The novel “Frankenstein,” written by Mary Shelly, is a horror story that depicts what happens when one man's desire for scientific discovery and immortality goes horribly wrong, and ultimately what happens to society's outcasts. The novel is essentially responsible for the genre of science fiction, has seared a collective cultural imagination, and is now considered a legendary classic. While evaluating the novel, the reader will notice that the idea of gender is an underlying theme throughout the story. There is a broad structural duplication in the novel that correlates to this idea of gender which reaffirms this strong theme and how it affects the story’s outcomes. For example, according to Shelly, the time it took to complete the novel consisted of nine months, Walton’s journey lasts nine months, and Victor takes nine months (winter, spring, summer) to create the Creature. This, all of course equal to the time it takes to create human life; the length a woman is pregnant with a child. Although it may not appear to be important to the novel, Shelly makes sure that reproduction by implication becomes a central motif of the text, as we will discuss later. As the narrative is written from the perspective of three men, the women follow more of a romanticized, idealized figure as compared to the male characters present throughout the story. Shelly characterizes each woman as passive, disposable and serving a utilitarian function, while the men are portrayed at the ultimate being. Female characters like Elizabeth and Justine provide nothing more but a channel of action for the male characters in the novel. Additionally, the story of Victor details his efforts to usurp the role of women, primarily by creating life himself. In his second creation, a female monster, Frankenstein becomes repulsed by the possibility of reproduction among the monsters and ultimately destroys the female creation. He opposes female generation of life, and hinders female “creativity,” due to the possible force they may exert. By stealing the female’s control over reproduction, Victor has eliminated the female’s primary biological function and source of cultural power. Indeed, for the simple purpose of human survival, Victor has eliminated the necessity to have females at all. Although dominated by the male, the lack of female voice leads to massive social consequences. By excluding, or even removing the female role from any important contributions in the novel, it actually amplifies the effect women have on society and its outcomes, and calls for a greater distribution of balance between the two sides.
On the other hand, Shelly proclaims a much different expectation for the men of the novel. This is especially transparent towards the conclusion of the story when Walton delivers a speech to his men. He states:
“For this was it a glorious, for this was it an honorable undertaking. You were hereafter to be hailed as the benefactors of your species; your name adored, as belonging to brave men who encountered death for honor and the benefit of mankind... Oh! Be men, or be more than men. Be steady to your purposes, and firm as a rock,” (Shelly 183).
In this passage alone, in comparison to Justine’s passage, Shelly makes it clear that there is a large difference that separates men and women’s gender roles. Shelly writes that these men will be “hailed as the benefactors” of their species. In other words, their task is so significant and beneficial, that the entire human race is being supported by these selected men. As so, this adventure is no walk in the park, instead, these individuals must brave death. As Walton continues, he urges his comrades to “be more than men,” insisted that being considered a “man” is already an accomplishment within itself. Furthermore, he encourages them to stand as “firm as a rock,” almost completely differing to how Justine reacted to her personal situation. As the reader can interpret these separate situations as being somewhat similar, both parties are essentially fighting for their lives, the manner in which a man or woman handles the circumstance is quite polar. The men decide to tackle the hardship that lies ahead of them while a passive character, like Justine, almost sit back and allows the situation to run its course. It is this large gap and lack of balance between the two roles that lead to the female voice being suppressed throughout the entire novel.
