What do you think about the number of women-as-victims and men-as-perpetrators-of-evil in Frankenstein?*

Well, there are a significant number of victims, but they are both men and women. Frankenstein and his creation are really the only serious perpetrators of evil. There is of course the magistrate, who unjustly condemned Justine to death, but that was really the creature’s fault and ultimately Frankenstein’s. I see more of a theme of innocents-as-victims, than only women-as-victims. However, Shelley does seem to paint the main women, Justine, Elizabeth, and Frankenstein’s mother, as thoughtful and harmless.

Shelley could have written it this way because she felt victimized by her circumstances. Or she could simply be trying to relate the utter depravity of humans and the harm that comes upon “innocents”.

As Christians we know that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; thus, no one is “innocent” in the sense of not having sinned. However, Justine was innocent in that she did not kill William,William was still in childish innocence…etc. What I mean by innocent is their death was not just; there was no cause for it except vengeance.

Thus, both men and women, “innocents”, were victims and men the evildoers.

*Question from PHCPrep

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