Abstract
A consideration of the roles of women in Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein" affords us some interesting insights into writing by women. As is well known, there are differing streams of feminist literary criticisms. In this paper, it is argued that the American stream of feminist literary critics (such as Sandra Gilbert and Susan Gubar) are correct in stating that women's experiences are the basis of the differences we can observe in women's writings. Specifically, it is argued that women in "Frankenstein" exhibit a range of characteristics, such that we can see that the author understands women as people, rather than as stereotypes.

Tags:frankenstein, shelley, women

Abstract
The essay uses psychoanalysis as a method of comparative discourse, in order to see more clearly the variances and motives between Shelley's and Branagh's texts. The author claims that while Branagh's adaptation affords perhaps the most accurate retelling of the plot of Shelley's text, the lens by which he interprets the tale bends the focus, elaborating upon certain underlying narratives while suppressing or overlooking others. The essay maintains that "Mary Shelley's Frankenstein" demonstrates an attempt to revise and rewrite the story in order to place emphasis on more culturally masculine concerns and anxieties, and is far from being the definitive cinematic imagining of Shelley's work. Moreover, he feels that by looking closely at key deviations in Branagh's interpretation and presentation, one can observe a systematic re-envisioning which seeks to displace and usurp Shelley's argument against masculine ideals.

From the Paper
"Stephen Behrendt contends that Victor Frankenstein and his monster reflect Mary Shelley's anxiety over the public role of authorship in a male-dominated society. As objects of discourse, women were continually reminded of their "proper" and "natural" place in private familial and public extrafamilial interaction" (Behrendt 71). Victor's "unnatural" process of creation a man assuming the maternal role of biological life-giver mirrors Shelley's socially constructed sense that she behaved unnaturally in assuming the role of artistic creator. Victor's hysteria and the Creature's disfigurement embody Shelley's horror at her own articulation a horror unconsciously generated by the dictums of a patriarchal world. Victor demonstrates his hysteria when he confesses that "a kind of enthusiastic frenzy had blinded me to the horror of my employment; my mind was intently fixed on the consummation of my labor, and my eyes were shut to the horror of my proceedings" (Shelley 162). "

Tags:differences, hysteria, revisions, shakespeare, creature, female, maternal, creator, male, feminine, patriarchal, paternal

Abstract
This paper discusses that Mary Shelley's reading of Prometheus in "Frankenstein" is most accurate to the true meaning of the legend and constitutes a critique of the excessive individualism championed by the Romantic Movement.The author points out that the subtitle of "The Modern Prometheus" refers to the character, Victor Frankenstein. The author believes that, in the character of Victor Frankenstein and in the very act of his creation, Mary Shelley joins together two seemingly opposite aspects of human study and science and poetry, reason and imagination.

From the Paper
"At the end of the novel, Walton halfheartedly heeds Victor's reluctant message to "seek happiness in tranquility, and avoid ambition, even if it be only the apparently innocent one of distinguishing yourself in science and discoveries"(1031). When the creature escapes, Walton does not chase him, but instead continues on his return to England, and more importantly, his family. If there is the slightest semblance of a happy ending, Walton's return to England is probably it, although the fact that he returns a failure cannot escape our final interpretation of the novel's denouement. The story of "Frankenstein or The Modern Prometheus", layered with multiple philosophical questions regarding the nature of Man, is a romantic irony of social failure, brought on by a rampant egocentricity in a male-dominated drive for knowledge and discovery."

Tags:individualism, romantic, character, human, failure

Abstract
This paper explains that, although Mary Shelley does not provide any in-depth explanation or discussion as to exactly how Victor Frankenstein created his "living dead man", it is clear that he utilized many known scientific properties of the age, especially electricity. The author points out that, in order to fabricate this human monster, Frankenstein must have employed certain known medical procedures to create his monster, which in the novel is described as being collected from "charnel-houses" and "slaughterhouses" which "furnished many of my materials", meaning that these "materials" were body parts. The paper concludes that Mary Shelley, as a result of her great imagination and obvious knowledge of the medical field during the early 19th century, created an enduring fable, one which has remained in print for almost two hundred years.

From the Paper
"Since most of Frankenstein takes place in the confines of Europe, it would be to our advantage to examine what was occurring in France and Great Britain in relation to medical research in the early part of the 19th century. As Smith points out, "Although the understanding of human anatomy was well-developed by 1800, physiology was founded on superstition and suppositions." In France, the dissections and post-mortem experiments of certain doctors and surgeons were seen by some people as quite disturbing; in fact, they were viewed as "radical and sacrilegious.""

Tags:electricity, anatomy, sacrilegious, surgery, emotions

Abstract
This paper examines Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein" and, in particular, it looks at how has come to be regarded as connecting important, but widely disparate, elements of 19th century culture in Victorian England. It discusses how, with many apparently conflicting themes such as the domestic ideology of the bourgeoisie family and parenting, on the one hand, and fear of pregnancy, childbirth, and forbidden emotions ranging from the desire to play God and incest on the other, Shelley's "Frankenstein" is often seen as a complex mosaic, which lends itself to varying interpretations. It also explores whether the adoption of such a contextual framework helps to clarify the divisions in Shelley's work between conformist and challenging views of gender- balanced roles both in society and within the make-up of the individual personality.

From the Paper
"The existence of a patriarchal culture during Mary Shelley's lifetime has been well established in a wide body of work in the fields of sociology, cultural studies, and literature. The study of such works helps understand the historical antecedents of a patriarchal culture and the forces in operation during the time of Shelley's writing Frankenstein. Masculinity and femininity has, over generations, been defined and shaped by men through the medium of patriarchal culture. Further, the beginning of the nineteenth century and the Industrial Revolution accelerated the masculinization of culture due to the exponential increase in the production of knowledge by men and the multiplication of cultural codes and languages written in male script (Aker & Morrow, p. 25)."

