Introduction
In Frankenstein, Mary Shelley confronts the patriarchal culture of her time by portraying the female characters ironically, since women were forbidden from openly revolting. Her mother, Mary Wollstonecraft, was a radical feminist. Thus, it is no surprise that she adopted the label herself, positioning herself as a writer who rejects gender norms and fights against sexism in the real world and in literary works.
Shelley criticizes conventional gender norms by imposing harsh consequences on her protagonists who conform to them. She overtly depicts male characters as audacious and egotistical, while feminine ones as selfless and submissive. Shelley critiques what society considers male and female behavior, which leads to the formation of gender roles, while openly portraying male characters, such as Victor Frankenstein and Robert Walton, as arrogant and selfish, and female characters, Elizabeth and Margaret, as humble and obedient.
Mary Shelley
The book is set in a period and time when women were expected to remain in their homes and not express their opinions. They were expected to be submissive and respectful to the men who dictated everything that had to be done and how it should be done. Society had established norms that treated women as unequal to men; thus, they were barely considered significant members (Lustrig 8-9).
Nonetheless, Shelley wrote the book to express and share her thoughts and opinions, which were contrary to the societal norms. She used the book to give voice to women of her age and time. Irony among the female characters in the book has been used as a tool to voice and negate the norm of patriarchal dominance (Kamana). These women include Margaret Savile, Caroline Beaufort, Justine Mortiz, Safie, and Agatha.
First, the author used a male name as the book’s title, which displays irony in that, despite the overall title being dominant, the book contains female characters who have made significant contributions toward achieving its intended objectives. Similarly, during the 18th century, men dominated societies, and thus women were disregarded as crucial members of society (Hillerström 1). Nevertheless, they play critical roles behind the scenes, facilitating the men’s leadership.
The author has shown the modernization of women through the female characters who deviate from normalcy, which is contradictory (Hustis 845-858). For instance, most, if not all, male characters in the book had women in their lives, and they played a crucial role in maintaining male dominance (Kamana). This is ironic because, as much as most men claimed to be the leaders of society, they very much needed women to achieve this controlling power.
The book was first written when women could not speak directly to men, as they were expected to be homemakers with no opinions whatsoever. However, in the case of Shelley, she writes the book to protest against the issues of neglect and disregard for women (Kamana). She uses the book as a means to convey the challenges and problems that women are forced to endure.
Ironically, even though women cannot talk directly to men or defend their opinions, she publishes a book that opposes social norms. She defies these norms and consequently gives the women the voice to address their issues and grievances (Kamana). Ironically, despite following and adhering to the norms of society by being submissive and respectful, Justine and Elizabeth end up dying. As such, it signifies that no good comes from conforming to these norms.
Caroline Beaufort
Caroline is portrayed as a submissive, weak, and helpless lady. She neither disrespects nor talks directly to men, but still suffers. Her role as the mother of Victor Frankenstein negates the notion that women are insignificant to society. The book is tied to her ability to birth the protagonist; as such, it is ironic to underestimate the impact of women in society. She is the pillar upon which the novel is based; this signifies that women are the source of life, and this invalidates the aspect of male dominance in society. Essentially, life belongs to them, making them, by default, the dominant beings in society.
When Elizabeth falls ill with scarlet fever, Caroline is not afraid of touching her with her bare hand while administering treatment. This is ironic because even though women are portrayed as weak and powerless, Caroline demonstrates significant courage by attending to Elizabeth despite her deadly illness (Higgins 43).
There is no mention of the strong men or any other courageous person to go near the sick. Furthermore, she displays selflessness and fearlessness when she caters to Elizabeth despite understanding that she could get sick too. This is ironic because none of the firm and dominating men was courageous enough to care for Elizabeth.
Additionally, Caroline displays a lack of fear while on her deathbed. She is on the verge of succumbing to the effects of the Scarlet ever. This is ironic because she is a woman, and they were perceived to be weak based on the time and age. She portrays strength even in her weakest moments for her children, Victor and Elizabeth.
Elizabeth Lavenza
Elizabeth grew up together with Victor Frankenstein and later became his fiancée. She is used to demonstrating the caring and responsible aspects that women were expected to possess. These traits may be seen as the defining aspects of a woman who has conformed to the norms of a male-dominated society (Kamana).
After Caroline’s death, Elisabeth took over her roles and was in charge of the home. She is the citadel of their home and is the glue that holds the family together in the absence of Caroline. This is sarcastic because the book portrays her as a weakling and an orphan, but she does not let that hinder or deter her ability. This allows her to understand Victor better; thus, she can handle him despite his indifference.
Victor says, “I looked upon Elizabeth as mine to protect, love, and cherish. All praises bestowed on her I received made to a possession of my own” (Shelley 25). After their engagement, Victor implies that Elizabeth is his possession and thus promises to love and treasure her (Hillerström). While this may be partially true based on the standards and norms of the society at the time, everything was controlled by Elisabeth.
