A literature essay on the way that Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley, comments on its social context through the use of literary techniques.
Many writers in literary history have constructed their works to make a comment on society, some of them being in the form of fictional novels. As many of these novels represented ideologies, these comments where more often than not subtly expressed through various genres, sub-genres and literary techniques. The gothic novel, Frankenstein, {1818, Rev. 1831}, by Mary Shelley, is an example of a work that excellently demonstrates these comments on a text’s social context. Human society and civilisation are portrayed in certain ways throughout the text in order to interrogate key aspects and to criticize them. One of the very prevalent key aspects discussed within the text is social class structure and the inequality that derives from such a system. Aspects of society such as Romanticism, Family Relationships, the monstrosity of humanity and the industrial revolution are also commented on. These interrogations and comments upon these aspects are brought about through the use of the fictional genre as well as the epistolary form and common literary techniques such as the multiple first person narrators, symbolism, imagery, parallel scenes, the use of letters, contrasts and motifs.
The social class structure and the inequality of human systems is thoroughly explored and interrogated in the novel. This is done partly through the creature’s discovery of the cultural world and the workings of humanity. Through his readings and observations, he learns of what humans hold to be valuable, a ‘high and unsullied descent, united with riches,’ that is a good heritage and plenty of wealth. He then describes those with neither as a ‘vagabond and a slave, doomed to waste his powers for the profit of the chosen few.’ These comments by the creature through his first person narrative immediately reveal the reader the injustices of society and text’s social contexts – why should only some profit from the hard work of many? This is further reinforced by the fact that we are seeing this the unbiased, innocent point of view of the creature. The embedded narrative of the DeLaceys also sheds light on further social injustice – despite being in the grips of poverty and struggling to survive, their rich landlord wishes to evict them for a lack of rent. This immediately highlights the inequality between the rich and the poor, and the rich’s insensitivity to the needs of the poor. Elizabeth also makes further comments on the inequalities of society and the class system. In a letter to Victor, she describes how servants were treated in a lowly manner in England, they were treated with an ‘idea of ignorance’. She then adds that the servants from Geneva were far more fairly treated, with ‘less distinction between the classes,’ as equals, as long as they upheld their responsibilities and work. The use of the letter gives these statements a sense of trust and truth, and we take these comments in. The parallel scenes of the trial of Victor and the trial of Justine also reveal yet another injustice and inequality based on the class system. Victor is released from a convicted murder simply because of his status – the judge sees that Alphonse is an educated and respectable man, and as such decides to release him. A 21st century reader would automatically sense injustice, but this is exacerbated when compared to the trial of Justine. Justine, a lowly servant, is given no chance of release, as she is devoid of a high socioeconomic status. Instead the institutions convince themselves of her guilt and harass her into confession. The strong, sickening act of injustice that is her resulting execution immediately reveals to the reader comments about the injustices of the class system – why should one that is wealthy and has family links be above the law? Hence it can be seen that Frankenstein interrogates the aspect of the social class system of its context.
The way in which humanity values appearance above all is a very serious aspect of the context that the novel interrogates. Throughout physical beauty is emphasised. Many of Elizabeth’s positive traits emanate from her ‘angel’ like appearance and even Krempe, with a ‘repulsive countenance,’ Victor’s professor, is described with an emphasis on outward appearance. However, the greatest issue of physical appearance and its power over humanity is with the creature. Through the creature’s yearning first person point of view, we can see his need to be accepted into human society, to partake in their “beauty” as he describes. However, throughout his encounters with the cultural world, he is continually judged by his appearance, not his benevolence or his eloquence. He is chased and based in the village, he is shot by the father of the young girl, and he is even rejected by his own creator, who immediately judges his creation based on its ‘sickly’ outward appearance, expressed through dark imagery. The issue of appearance among humanity’s values is elicited strongly when he is even rejected by the DeLaceys – even the most open minded and charitable of people are affected by a prejudice against the alien and the physically different and horrific. This is highly contrasted with the reaction from the old man, who cannot judge by appearance due to his blindness. He was accepted due to his skill with the tongue, but as soon as his appearance was factored in, he was rejected at an instant. Even a little boy, William, is informed of the prejudices of society against the different and ‘ugly.’ The novel also makes use of satire during the meeting between the creature and Victor in the Alps. Victor continues to complain about the creature’s horrific appearance. The creature responds by simply and calmly placing his hands over Victor’s eyes, proclaiming the end of the problem. The ease at which the aspect of appearance can be removed is ironic considering how much humanity places value on it – and this criticizes humanity’s valuation of appearance. Thus it can be seen how the novel has interrogated the aspect of humanity and appearance of the social context.
