Frankenstein novel based on Judith Butler and Ann K Mellor theories
For many years, women have been oppressed in society without having a say in their rights. Men are known to have the desire to be in control, and this moves them to see women as inferior to them. Many societies have also had a negative characterization of women as they are perceived to be impure and feeble. In the novel, Mellor examines reasons why women are unable to defy these oppressing norms such that they are confined to domestic space and choose to obey and submit to men. Butler insists that women are not inferior to men because gender is only a perception of sex, hence roles and responsibilities must not be limited to a specific gender.
In her feminist analysis of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Anne Mellor maintains that the society has stereotyped the male and female gender to roles and responsibilities that are only restricted to the specific gender type (“Mellor, “Usurping The Female”” 67). She states that the man is expected to explore the public where whereas the woman is only restricted to the domestic sphere. Mellor’s discussion of this topic has to be understood in her general argument about the novel by which she claims that this segregation or roles have affected many women as they have not been given a chance to explore all experiences and possibilities in life.
In this essay, however, I argue that when it comes to the gender norms imposed on women, Mellor fails to show that women must have a say in what their roles and responsibilities ought to be. She also fails to portray women as able to rise above male chauvinism and fight for equal rights to men. Her analysis is different from Butler’s because she aims at uncovering the assumptions that restrict gender to specific norms on roles and responsibilities in the society.
According to Mellor, women are expected to submit to societal norms that restrict their activities and interactions with others. However, Butler insists that society’s understanding of gender is ill-equipped (Elshtain 56). Mellor portrays the women to be suffering because they are only confined to domestic settings and not given the opportunity to explore the infinite possibilities of life. Nevertheless, she does not portray their ability to rise above those expectations and fight for their rights.
For instance, the men in Frankenstein’s world all work outside the home, as public servants, scientists, and explorers while the women are confined to homes where they work as housewives, child-care providers, and nurses. Nonetheless, these women stay devoted to the patriarchal ideals of society and have no right to question. Butler, however, shows that there is more to gender than just being male or female and that the reality of gender is created through social performances. There should, therefore, be no restrictions on the roles and responsibilities of gender types, but people should be free to explore whatever they see fit for them in life.
Also, Mellor portrays women to be inferior to men as opposed to Butler who thinks that there is no superior or inferior gender. Mellor believes that women are perceived as an object to be used by men for sexual pleasure. For instance, Frankenstein decides to use the technologies of science to manipulate, control, and repress women. However, Butler insists on the advocating that women have an equal right to men and should not be perceived as inferior (Nash 49). Women are responsible for
forth life through childbirth, and this is not something that men could dismiss. However, both sexes must coexist in harmony since even the process of birth requires both a man and a woman. Women must be provided with opportunities to explore all aspects of life regarding building themselves career-wise and be independent of men.
Mellor also portrays women as unable to represent themselves in public, in other words, the lack the strength to be assertive and stand up for what is right. For example, Elizabeth is convinced that Justine is innocent of Frankenstein’s murder but stands to watch her public execution and does nothing about it. The inability of women to express themselves is one basis of perceiving them as fragile creatures. However, Butler shows that the characterization of some women in society should not be inclusive of all women, because some women oppose the idea of male chauvinism and stand up for their ideals on gender.
In conclusion, it is evident that both Mellor and Butler have different perceptions of the role of feminism in society. They both believe that for long women have been oppressing due to their perceived inferiority. However, Mellor is not optimistic that women can stand up for their rights because they are subject to the dominating males. On the other hand, Butler believes that women have what it takes to oppose discrimination and to do this, they should understand that gender is not limited to merely the male and female sex.
Works Cited
Elshtain, Jean Bethke. The public man, private woman: Women in social and political thought. Princeton University Press, 1993. 56-129
Nash, Gerald. “Selections From The Reagan Papers: The Butler-Reagan Ticket Of 1884.” The Journal of Southern History 21.3 (1955): 379. Web. 45-89
“Mellor, “Usurping The Female”.” Knarf.english.upenn.edu. N.p., 2018. Web. 23 Oct. 2018. 34-97