Female Literary Roles

Paper Summary:

The paper notes that the role of women in novels is as diverse as women themselves, and two stories that demonstrate this diversity is Bram Stoker's "Dracula" and Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein".The paper shows how these novels portray women as strong characters, but in very different ways and that these women also show us that happiness does not always come to those that are the most aggressive or those who speak the loudest. According to the paper, strength is an inner beauty, and while these authors write about strong women, it is clear that strength appears differently to different people.The paper concludes that, while the females in these stories live very different lives, they illustrate that strength comes in many forms.

From the Paper:

"Elizabeth is a strong woman in the Frankenstein. She is Victor's lifeline when he finally comes around after his ordeal with the creature. Her voice is rather quiet but her essence is not. She is important to Victor and when he finds himself at a loss, he reaches for her to provide security and stability. From early in the novel, he refers to her as "my more than sister" and a "possession of my own". Elizabeth is strong and determined and we this when Caroline dies. We read that she devoted herself to her duties to "those whom she had been taught to call her uncle and cousins" . In addition, Victor tells us, "Never was she more enchanting as at this time".

Sample of Sources Used:

• Fry, Carrol. "Fictional Conventions and Sexuality in Dracula." The Victorian Newsletter. GALE Resource Database. Site Accessed July 14, 2008. <http://www.infotrac.galegroup.com>
• Johnson Alan P. "'Dual Life': The Status of Women in Stoker's Dracula." Source: Sexuality and Victorian Literature. GALE Resource Database. Site Accessed July 14, 2008. <http://www.infotrac.galegroup.com>
• Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein. New York: Bantam Books. 1981.
• Stoker, Bram. Dracula. New York: Signet Classic. 1965.
• Weissman Judith, "Dracula as a Victorian Novel." Midwest Quarterly. GALE Resource Database. Site Accessed July 14, 2008. <http://www.infotrac.galegroup.com>

More papers on Female Literary Roles:

• Analytical Essay # 6273 : "Reversed Roles of Women in Literature"
• Book Review # 112018 : "Phillip Grove's "Settlers of the Marsh"
• Analytical Essay # 88175 : "A Literary Character Review"

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