Tags:gender, god, domestic, viktor

Abstract
This paper relates that Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein"is resplendent with descriptions that create a strong visual impact and is rich in philosophical issues, such as freedom, power and the consequences of having too much power. The plot of Kenneth Branagh's 1994 film adaptation follows the book except for several changes that the author relates. Nonetheless, the paper contends that the biggest advantage of the film, which the author considers to be the best of all the film versions, is the emotional impact created through the mixture of imagery and sound, which seem to get into the feel of the words of Shelley.

From the Paper
"The casting was very good and this contributed a lot to reinforcing the images i had created in my head while reading the book. The setting was just I had imagined it, but the depiction of Victor that I had in my mind was focused more on his human dimension and not the professional one. The biggest advantage of the film is the emotional impact which it causes through the mixture of imagery and sound. There is an emotional impact when reading the book as well but the emotions are easier to control."

Tags:popularity, relationship, death, emotions, rationalization

Abstract
This paper uses some of the central themes from Mary Shelley's novel "Frankenstein" as a basis for comparison and contrast to Shelley's other works, including "Mathilda", "Ladore", "The Last Man" and "Valperga".

From the Paper
"The enormous and enduring popularity of Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley's classic novel, "Frankenstein", often overshadows her other novels like "Mathilda", "The Last Man", "Valperga" and "Lodore". Yet these novels all feature themes that are quite comparable to Shelley's most famous work, especially with respect to conveying autobiographical details from the author's life as they revolve around the concepts of gender, identity and patriarchy. The theme of a male giving birth to life in Frankenstein demonstrates the irrelevance attached to the female gender in..."

Tags:science, nature, parenting, gender, patriarchy, control, sexuality, family

Abstract
This paper explains that, a century or two later, Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein", which is a clever perception of what careless use of science could do to mankind, is a prophetic vision that was way ahead of its time. The author points out that science was an important theme in Shelly's days when modern scientists started showing an interest in the workings of nature; however, the Church was against such prodding and believed that only God needed to know how intricately things worked and that man need not meddle with nature, which also appears to be Shelley's advocacy in this book. The paper suggests that Frankenstein cannot believe that his careless use of science would produce such horrifying results thus raising an issue of responsibility in the use of science similar to the anxiety of today on the subject of cloning.

From the Paper
"In Frankenstein's case, we understand that his obsession of creating a human being was grounded in purely egoistic beliefs. He was hungry for fame and power and wanted to be above everyone else. He actually felt that he was far superior to other people and felt that science would allow him to dominate the society. He hopes to use his creation as a slave or a servant when he proclaims: "..." Like a person who is impressed by social status and rank, Victor also possesses a desire to rise above the common heard and be counted as an important person."

Tags:cloning, church, prophetic, egoistic, careless

Abstract
In this article, the writer notes that Mary Shelley's 'Frankenstein' is a highly prescient work that anticipates the nature of the new technology that was emerging in the wake of the industrial revolution. The nature of this new technology was to challenge the natural order, and this is symbolized through Victor Frankenstein mimicking the function of the Creator. The writer points out that Shelley wishes to convey the horror inherent in this act. The writer maintains that what is created is a monstrosity, and the consequence is doom, for both creator and creation. The novel is also the first example of science fiction, a genre that continues to examine the relationship between man and technology. This essay examines the novel intricately in the light of this theme. It follows the steps in which the naive view of science leads on the creation of monstrosity. It then examines why it is a monstrosity, and spells out the full consequences.

From the Paper
"Mary Shelley's Frankenstein is clearly a cautionary tale that spells the moral and sociological implications of the philosophy of the Enlightenment. There is a tendency to limit the theme of the novel to science, and thereby to ignore the underlying philosophy. But the scientist is only encouraged, or discouraged, by the social and philosophical milieu in which he exists. In this sense the rise of modern science must be properly attributed to the philosophy of Enlightenment, that which believed in the infinite perfectibility of man through the strict practice of reason. If experimental philosophy is one expression of this philosophy, then philosophic individualism is another. This latter philosophy maintains that the human being is intrinsically free, and therefore his nature is ultimately good, which also implies that it is devoid of evil. Apparent evil only reflects the constraints of man as a social being."

Tags:creation being anarchism, horror, naive, scientist

Abstract
This paper discusses how Mary Shelley was, without a doubt, reacting to Milton's "Paradise Lost" when she wrote "Frankenstein". The paper also examines how many of the characters in "Frankenstien" seem to reflect Milton's. Additionally, the paper examines how Shelley updated the way the people of her generation perceived the relationship between God and Satan, just as Milton had in his time, in his poem.

From the Paper
"One of the main reason why "Frankenstein" and "Paradise Lost" are so captivating is the author's ability to create a personal connection between the reader and the anti-hero in their works. Frankenstein is the story of a Creator, Victor Frankenstein, and his Creation/Opponent, the Creature or Monster, just as Paradise Lost is the story of a Creator, God, being foiled by that embodiment of Evil, Satan. Victors problems started when he chose not to follow the path of a common natural philosopher, who "might dissect, anatomize, and give names" , but never acquire the true knowledge of God, the secrets of nature which he desired to "divine". Victor places the role of God upon himself. He has the power to create, but unlike God's power, his is not divine, but comes from science. Victor attempts to create a man in his own image, but what he created was a hideous creature, "a thing
such as even Dante could not have conceived"(Chapter 5), which implies that Victor himself is flawed."

Tags:victor, stereotype, satan, god