Frankenstein And Critique Of Education Essay Research

Frankenstein And Critique Of Education Essay, Research Paper

Mary Shelly.s Frankenstein focuses on human nature and on the possibility of

controlling experience in order to shape character and cultural values.

Specifically, it focuses on the influence of education and experience in

effecting behavior. In general, the characters are divided in to three groups by

education and experience: passive rescued women, ambitious bourgeoisie men, and

the self-taught lonesome creature. Through the female character group, Mary

Shelly illustrates how the combination of education and experience shape

attitudes and behaviors of women to be passive objects, which leads to their

demise. Mary Shelly spends the least time describing the education of women,

repeating one version of female upbringing. The lack of time devoted to female

characters in general is not a blatant disregard of women; rather, it is

testimony to the limited role women exercised in public sphere of society.

Caroline Beaufort is the model of virtuous femininity rescued from poverty to

bourgeois passivity. Caroline, the daughter of a proud, failed businessman,

follows her father into self-imposed exile to avoid the humiliation of failure

where he falls into a terrible sickness of humiliation. Completely dedicated to

her father, Caroline .attended him with the greatest tenderness; but she saw

with despair that their little fund was rapidly decreasing. (Shelly 32)

Luckily Caroline .possessed a mind of uncommon mould; and her courage rose to

support her in her adversity… and by various means contrived to earn a

pittance scarcely sufficient to support life. (Shelly 32). She not only cares

for him during his pathetic free fall from life, but she also actively procured

work and single-handedly supported herself and her father. It is obvious that

has Caroline possesses the skills and tenacity to support not only herself, but

her father as well. However, when her fathers falls victim to death she

immediately transforms from a caring, productive women to .an orphan and

beggar. (Shelly 32). There is nothing to note any changes in the attitude or

actions of Caroline to warrant such a change. Rather, the change is a direct

result of the death of her father. Despite the fact that Caroline possessed the

ability to provide for herself, her description and social status remained tied

to her father. Even though women had the ability to act as free agents in

society, their description, status was invariably tied to a male. Luckily, for

Caroline, an associate of her fathers rescued her from her sudden socially

imposed poverty. While mourning her father.s death, Alphonse Frankenstein

.came like a protecting spirit to the poor girl, who committed herself to his

care. (Shelly 32). Caroline translates her gratitude of being saved from a

tough mans world into lifelong subservience. She immediately transfers her

selfless dedication from one man, her father, to another, her new husband

Alpohnse Frankenstein demonstrating the female.s artificial dependence on men.

Saved to the feminine life of passive servitude, Caroline similarly rescues

other girls from poverty and educates them in the virtues of bourgeois

domesticity. Thus, she finds Elizabeth, whose seemingly innate, upper class

feminine virtue makes her shine amid a family of .dark-eyed, hardy little

vagrants. (Shelly 34). Upon being rescued, Caroline .presented Elizabeth to

[Victor] as her promised gift. (Shelly 34). Immediately following her

introduction to bourgeois life, Elizabeth is transformed to possession of a

male. Once in the Frankenstein household, Elizabeth learned to be .the living

spirit of love to soften and attract. (Shelly 38). Once under proper middle

class guidance, Elizabeth becomes the ideal female by providing comfort and

support while becoming dependent on male energy and male provision. Thus, like

her foster mother, she is the perfect domestic woman: daughter, sister, friend,

and wife-to-be. Justine Moritz, a poor girl is also saved from her tyrant,

exploitive mother by Caroline. Once introduced to the bourgeois Frankenstein

family Justine trained to be a servant. Just like Caroline and Elizabeth before

her, Justine quickly learns the female role of serving others. Undoubtedly

thankful for Caroline saving her from her tyrannical mother, Justine idealized

her and considered her to be .the model of all excellence, and endeavored to

imitate her phraseology and manners. (Shelly 65). Evidently, Justine attempted

to emulate Caroline.s middle class virtues making her equally passive and

obedient. Justine, along with Caroline and Elizabeth, are manifestations of how

women fulfill and are fulfilled by their servitude dominated domestic lives.

Women once guided into what Mary Shelly.s mother Mary Wollstonecraft describes

as .[g]entleness, docility, and a spaniel-like affection,. are l

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