Ellen Moers: Female Gothic: The Monster’s Mother

5-point Summary:

1. Mary Shelley was one of few female writers of her time who was a mother. This perspective made her able to create Frankenstein in a different perspective than her male contemporaries. She brought birth to fiction writing as Gothic fantasy
2. Gothic novels allowed for female heroines because within the confines of an indoor, Gothic castle, the female was free and allowed to experience the adventures of her male counterparts
3. Rather than focusing on the joyous aspect of childbirth, Shelley focused on another common quality: postpartum depression. Although, she herself never experienced the anxiety and depression that sometimes accompanies childbirth, Shelley was more aware of this effect than male writers of the time. This trauma experienced by Frankenstein after the “birth” of his monster explains his abandonment, which was not completely uncommon in the 18^th century. The idea of parental abandonment is very prominent in this novel. Like in Shelley’s own life (her mother died during childbirth), Frankenstein abandon’s his child. The idea of a child “raising” his/herself stems from Shelley’s personal experiences, which is largely influenced by her being a female
4. Death and birth were mixed. Mary Shelley had many children who died shortly after their birth and her mother died during Mary’s own birth. This combination of death and birth are carried into Frankenstein when Victor creates his monster from the remains of the deceased. And this feature is also represented in Frankenstein’s hope to “bestow animation upon lifeless matter.”
5. Mary Shelley viewed her novel as her “hideous progeny” and this is similar to how she portrayed the monster in Victor’s eyes. The view of one’s child as a monster stems from her own experiences because she lost many children shortly after they were born. The idea of a mother’s hatred towards her daughter is further exemplified through Justine whose own mother did not like her