A Feminist Reading Of Frankenstein

Since the first publication of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein in 1818, it has becomes the model for the Gothic novel, science novel, and has opened a new page for horror novels. A resurgence in Shelley criticism in the early 1980s, discovering in her work not only one of the earliest literary productions by a woman author, but also a source of rich commentary on gender roles and female experience at the beginning of the nineteenth century.This thesis is a feminist reading of Frankenstein to discuss Mary Shelley's rich female consciousness. It explores how Mary Shelley, as a female writer, uses a significant narrative structure to present the society's conception of women and to subvert that patriarchal culture as well at the same time.This thesis consists of five parts: introduction, three chapters, and the conclusion. In the introduction, it presents the literary criticism of Frankenstein, especially feminist criticism, and then briefly introduces the theory of narrative structure. In Chapter one, it discusses women of the time and Frankenstein's narrative structure. Associated with the background, it analyzes the women status, women writers and their novels, and the arising female consciousness reflected in their writing. Mary Shelley is one of women writers. She develops an ingenious narrative structure of Frankenstein to reveal the time and express her female consciousness. So in this part, it analyzes the narrative structure of Frankenstein and its features. Chapter Two and Chapter Three discuss what such a unique narrative structure presents. Chapter Two is to present the society's conception of the women. Male narrators'narratives reveal that women are either angles or monsters in the patriarchal society. What's more, the rooted idea that women are source of evil is never changed. Chapter Three is to present the significance of women's roles. As a woman, Mary Shelley knows the society treats the women unfairly and unjustly. By the act of writing, she expresses her female consciousness of valuing women's distinct personalities. Through male narrators'narrative discourse and female characters'discourse, she highlights the motherhood and women's selfhood. The conclusion refers that the patriarchal society imposes the silence on women. Even though, Mary Shelly, as a women writer, has to follow the literary convention, she also breaks this imposed silence and expresses her ideas. Her female consciousness is shown by such a significant narrative structure; what's more, Mary Shelley's rebellious voice is more and more vital and influential to the present.