Global Issues in Frankeinstien

What we discussed about the introduction page:

• the role of Shelly’s husband; how he encourages her writing career
  • very progressive for the time
  • reverses the idea that “behind every great man is a great woman”
    • prompts the idea that the novel is a femenist piece because of the context and not because of the presence of female characters

• Shelly’s quote, “How I, then a young girl, came to think of, and to dilate upon, so very hideous an idea?” suggests that she had predicted a large reaction from her work, especially since she used a fake name when she firstpublished the novel.
  • planned and premeditated; expected this type of reaction
  • https://medium.com/@aylaoshea/the-fear-of-femaleness-how-frankenstein-acts-as-a-feminist-platform-bfd3dfdf5b02

View at Medium.com

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“he’s afraid that she might have her own way of thinking. Female autonomy, in Victor’s eyes, becomes a terrible threat”

• Shelly’s role as an “active listener” to the conversations between her husband and their friend; her being humble and taking in everything around her; Shelly is an observant and self-aware character

• “the experiments of Dr. Darwin”
  • a story loosely based in reality would make people more scared of it
  • “Frightful must it be; for supremely frightful would be the effect of any human endeavour to mock the stupendous mechanism of the Creator of the world.”
    • real life reference to religion

• This idea being so terrifying it gave Shelly nightmares; which is a common theme in the novel; shows how people back then were more scared than we would have been

Reflection:

Global Issues in Frankenstein:

• Gender Equality
  • Draw links to Duffy; treatment of women
    • The threat of independent women (?) concept of the monster compared to medusa from Duffy?

The concept of the monster is feared by Vitctor, mostly based on the idea that she might not listen to the first monster and have a mind of her own. This is seen as a threat and she never comes to life.

In medusa, she is mistreated by her husband and at the end of the poem turns into this perceived monster in retaliation. This might not be entirely accurate in comparison but it’s an idea.

“A suspicion, a doubt, a jealousy
grew in my mind,
which turned the hairs on my head to filthy snakes
as though my thoughts
hissed and spat on my scalp.

My bride’s breath soured, stank
in the grey bags of my lungs.
I’m foul mouthed now, foul tongued,
yellow fanged.
There are bullet tears in my eyes.
Are you terrified?

Be terrified.
It’s you I love,
perfect man, Greek God, my own;
but I know you’ll go, betray me, stray
from home.
So better be for me if you were stone.”

We could also look at cartoons or something that reflects this idea of an independent woman; or a determined woman? Maybe making a connection to Parasite.