 Victor Frankenstein initially agrees to create a female companion for the Creature, believing it will end the Creature’s suffering and prevent further violence. However, as he works, he becomes haunted by the possible consequences of his actions. In a moment of panic, he destroys the female, declaring, “She, who in all probability was to become a thinking and reasoning animal, might refuse to comply with a compact made before her creation” (Shelley 147). Here, Victor acknowledges that the female Creature would have agency and might reject the Creature as her mate, rendering his efforts futile. He also fears that together they might pose an even greater threat to humanity, perhaps even reproducing and creating a new race of beings beyond his control: “A race of devils would be propagated upon the earth who might make the very existence of the species of man a condition precarious and full of terror” (147).
How do Victor’s justifications for destroying the female Creature reveal his anxieties about power, control, and the natural order? An interesting activity is using a Feminist Critical Lens to critique these two sentences. Why might a female "thinking and reasoning animal [...] refuse to comply"? What is Mary Shelley suggesting when she invokes the idea of this "thinking and reasoning" creature rejecting the agreements made by others and thus producing an entire "race of devils [...] who might make the very existence of the species of man [...] precarious and full of terror"? Why is this "thinking and reasoning" creature refusing to comply to society's expectation of her role as a mate so much more monstrous than the first creature? Do you see a paradox between Victor Frankenstein's worries about this female creature and his ever-compliant love, Elizabeth? Elaborate. Primary Blog Expectations (respond to the prompt above): 200-250 words, minimal errors in grammar and usage, thoughtful and thorough writing. Please use the name you were assigned in class as your nom de plume and be sure to add word count. Due by 11:59pm Sunday night 3-9-2025!
9 Comments
Ida Augusta Keller
3/7/2025 09:39:41 am
I believe that Victor's fears about the female creature shows how he knows women can be more intelligent and overpower men in certain areas, and how he knows in certain situations women can convince their male counterparts to do what they want them to do. With Victor's fears, Mary Shelley seems to be conveying how once females get the ability and chance to think and act for theirs based on their own beliefs and values, they can be monsters of their own by doing anything to follow their beliefs that break away from the norms society has placed on them. With a female creature, it would be more monstrous than The Creature because the female can cause not only The Creature to go back on his word of no longer hurting anyone, but also wreaking havoc on her own accord and get the Creature to go along with her. A possible paradox that I can see between Victor worries of the female creature and how Elizabeth is so submissive is how Victor knows if Elizabeth wasn’t so perfect and just did things because she was told to do, she would have he power and money to do her own thing outside of the family and Victor would have no control over her, something that Victor has made know he doesn’t like experiencing.
Marie-Anne Lavoisier
3/7/2025 09:47:07 am
Victor Frankenstein's decision to destroy the female Creature reflects deep anxieties about power, control, and the natural order. By fearing that the female might reject her designated role (a mate for the creature,) Victor reveals his underlying belief that women should be subservient, compliant, and bound to societal expectations. He perceives her potential autonomy as threatening, suggesting that a creature with the capacity for independent thought and agency could disrupt the established hierarchies that govern human relationships. From a feminist critical lens, the concept of a "thinking and reasoning animal" refusing to comply powerfully critiques patriarchal structures. This rejection signifies a challenge to the imposed limitations on female identity—an act of defiance that echoes the broader struggle for women's independence. Shelley suggests that the very existence of a female Creature capable of agency would unsettle the status quo, leading to the creation of a "race of devils," indicating that societal fears about female autonomy are deeply rooted in misogyny. The monstrosity of the female Creature lies not in her potential for violence, but in her willingness to assert her own desires against Victor's designs. This paradox extends to Victor's relationship with Elizabeth, whose unwavering compliance positions her as a model of femininity in stark contrast to the perceived threat posed by the female Creature. Victor's fear of the female Creature embodies societal anxiety towards women who defy expectations, illuminating the darker side of human relationships where control is maintained at the expense of genuine connection and understanding.
Huang Lu
3/7/2025 09:51:03 am
Victor's decision to destroy the female creature reveals his deep anxieties about power control, and the disruption of the natural order. Victor's reasoning suggests that the female creature may think for herself and rebel. He worries that she might even reject the male creature. This fear reflects women defying expectations and rejecting traditional roles in humanity. Mary Shelly highlights this contradiction on why a female creature's independence is viewed as more monstrous than the violent male creature who exists. The fear that the female creature could create a whole new population of "devils" mirrors the fear of women gaining control and disrupting societal norms. Moreover, Victor's paranoia about the female creature compared to Elizabeth is noticeable. For example, Elizabeth embodies someone who is idealized, passive, and submissive, just as a woman "should be". Victor cherishes Elizabeth's obedience but fears the possibility a woman might take control.