The novel also explores and interrogates family relationships, especially that of the parent and the child. This is done through the multiple first person narrative and the motif of the missing/negligent father. The resulting characters and the journeys of the characters of Walton, Frankenstein and the Creature are due to their relationships with their parents, especially their fathers. Robert Walton’s father left him to be alone with his uncle and his library. As such, he becomes autodidactic and becomes obsessed with what he learns. This results in him becoming an Enlightenment figure, looking to ‘confer benefits on all of mankind’ while almost sacrificing the lives of his crew. This strongly emphasises the importance of the parent and the father in a guiding role. This motif and idea is once again repeated in the case of the next first person narrator – Victor Frankenstein. While his father is there for him, Alphonse Frankenstein is a flawed character. When Victor presents his reading of the alchemists such as Cornelius Agrippa to him, he does not carefully guide him away from such works or took care to explain his dismissal, and instead just tells Victor to ‘not waste your time upon this, it is sad trash’, encouraging Victor further to ‘enter with great diligence into the search of the philosophers stone’. This results in Victor’s obsessions and the creation of the creature as an indirect result. The Creature, the final narrator is also another example of someone with a troublesome father/child relationship. He is without a loving caring mother, and has a father who rejected him and cares not for him. Victor is represented as the worst father, having abandoned his creation, ‘ unable to endure the aspect of the being I had created, I rushed out of the room.’ Victor had no idea as to what being a father meant, and completely ignored the consequences of creating life. As such, without the guidance of proper parents, the creature is left to learn the intricacies of the world on his own, causing him to be destructive and a murderer in the end. In contrast to the aforementioned narrators and their fathers, the relationship between DeLacey and Felix is a healthy relationship and serves to show what a good parent can do. DeLacey is completely loving and affectionate as well as nurturing, and in return, his offspring ‘admire and respect him’. As such, it can be seen that the text interrogates the family relationships aspect of the social context, highlighting the need for proper guidance from paternal figures.
Frankenstein was written amidst a country in the throes of an Industrial Revolution. The Romantics were a response to this sudden economic, social and political change, and warned about the darker side of the changes to come. As such, Frankenstein can also be seen to be warning about the dangers of uncontrolled application of technology and its use without proper morality. The Creature can clearly be seen as a symbol of the Industrial Revolution and its results. Although at first the creature was benevolent and willing to help humanity, it soon bore a darker side, wishing to destroy the community that rejected it. The same could be said about the Industrial Revolution; although at first it promised unrivalled production and a massive increase in the quality of life for many, it created some of the worst conditions for workers ever experienced by mankind. The middle class was created, which exploited the lower working classes for wealth and riches. The Industrial Revolution was completely unregulated. If you had a factory, and if you had workers to work in it, there were very few laws to maintain levels of standards or any safety. There were no sick days, safety standards, workers compensation, minimum wage, or the like. No real morality code had yet been established for the running of Industrial operations, and the consequences were great. The creature’s story echoes the happenings of the Industrial Revolution. He was left without guidance, left with nobody to teach him the rights and wrongs of the world. Victor Frankenstein can also be seen to be a symbol of the middle class entrepreneur, one looking to apply technology without any thought for the consequences or the associated morality. His use of science was completely uncontrolled. The French Revolution can also be symbolised by the creation of the creature – where some grand achievement becomes a bloodbath as the consequences or morality were not properly taken into account. Like Victor, the people of France marched into their grand quest blindly without thought for the ramifications. Thus it can be seen that through the use of symbolism, Frankenstein has commented on the dangers of science and technology without control and morality with reference to the Industrial Revolution as part of its context.
The novel Frankenstein also comments on the monstrosity of humanity, the thin line between the monster and the human being. Throughout the creatures story, through the first person point of view, we are made to sympathise with him, and often we see that it is the humans that he interacts with that are the monster. The violence with which the cultural world rejects him is highly contrasted with the creature’s initial benevolence and kindness. Even the most caring and sophisticated of humanity reject him. He is bashed, shot and stabbed despite his eloquence and attempts to be benevolent. All these ‘monstrous’ acts of humanity question who is the real monster. Elizabeth also comments on humanity as ‘monsters thirsting for each other’s blood,’ forcing an innocent, pure person to ‘walk on the edge of a precipice, to which thousands are crowding, endeavouring to plunge me into the abyss.’ These statements occur after the execution of Justine Mortiz, where she was harassed into confessing for a crime that she did not commit, as the institutions had already convinced themselves of her guilt. All these combine to once again blur the line between the monster and the human. Hence it can be seen that Frankenstein has commented on the monstrosity of humanity in its social context.
The novel Frankenstein was written in a turbulent era where many changes were occurring throughout human civilisation. As such, Mary Shelley constructed her novel to comment on the many key aspects of social context of her time. She discussed some of the more current issues, such as social class and its associated inequality and the application of science without morality or consideration of the consequences, as well as the more universal issues of humanity, such as the prioritisation of appearance, the monstrosity of humanity and family relationships. All these are brought about through the masterful use of literary techniques such as the use of multiple first person narrators, the use of letters, symbolism, parallel scenes, imagery and contrasts. Frankenstein has very strongly demonstrated how literary texts and their writers make insightfully interrogate their social context. It places a whole new light upon the happenings of that time period in history, where events would shape the modern world we know today.
