her feelings are never mentioned in the text leaving the reader in uncertainty. Walton says in one of his letters "You will not hear of my destruction, and you will anxiously await my return. Years will pass, and you will have visitings of despair and yet be tortured by hope" (Shelly 196). Margret was homed in London while her brother had the…show more content…
In the novel, Victor explains how his father came to protect her and gave her care. His exact words were, “He came like a protecting spirit to the poor girl, who committed herself to his care; and after the interment of his friend, he conducted to Geneva, and placed her under the protection of a relation” (Shelley 28). This shows that Caroline needed a man to support and protect her because she was unable to be successful and happy without having a man by her side. By marrying Alphonse she would not have to live in poverty and face the world alone. Caroline died very early in the book from Scarlett fever, “She attended her sickbed; her watchful attentions triumphed over the malignity of the distemper—Elizabeth was saved, but the consequences of this imprudence were fatal to her preserver” (Shelley 42). Caroline dying so early in the book showed that her value and worth was not a significant part of the novel. Elizabeth Lavenza had been described to the readers as “a gift for Victor’s satisfaction” (Shelley In the book Mary Shelley quotes “My mother had said playfully, 'I have a pretty present for my Victor -tomorrow he shall have it.” (Shelley 21). Acting as if Elizabeth was only a toy for victor to play and make him entertained, and for him to potentially marry in the
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