The most important emotional connection in the novel is Frankenstein and Elizabeth. Described as a submissive, gentle character from the beginning, Elizabeth has always been a soft spot for her fiancée. Not surprisingly, Frankenstein plainly views her as a possession that he owns. He states: “I looked upon Elizabeth as mine - mine to protect, love and cherish. All praises bestowed on her I received as made to a possession of my own” (Shelly 21). Victor does not see his companion as an equal on his level, but rather an item that he is responsible for, and believes that any compliment she gets derives from his doing when he claims “all praises bestowed on her… [are] a possession of my own.” The monster, well aware of this weakness, and filled with the madness that resulted from Victor’s neglect, murders Elizabeth in order to hurt his creator as deeply as possible. Even when her life is threatened, however, Frankenstein still holds the game of wits between himself and his monster above protecting Elizabeth. Instead of staying with her and guarding her on his wedding night, he patrols the premises. Victor states: “She left me, and I continued some time walking up and down the passages of the house and inspecting every corner that might afford a retreat to my adversary…when suddenly I heard a shrill and dreadful scream” (Shelly 173). Although now married and viewed as one with Elizabeth, he still refers to the creature as “my adversary.” Victor had never even considered his wife was the target of the monster’s threat when he warned Victor because he was too much engulfed in himself. Elizabeth had been demeaned and reduced to a simple tool of revenge by the monster in order to hurt Victor. Although viewed in different perspectives by different characters, females throughout the novel remain suppressed and serve a supportive role as a result of the men’s actions. Despite a lack of voice, the novel actually demonstrates vaguely the potential control a female may exert if given the opportunity. To start with the most recognizable, we turn to Victor Frankenstein. Despite the evident male-controlled stereotypes of insignificant females, Victor both fears and despises these powerful female forces. Victor refuses to create life in normal way, and decides to substitute science for the reproductive role of a mother. His initial idea is to create race of beings for benefit of mankind, but doing so will not just replace women as life-bearers, but the whole process of reproduction itself will be superseded by the clinical and artificial environment of laboratory. When the Creature demands a bride, Victor’s fantasy of benevolence is transformed into a hysterical fear of miscegenation: of creating a hideous species that will torment humanity rather than benefit it. Shelly writes:
"Even if [the creatures] were to leave Europe and inhabit the deserts of the new world, yet one of the first results of those sympathies for which the demon thirsted would be children, and a race of devils would be propagated upon the earth who might make the very existence of the species of man a condition precarious and full of terror. Had I a right, for my own benefit, to inflict this curse upon everlasting generations?” (Shelly 131).
Continuing, Victor states "trembling with passion, [I] tore to pieces the thing on which I was engaged,” (Shelly 164). In this portion, Victor alludes to the female creature as “the thing,” thus discrediting the creature of its entire value. He then rationalizes his decision to murder the female creature, and his “passion” is revealed, most likely as a mix between fear, lust, hostility, and a desire to control or even destroy female sexuality. Again, this suppression of female power by the male characters continues throughout the novel. It seems as Victor is frightened at what a female may accomplish if given a chance, and decides not to even allow that opportunity by destroying the female creature. He is afraid of an independent female will, afraid that his female creature will have desires and opinions that cannot be controlled by his male creature. The result of destroying a female that has been artificially fashioned depicts how women can easily be created and destroyed in the novel. The women in the story are shackled by the power of man who have their stolen every right, power, and ability.
There is a large underlying motif regarding the roles men and women play in society throughout the writing of ‘Frankenstein,” by Mary Shelly. It seems as if women take the subservient, supportive role to the more dominant male characters. As seen in the example involving Justine and Walton’s comrades, there is a clear distinction between the two parties. Justine merely accepts her fate as being framed for a murder she did not commit, and feels as if her voice has no power, while Walton demands his men to brave death in order to fulfill an almost impossible feat. Moreover, Victor has a deep underlying fear of the potential power of women. Victor has essentially eradicated the female’s primary biological function, thus eliminating the necessity to have women at all, through his creation of the creature. The creature himself could not even fill his lonely void without a female companion. When constructing a female creature, Victor ultimately destroys it in fear of what it may bring to the world. As a result, multiple consequences later ensue. By excluding the power of a woman entirely in the novel, Shelly’s writing actually exemplifies the command women have on a society. Despite the subservient females in the novel, there is an underlying theme that men, need women to spur them on, and act as an equal counterpart.

Mellor, Anne K. "Usurping the Female" Mellor, "Usurping the Female" UPENN, Web. 01 Mar. 2015.
Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein or The Modern Prometheus: The 1818 text, ed. Marilyn Butler (New York: Oxford UP, 2008)