Frankenstein and the Disenfranchised

Paper Summary:

The purpose of this paper is to introduce, discuss, and analyze the book "Frankenstein: Or the Modern Prometheus", by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley. The paper addresses how Frankenstein's creature compares to or resembles women and criminals as members of the disenfranchised classes of the Romantic period. The paper concludes that Frankenstein is alone and lonely, with no hope for a "normal" life. In this, Frankenstein is like the women and criminals of the Romantic period that he represents.

From the Paper:

"The novel is quite relevant to modern readers for a number of compelling reasons. First, society may have mellowed a bit, but overall, many of the societal judgments that were common in the Romantic period still exist. Women have a higher level on the social ladder, but they are still judged on their appearances rather than their abilities. Criminals are still an ostracized segment of society, in fact, they cannot vote in elections if they are felons. There are many aspects of modern society that have not truly modernized at all. In addition, the novel makes the reader look at how people judge others in society. The time period does not matter so much in this novel, because society is still incredibly judgmental and disapproving of anything out of the ordinary."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Bour, Isabelle. "Sensibility as Epistemology in Caleb Williams, Waverley and Frankenstein." Studies in English Literature, 1500-1900 45.4 (2005): 813+.
• Goodall, Jane. "Frankenstein and the Reprobate's Conscience." Studies in the Novel 31.1 (1999): 19.
• Peterfreund, Stuart. "Composing What May Not Be 'Sad Trash': A Reconsideration of Mary Shelley's Use of Paracelsus in Frankenstein." Studies in Romanticism 43.1 (2004): 79+.
• Shelley, Mary Wollstonecraft. Frankenstein Or, the Modern Prometheus. New York: Collier Books, 1961.

More papers on Frankenstein and the Disenfranchised:

• Comparison Essay # 71164 : "Frankenstein" and "The Birthmark"
• Book Review # 97547 : "Frankenstein" and the Myth of Prometheus"
• Analytical Essay # 127030 : "Frankenstein and the Creature"

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