MM Sept 24

In this class, we began with our fourth quiz. Afterwards, we each wrote a paragraph focusing and reflecting on a specific argument or piece in Ellen Moers or Anne Mellor’s essays.

Afterwards, the class discussed how Mellor focuses on Elizabeth’s inability to travel with Victor or go to University, and the women being portrayed as beings of intuition, while the males are more defined by reasoning. We concluded that though she appears to be critiquing the role of women in a story written by a woman, Mellor is actually implying that Shelley herself is purposefully addressing gender inequality in Frankenstein.

Then we discussed how Moers gives background, claiming that Shelley’s life parallels her book: for example, how Shelley having had three miscarriages and one surviving child, as well as her own mother dying ten days after her birth, may mirror Shelley’s creation of Victor Frankenstein and his own, unnatural child and its birth, as well as the cycle of birth and death, thematically, throughout the book. The class thought it important to note, however, that these are all interesting starting points, but not exact parallels. We also talked about how, though Shelley and Victor may seem similar here, their motives are completely different (maternal grief/ longing vs. selfish greed for glory/knowledge).

We also discussed how Moers encourages us to compare Shelley’s mother, Mary Wollstonecraft’s, feminist book with her own, and to question how this may have affected Shelley’s work, and if in her representation of female roles in Frankenstein she is following in her mother’s footsteps.

Returning to Mellor, the question of whether Mario is indeed sexualized came up, and we agreed that Victor’s relationship with him was far more “self-aggrandizing” and “power-hungry” than sexual. This brought up the broader term that we thought more accurate: “Homosocial,” referring to male-male friendship, sexuality, and/or competition (also applicable to Clervel).

Next we were again asked to write a paragraph, but this time choosing between two options: “Pages 84, 34 - Turks and Monsters,” focusing on the roles of religion and race, and “Pages 82-85, 113, 123 - Wealth and Status” focusing on differences in class and monetary value.

After discussing privately in groups, we came together as a class. First we addressed Question 2, concluding that Victor’s money gives him power and the ability to pursue his ambition, yet simultaneously turns him into an excessively privileged “big-baby,” unable to be satisfied. This is contrasted by the DeLaceys who are poor but grateful (who we still shouldn’t idealize, however). Evidently, money does not make happiness.

Then we talked about how Elizabeth’s view of the classes differs from Victor’s: while she is naïve and idealistic, seeing only equality, he is arrogant and judgmental, particularly when it comes to class. In the end, class is far more important than wealth, as is evidenced by the fallen DeLaceys; though they are poor, they are still aristocrats, and therefore admirable.

Then going to Question 1, we talked about the evident resentment between Safie, a Christian Arab, and her father, a traditional Muslim. Obviously, Christianity is seen in the book as being a sign of goodness, and yet despite Mario having adopted Christianity himself, he still can neither belong to a religion or a race. His very existence defies Christianity.