When I read Percy Bysshe Shelley’s The Mask of Anarchy (The Mask) for the first time, I was immediately captivated by the important role that appears to be assigned to what Ashley J. Cross calls “a series of connected female figures”. A female Hope is given the strength to stop the excesses of an unjust society, and it is a female voice that calls upon the men of England to “Rise like Lions after slumber”. Apparently, The Mask’s men are passive. Father time waits “Fumbling with his palsied hands”, and the men of England have been chained while asleep. This sharply contrasts to how women and men are depicted in Frankenstein. The novel’s women largely comply with contemporary gender norms: passive, docile, and dependent daughters, sisters, wives and mothers who are confined to the domestic sphere. They are not given a voice and are recurrently depicted as victims of a society dominated by ambitious, active men. In The Mask, by contrast, women not only survive tyrants, but they also emerge as highly influential forces in the establishment of an imagined future egalitarian society.
Frankenstein has long been accepted as a novel that embraces women’s rights. Some critics have also read The Mask in the context of 19th century society and its attitudes towards gender. In my thesis, I will argue that both works incorporate a strong call for women’s rights and that in spite of a different approach, the similarities between them go far deeper than they appear on the surface. I will emphasize the influence of Mary Wollstonecraft’s ideas on both writings. They seem to have been an invaluable source of information and reveal an inextricable bond between The Mask, Frankenstein and Wollstonecraft’s writings.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Women in 19th Century England
3. Mary Wollstonecraft
4. The Mask of Anarchy and its Vindication
4.1. The Maniac Maid and Peterloo
4.2. The Maniac Maid and 19th Century Women
4.3. Freedom and Universal Rights
4.4. Joint Revolution: Call to Women and Men
5. Frankenstein and its Vindication
5.1. The Female Creature
5.2. The Creature’s Divide
5.3. Hope and Despair
5.4. The Family Unit
6. The Mask and Frankenstein: a Vindication of the Rights of Women
7. Conclusion
Objectives and Topics
This thesis examines the intersection of feminist thought and literary expression in Percy Bysshe Shelley’s poem The Mask of Anarchy and Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein, arguing that both works advocate for women’s rights by subverting contemporary patriarchal norms.
- The influence of Mary Wollstonecraft’s philosophical works on 19th-century literature.
- The portrayal of female autonomy and agency amidst societal oppression.
- The subversion of traditional gender roles in Romantic-era narratives.
- The role of "female voices" as catalysts for social and political change.
- The connection between political revolution and the emancipation of women.
Excerpt from the Book
4. The Mask of Anarchy and its Vindication
The Mask of Anarchy is a beautiful and gripping poem. Richard Holmes (2005, 532) calls it “the greatest poem of political protest ever written in English”. Determined that something needed to be done after the 1819 massacre in St. Peter’s Fields in Manchester, Shelley took up his pen and wrote the ninety-one-stanza poem. The initial flat tone – as if the men of England need time to realize what has befallen them – is interrupted by revolutionary thoughts that arise in short, strong stanzas. “In this ghastly masquerade” (1.27) of abusers, the poem almost visually depicts a situation of repression so violent that desperation seems to be the only answer. Masks, instead of disguising, reveal uncompromisingly the injustice of a hierarchical society: like Castlereagh, like Eldon, like Sidmouth, and “Like Bishops, lawyers, peers or spies” (1.29). Although all hope for change seems to be in vain, stanza 22 presents a turning point in the form of a female figure who is tired “With waiting for a better day” (1.91) and is willing to die a martyr “Expecting, with a patient eye, / Murder, Fraud, and Anarchy” (1.100-101).
While reading the poem, it is hard to ignore the male passivity that is deeply entrenched in it. Time, a father figure, “Fumbling with his palsied hands” (1.93) has grown weak and the men of England complain though only “With a murmur weak and vain” (1.189). However, to me, it is even more captivating to notice the female activity that runs through the poem. As mentioned in the introduction, an important role is apparently attributed to “a series of connected female figures”. They act as crucial agents in disrupting the grotesque display of an unjust society. It is the maniac maid who calls a halt to Anarchy’s procession, and it is a motherly figure who calls for justice and who encourages the men of England, who have drifted into a slumber, to “Shake your chains to earth like dew” (1.153) – a call that takes up the last 55 stanzas of the poem.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Outlines the research focus on the connection between Shelley's The Mask of Anarchy and Mary Shelley's Frankenstein in the context of women's rights.
2. Women in 19th Century England: Provides a historical overview of the patriarchal structures and male-dominated discourses that restricted women's lives.
3. Mary Wollstonecraft: Examines Wollstonecraft's feminist philosophy and her advocacy for rational education as a means to achieve gender equality.
4. The Mask of Anarchy and its Vindication: Analyzes how the poem utilizes female figures to disrupt male passivity and call for revolutionary change.
5. Frankenstein and its Vindication: Explores how Frankenstein serves as a feminist text by detailing the creature's struggle for recognition and autonomy.
6. The Mask and Frankenstein: a Vindication of the Rights of Women: Synthesizes the comparative analysis, highlighting how both works serve as critiques of social injustice.
7. Conclusion: Summarizes the thesis, reinforcing the argument that both authors were deeply influenced by Wollstonecraft and addressed systemic violence.
Keywords
Romanticism, Frankenstein, The Mask of Anarchy, Mary Wollstonecraft, Feminism, Gender Roles, Patriarchy, Political Protest, Female Agency, Shelley Circle, Rights of Women, Social Injustice, Literary Criticism, 19th Century Literature, Enlightenment.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research?
The thesis explores how Percy Bysshe Shelley’s The Mask of Anarchy and Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein integrate feminist ideals and advocate for the rights of women in a patriarchal society.
What are the primary thematic areas?
Central themes include gender-based social structures, the impact of Mary Wollstonecraft’s writings, political protest, the role of education for women, and the subversion of male authority.
What is the main research question or goal?
The study aims to demonstrate that both texts, despite their different genres, share a deep-seated connection to Wollstonecraft's feminist philosophy and utilize female voices to challenge and subvert repressive societal norms.
Which scientific method is applied?
The author employs a comparative literary analysis, contextualizing the primary texts within their historical, political, and philosophical environments, specifically referencing feminist discourses of the 19th century.
What topics are discussed in the main chapters?
The work covers the historical status of women in the 19th century, the philosophical foundations laid by Mary Wollstonecraft, and detailed readings of specific characters in the two primary literary works.
How would you characterize this work through keywords?
Key terms include Romanticism, Feminism, Gender Equality, Patriarchy, Political Protest, and the Shelley Circle.
How does the author interpret the "maniac maid" in The Mask of Anarchy?
The author views her as a crucial female agent who disrupts the status quo, transitioning from a state of apparent despair to one of hope and empowerment.
In what way does the creature in Frankenstein represent a subversion of gender?
The author argues that while the creature is perceived as male, its experiences and struggle for recognition mirror the plight of 19th-century women, effectively serving as a "female voice in disguise."
- Citar trabajo
- Katya Schodts (Autor), 2015, "The Mask of Anarchy" and "Frankenstein". A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/310818
