Justine Moritz is an example of a submissive female character that conforms to society’s expectations that women should be weak, beautiful and unrecognised as an important part of society. Justine is the target of pity from both the audience and other characters in the text from the very start because she was rescued from a broken family with an abusive mother and dying siblings. Justine is then wrongly accused of the murder of William Frankenstein; however, despite her innocence she confesses to the crime because it is what is expected of her. Justine represents the stereotype of how women are expected to be well endowed in appearance and she is often described by other characters as “very clever and gentle and extremely pretty” and Elizabeth spoke of Justine’s “softness and winning mildness”. These traits are all representations of Justine’s conformity to society’s expectations. Throughout her trial, Justine makes little effort to protest her innocence and accepts false guilt for the crime, “God knows how entirely I am innocent. But I do not pretend that my protestations should acquit me…”. This is also supported when she states, “I must be condemned, although I would pledge my salvation on my innocence”. Justine confesses because of her weakness under the judgemental glare of society, and is executed as a result. Through Justine’s experiences, Mary Shelley is highlighting the negative consequences of giving in to the pressures of society. Shelley is showing that if Justine was to have remained strong and protested her unjust trial, which was a direct result of her gender, then she may have been able to save herself and place the seed of doubt within the judgemental stereotypes of society, to rise above the oppression placed upon her by men. This contrasts with the assertive nature of Safie, who does not allow herself to be oppressed by the men in her life, mainly her father, and instead chooses to create a fate of her own choosing.
Even less significant, but still present is the female monster, so passive it does not even achieve life, thus supporting that women have little, if any, outstanding role in Frankenstein. The creation of the female monster is absorbed by Victor in fear of being unable to control her actions. This signifies that women are oppressed in the fear that the will be uncontrollable. This is supported when Victor states, “she might become ten thousand times more malignant than her mate…” signifying his fear of being unable to control her. The importance and expectations of feminine beauty are also impressed upon readers through the female monster. Shelley is conveying the importance that appearance plays in determining our roles and status in society and showing that if a woman should lack this quality then they will face the harsh reality of how truly cruel society can be in its rejection of the ugly. This is also supported when Victor is thinking about his female creation and says, “the creature…already…loathed his deformity, and might he not conceive a greater abhorrence for it when it came before his eyes in the female form”. This expectation for women is also shown when Victor says he is “concerned with the outward substance of things”. Shelley is therefore criticising the submissive nature of those women in society who both do and do not possess the flattering looks expected of them for not challenging this. Safie, although beautiful, does not allow her appearance to determine the path her life will take and refuses conform and let her father control her.
The first female to be introduced to readers in Frankenstein is Caroline Beaufort, Victor’s mother, who represents the ideal woman – housewife, mother and wife. It is through Caroline that Shelley first introduces readers to the expectations that are placed on females by the males in their lives and by society. She is highlighting to the audience that a woman’s expected position in society is that of the mother figure and house-bound wife. Caroline is hardly mentioned past the first few chapters as a result of her death. Caroline’s demise once again demonstrates the negative consequences for the future for women who refuse to challenge their role in society. This also represents thee minimal role that women play in Frankenstein. For Caroline, it was “a necessity, a passion, for her to act…the guardian angel”. This example reinforces the idyllic ‘mother figure’ that all women were expected to aspire to become. This is in stark contrast with Safie who shunned her life as a domestic woman in favour of adventure and love with Felix, who aids her in her attempt to break free of her stereotypical restraints and live a life of kindness and compassion with him and his family, which Shelley embellishes in order to convey the wonderful life women could have if they could only reach for it.
Elizabeth waits patiently for years for Victor to return home to be married and is then murdered on her wedding night by the monster. It is clear that Elizabeth serves no greater purpose than to wait around for her future husband and start a family of her own. Elizabeth is also objectified from the very beginning of the novel where Victor describes how he “looked upon her as [his]” and stated that “’til death she is to be mine only”. This portrays Elizabeth as Victor’s possession, and Shelley is once again critiquing the female image as an object to be ‘possessed’ and ‘owned’ by males. Her passive nature also adheres to the typical portrayal of women and the stereotype for women to be beautiful is also present. Victor described Elizabeth as “fairer than pictured cherub” and said that “none could behold her without looking on her as being heaven-sent”. The powerlessness of women also becomes painfully obvious when Elizabeth attempts to speak for Justine, however is disregarded because of her gender. The character of Safie can again be seen to challenge the expectation that her own wants, needs and opinions can be ignored because she is female, when she pursues the life she chooses for herself, rather than allowing her father to dictate to her the life she will live. It is again obvious that Mary Shelley’s intent in creating submissive characters such as Elizabeth is to highlight the assertive nature of Safie and her embodiment as the positive consequences that can be achieved by women who break free of their social restraints.
Shelley uses Frankenstein to provide readers with her feminist critique of the role of women and how if women do not fight for a place of standing and importance in society then their fate will always be the same – that they remain inferior to their male counterparts and forever place their fate in the hands of the men who control them. This is shown through Safie, who represents the lifestyle that women can achieve if they dare to challenge the social restraints placed upon them, and through the submissive characters of Justine, Caroline, the female monster and Elizabeth, who embody the consequences that result from doing nothing to change the stereotypical role of women in society.