This is caustic because Elisabeth understood Victor more than he knew himself, so technically, he belonged to her. Her influence on him is sardonic because, based on the book, the society was run by men; however, in the case of Victor, the norm was reversed, which made him develop the need to protect Elizabeth from the monster and instead risk his own life.
The author narrates, “She left me, and I continued walking up and down the passages of the house, inspecting every corner that might afford a retreat to my adversary.” (Shelley 176). Elizabeth demonstrates courage and fearlessness when she agrees to marry Victor despite knowing the monster wants to kill him, which probably includes her.
This is ironic because, unlike most women, she was revealed as an orphan and a weakling. However, the monster kills her to hurt Victor; consequently, he swears to kill the monster and follows it into the frozen lake. He cannot exert his revenge since the frozen lake expands, breaking its floor and separating the two.
Margret Savile
Margret is Walton’s sister; she barely utters a word throughout the book; as such, she is considered insignificant, but her role in the book is critical since she is the reason Robert writes the letters. If she had not been there, Robert would not have told his stories; hence, there would have been no book (Kamana). Her role and purpose in the book are ironic because her mere presence facilitates the book’s commencement, development, and progression. She is portrayed as a soft and understanding person; whereas this may seem like her conforming to society’s norms, these features enable her to be a person with whom Robert feels free to share his adventures and stories.
Justin Mortiz
Mortiz is portrayed as a submissive and passive lady, shown to be a weak character. Her mother dislikes her and thus has to live with Frankenstein’s family while she works as a servant. She is ironic because she prefers staying with her fathers, which is uncommon for many people. Usually, boys are expected to spend time with their fathers to learn from them, while girls are expected to stay with their mothers; however, this is different for Mortiz, and this causes her mother to dislike her (Kamana). Additionally, it is ironic how her relationship with her mother is strained, yet many mothers have healthy relationships with their daughters.
Mortiz calmly says, “God knows how entirely I am innocent. Nevertheless, I do not pretend that my protestations should acquit me: I rest my innocence on a plain and simple explanation of the facts adduced against me.” (Shelley 69). In the book, the author portrays Mortiz as a fearful and weak character; as such, it becomes ironic that she does not fear being executed for a murder she did not commit. She expresses that Victor is informed about his brother’s murder, he leaves for home, and when he notices a monster in the woods, he understands it was the monster that had committed the murder (Frankenstein 254-271).
After the monster murders, William Mortiz and Victor are arrested as the first suspects in the murder. However, Victor is acquitted and released while Mortiz is prosecuted and found guilty, and thus, she is sentenced to death. She displays fearlessness by trying to prove her innocence despite the general ruling, which was against her favor. Additionally, she is not afraid of dying, which is ironic considering her character traits, which initially displayed fearfulness and introverted behavior.
Safie
Safie is shown to be independent and courageous since she walks away from her father while holding her boyfriend’s hand. This is ironic because it was against the norm for ladies to walk around with men while holding hands. She disregards the norms of society and the boundaries that guide the activities of the people.
Shelley uses this character to educate the public about the changing times (Higgins 61). This is ironic for the author and the character because the community places little to no regard for the position of women in society. Despite her position in the book, which is relatively insignificant, Safie can make an essential impact on the monster. She can teach and influence the language through comprehensive observation to begin desiring a mate. This is ironic because Safie is only a minor female character in a male-dominated world. She can only catch the monster’s attention and intrigue it to begin desiring more.
Conclusion
In Frankenstein, Shelley demonstrates the aspect of irony through the book’s female characters. The book is set in an environment dominated by men, and thus, there is little regard for women; as such, the author has creatively developed the book in a way that allows for the voicing of the opinions of the female characters, whose opinions are rarely given any thought. Even though men dominate society, each of them is shown to have a woman who influences them. This shows that though women are seen as less significant, they have a critical role in society, which is ironic for a society that is shown to be male-dominated.
Works Cited
Frankenstein, An Introduction to; “Nineteenth-Century Literature Criticism” Volume 170, Gale, 2018, pp. 254-271.
Higgins, Minden. Frankenstein Character Studies. Continuum 2018.
Hillerström, Mikael. “A feminist Reading of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein.” Karlstad University Press 2019.
Hustis, Harriet. “Responsible Creativity and the Modernity of Mary Shelley’s Prometheus.” Children’s Literature Review, edited by Tom Burns, vol. 133, Gale, 2018, pp. 845–858.
Kamana, Aryal. “Women as Submissive Commodity: An Irony in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein.” Ashvamegh Indian Journal of English Literature, 2018.
Lustig, Andrew. “The Lessons of Frankenstein: Nature, Nurture, and What Lies Between.” Children’s Literature Review, edited by Tom Burns, vol. 133, Gale, pp. 8–9.
Shelley, Mary Wollstonecraft. Frankenstein. Oxford University Press 2018.