Emily Siedeberg
3/7/2025 09:53:51 am
Victor’s decision to destroy the female creature shows his deep fear of losing control. He worries that if she were allowed to live, she would think for herself and not follow any rules. Victor sees her independent mind as dangerous because it might refuse to do what is expected of a mate. He believes that a thinking and reasoning creature could make her own choices and even create a whole new race, which could upset the natural order of the world.
Cornelia Clapp
3/7/2025 11:02:25 am
I think Victor's fears about making a female creature represent the lack of control he already feels he has about his powers and creations. This shows that he knows that in creating a women the Creature's unlock the ability to reproduce and that they can grow out of hand and become their own race all due to a women being introduced. We also see how in this time period women have little power but by creating a Creature that is a female it is introducing to society a women that already has so much control and power. I feel that looking at this through a feminist lense we see how much power women truly gain when they are in a position of power. Victor knows that a women with so much power especially in the time frame this was written in would throw off the natural roles in society and create an off balance in power roles. The idea that the women may not even consider being the mate of the Creature defeats the purpose of creating her which is something that was considered by Victor. There is a paradox with Elizabeth when it comes to this concept of not being accepted as a mate because as the male Victor really desired a mate as Frankenstein did, while Elizabeth wasn't primarily concerned about that similarly to the female creature.
Kusumoto Ine
3/8/2025 12:38:15 pm
Victor’s justification for destroying the female Creature reveals his anxieties about society and control since cognitive thinking of an individual is significant to social interactions and outcomes of decisions. In my opinion, it is the person’s mindset and judgement that determines their own actions and the world around them. Because of this, Victor is afraid that the compact between himself and the Creature will be broken or changed because of the female Creature’s wants and desires. Victor is afraid that the female Creature will have her own independence and her own desire for control. Women during this time period often were forced to become submissive to men; which was the “natural order” for society. With this in mind, Victor is anxious about this women opposing the natural order of the world and causing issues both locally and possible on a global scale given that women’s rights activists were starting to arise. This makes her more monstrous than the male creature in Victor’s eyes because this could possibly stir up trouble for humanity as a whole and not just the Frankenstein family. I find this piece of the book interesting since there is a paradox between Victor’s worries about the female and Elizabeth. Elizabeth in the book is never seen disobeying or going against Victor, especially when it comes to marriage. Yet, Victor is worried about the female Creature instead of worrying about what his love thinks about things. (Word count: 238)
Kristen Bonnevie
3/9/2025 04:24:56 pm
Victor's reasons for destroying the female Creature show his fears about power, control, and the natural order. He worries that making a companion for the Creature would lead to problems he couldn't manage, especially if she didn't want to be with the Creature. This shows his fear of women having their own choices and disrupting societal norms.
Marianna Paulucci
3/10/2025 08:25:19 am
Victor Frankenstein's decision to destroy the female creature reveals his deep anxieties about power and control. Victor feels that creating a female counterpart will come with consequences that he might not be able to control just himself. He has already faced consequences with one creature and he has doubts about creating another one. Instead of being curious like he was the first time around, he is now timid and scared. He wants to remain dominant over his creations therefore they cannot outnumber him which is why even though the creature feels lonely, Victor is hesitant to create another. From a feminine critical lens, a female creature would represent rejection brought to women by society. Mary Shelley is able to produce this lens through the writing because she also experiences it. Creating a female creature creates a submissive role that is already assigned to women, suggesting that this is how all relationships with women should and have to be. There is a dynamic within gender roles that would be challenged if the female creature had come out stronger or more intelligent and Victor did not want to face that. Although she doesn't even exist, the idea of this happening is enough to make Victor no longer interested when before this was the only thing he wanted to do. Mary Shelley wants to emphasize that fact that women can and have been stronger and smarter than men. They are allowed to be and it shouldn't be a problem.
Kei Okami
3/10/2025 08:38:50 am
I believe that Victor fears the fact of not being in control. He has doubts on how his creations will potentially creation offsprings and create more "devils". Victor also has the fear of the unknown and doesn't want the possibility that the female may gain more power that he has as is. He fears the idea of the Creation and has to do everything he says, but if he creates his potential "mate", he knows that together they have such a strength. This also may tie into the idea of Victor and Elizabeth since she too was adopted for the sole purpose of mating with Victor when he was older. But, since Elizabeth and everyone he knows had been threatened or killed, it's almost an "even" deal. If everyone he loves and knows dies, the possibility someone would love the creature would also die. Leave a Reply. |
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