Chandru Sundarrajan
Professor Schoolfield
English 1325.008
10 April 2015
Summary
Mellor, Anne K. “Possessing Nature: The Female in Frankenstein.” Romanticism and
Feminism. Ed. Anne K. Mellor. Bloomington: Indiana UP, 1988. 220-32. Rpt. in Frankenstein. Ed. J. Paul Hunter. Norton Critical Edition. New York: Norton, 1996. 274-86. Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is set in a patriarchal nineteenth-century society in which men function in the public sphere and women are limited to the household. In her essay “Possessing Nature: The Female in Frankenstein,” Anne K. Mellor explores the gender divide in Frankenstein and presents various instances of injustice towards females in society. Mellor attributes Victor Frankenstein’s downfall to his insensitivity …show more content…
She then provides a brief background of Victor Frankenstein’s society, which has a strong division of gender roles. She cites many examples to support her claim by listing characters along with their respective societal roles. For example, Victor is a scientist who has the privilege of attending university, whereas Elizabeth stays at home tending to the needs of the men in her family. Mellor makes the key argument that the sexual division of labor separates intellectual activity from emotional activity, and that this segregation leads to Victor Frankenstein’s destruction …show more content…
Mellor asserts that female sexuality is Victor’s main fear and explains that he is most attracted to Elizabeth when she is dead, suggesting necrophilia. Furthermore, Mellor attributes Victor’s necrophilia to his pleasure in possessing more power over women (280). She also discusses hints of Victor’s homoerotic tendencies noted in his interactions with Clerval and with his creature. Victor’s tendency towards necrophilia and homosociality portray him as a person who does not connect with women. According to Mellor, these depictions of Victor Frankenstein present his intention to “manipulate, control, and repress women”
Professor Schoolfield
English 1325.008
10 April 2015
Summary
Mellor, Anne K. “Possessing Nature: The Female in Frankenstein.” Romanticism and
Feminism. Ed. Anne K. Mellor. Bloomington: Indiana UP, 1988. 220-32. Rpt. in Frankenstein. Ed. J. Paul Hunter. Norton Critical Edition. New York: Norton, 1996. 274-86. Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is set in a patriarchal nineteenth-century society in which men function in the public sphere and women are limited to the household. In her essay “Possessing Nature: The Female in Frankenstein,” Anne K. Mellor explores the gender divide in Frankenstein and presents various instances of injustice towards females in society. Mellor attributes Victor Frankenstein’s downfall to his insensitivity …show more content…
She then provides a brief background of Victor Frankenstein’s society, which has a strong division of gender roles. She cites many examples to support her claim by listing characters along with their respective societal roles. For example, Victor is a scientist who has the privilege of attending university, whereas Elizabeth stays at home tending to the needs of the men in her family. Mellor makes the key argument that the sexual division of labor separates intellectual activity from emotional activity, and that this segregation leads to Victor Frankenstein’s destruction …show more content…
Mellor asserts that female sexuality is Victor’s main fear and explains that he is most attracted to Elizabeth when she is dead, suggesting necrophilia. Furthermore, Mellor attributes Victor’s necrophilia to his pleasure in possessing more power over women (280). She also discusses hints of Victor’s homoerotic tendencies noted in his interactions with Clerval and with his creature. Victor’s tendency towards necrophilia and homosociality portray him as a person who does not connect with women. According to Mellor, these depictions of Victor Frankenstein present his intention to “manipulate, control, and repress women”