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  • Essay / The Conception of Frankenstein's Monster in Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

    The moment when Frankenstein attempts to conceive his own creation is a fundamental allegory of the novel. This passage – the conception of Frankenstein's monster – actually represents Victor's botched attempt to circumvent the role of women in society. Likewise, his fear of the power that women wield is revealed through his dreams in which his beloved Elizabeth is transformed into the corpse of her deceased mother. Victor's immediate abandonment of the monster - his offspring - which is a recurring theme throughout the book, delineates the harmful effects of a uniquely patriarchal society. Ultimately, through these scenes, Mary Shelley demonstrates that the elimination of women would only lead to a "hell" world, showing the audience the problems that would beset a patriarchal society, as well as the hidden desires of the figures patriarchal aspects of society through subtle allegories. Say no to plagiarism. Get a custom essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essay First, the creation of Frankenstein's monster is a transparent attempt to replace women. Although in the Victorian era women were responsible for many domestic tasks such as nurturing and cooking, their most vital and seemingly irreplaceable role has always been giving birth. “On a dreary night” in November, Victor accomplishes something incredible. He creates life, through a process in which a male inventor (Victor) creates a male creature (Frankenstein's monster), simultaneously omitting the previously imperative role of women in childbirth. This enterprise is clearly an attempt to strengthen the power of a patriarchal society, to the point of taking away the role par excellence of women. However, we then see that after "the accomplishment of his work", he cannot describe his "emotions in the face of this catastrophe", and that the monster, which had its "members" chosen "in proportion" and made to be “beautiful” is on the contrary, miserable and unnatural. Victor, "who pursued nature to its hiding places", employs a process which eliminates all maternal influence, but which only resulted in the creation of a "wretched man". It is obvious to see the problems that would beset a male-dominated society. This is a society that would inevitably produce demented offspring, fundamentally incomplete due to their overly dominant masculine qualities. Let us move on to the psychoanalytic point of view. By 1817 there was a stratified separation between the sexes, and it was during the Victorian era that the roles of men and women became more clearly defined than in any other era. Men continued to go to work, whether in a factory, store or office, while women's role gradually migrated to overseeing domestic tasks. Frankenstein's dream about his deceased mother lends itself to psychoanalytic insight. In this passage is the unconscious fear of female sexuality held by members of Victorian England. This is demonstrated when Victor "thought" that he "saw Elizabeth" but was instead holding "the corpse of my [Victor's] dead mother." Subconsciously, Victor's replacement of beloved Elizabeth with his deceased mother shows that he only truly expresses his love to his mother when she is dead, which is reflected later in the book when Victor hugs Elizabeth. arms with ardor after his death on their wedding night. Victor is afraid of women and the indomitable power they wield. He keeps them at a distance, careful not to unintentionally express his passion, even calling Elizabeth – his wife – his “dear cousin”. However, after the death of the mother..