Since its publication in 1818, Mary Shelley’s magnum opus "Frankenstein or The Modern Prometheus" has given rise to a wide range of readings and interpretations. A vast majority of these focus on the genre of the Gothic horror novel and the age of Romanticism, the evolution of modern science, or the correlation between creator and creation.
Other renditions are preoccupied with more concise subject matters such as the underlying feminist structure, or the relevance of Milton’s "Paradise Lost", which is frequently alluded to in the original text by Shelley. This paper serves as partial fulfilment for the completion of the seminar "Figures of Frankenstein – Mary Shelley’s novel and its afterlife", and is designed to explore the failure of education in the upbringing of Frankenstein’s monster, determining to which extent these shortcomings in education relate to the lack of female nurture.
The second chapter will establish the foundation for the exploration of the subject of education in Frankenstein by setting a framework of Romanticism and the Gothic novel as an originating genre of literature. Gender roles and emerging dominions in Romantic European societies will be surveyed in the subsequent chapter, thus providing a focused analysis of the absence of female attendance. The third chapter will contain research on educational responsibilities in the 19th century and provide an in-depth analysis of educational failure taking place in Frankenstein, both by male and female teachers. Herein, the central literary source is the novel by Mary Shelley in the original text of 1818, edited by Marilyn Butler (Oxford World’s Classics).
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Theoretical Considerations
2.1 Romanticism and the Gothic Novel
2.2 Gender Roles and Dominions
3. Analysis
3.1 Educational Responsibilities
3.2 Female Dominion
3.3 Education of the Creature
Research Objectives and Themes
This paper examines the failure of education in the upbringing of Frankenstein’s monster, specifically analyzing how this educational breakdown is intrinsically linked to the absence of female nurturing and the rigid gender constraints of the 19th century.
- The intersection of Gothic literature and Romantic social conventions.
- The impact of 19th-century gender roles on domestic and educational spheres.
- Parental responsibility and the failure of Victor Frankenstein as a creator.
- The creature’s self-directed education through observation, mimesis, and language acquisition.
- The consequences of maternal absence and the search for social identity.
Excerpt from the Book
Education of the Creature
Magarey (2014: 110) claims that “[it] is not the unnamed, un-mothered, abandoned creature […] who is the monster in Mary Shelley’s story [but] Frankenstein himself.” The creature’s upbringing bears great contrast to the lovey nurturing Victor and Elizabeth experience throughout their infancy. After achieving the sole endeavour of his studies in Ingolstadt, assembling and animating his creature, “which he does not name and from then on refers to only as ‘the monster’, Frankenstein flees in revulsion, leaving his creation to look after itself” (Magarey 2014: 108). This mirrors “Frankenstein’s total failure as a parent”: The creature’s outward appearance and the realisation of his work tempt Victor to “[reject his ‘child’] in disgust, […] completely abandoning him” (Mellor 1990: 10) and forsaking him parental guidance. Other than liabilities towards a biological child, Victor’s “own responsibilities toward such creature” remain vague in both in anticipation and retrospect of its creation.
Summary of Chapters
Introduction: Provides the contextual framework for analyzing Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, establishing the focus on educational failure and the lack of female nurture within the novel.
Theoretical Considerations: Defines the genre of the Gothic novel within the Romantic era and surveys the social status and gender roles assigned to women in the 19th century.
Analysis: Investigates the specific educational failures in the Frankenstein household and explores how the creature acquires language and societal understanding through his observations of the De Lacey family.
Keywords
Frankenstein, Mary Shelley, Romanticism, Gothic novel, Education, Gender roles, Maternal absence, Nurture, Parental abandonment, Language acquisition, De Lacey, Patriarchy, Identity, Creation, Social convention.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fundamental premise of this paper?
The paper explores the correlation between the lack of female guidance and the failure of education in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, particularly focusing on the development of the creature.
What are the primary thematic areas covered?
The central themes include the influence of Romantic-era social structures, the distinction between male and female educational roles, and the psychological impact of parental abandonment.
What is the central research question?
The research seeks to determine to what extent the shortcomings in the creature's upbringing are related to the lack of female nurture and rigid societal expectations of the 19th century.
Which scientific methodology is employed?
The paper utilizes literary analysis of the original 1818 text of Frankenstein, supported by academic discourse on Romanticism, feminist literary theory, and historical social conventions.
What is discussed in the main analysis?
The analysis covers the contrast between Victor Frankenstein’s privileged education and his total failure to educate his own creation, alongside the creature's autodidactic learning process while observing the De Lacey family.
Which keywords characterize the work?
The most relevant keywords are Frankenstein, Romanticism, Gender roles, Education, Maternal absence, and Parental abandonment.
How does the creature acquire language and knowledge?
The creature learns through observation and mimesis, focusing on the De Lacey family’s interactions and their usage of language, which he perceives as a "godlike science" he must master to gain social acceptance.
Does the creature hold Victor accountable for his condition?
Yes, the creature increasingly identifies Victor as a negligent creator and "father" who has failed his duty, leading the creature to eventually demand companionship and question his own wretched existence.
- Quote paper
- A. V. A. Canetti (Author), 2016, Bringing up the Monster. The Absence of the Mother in "Frankenstein" by Mary Shelley, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/384346
