Aspects of Motherhood and Responsibility in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

Földesiné Kertész, Ilona Eszter (2018) Aspects of Motherhood and Responsibility in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. Masters, Szegedi Tudományegyetem.

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Abstract

The aim of the MA Thesis is to explore Victor’s and the creature’s childhood in view of the fndings of modern developmental psychology, and Gilligan’s theory of the ethic of care. I expect to fnd that the key to Frankenstein's problem is that he never develops into a mature adult who can take responsibility for his creative actions, which results in his incompetence to take care of his creature and consequently the creature turns into an immature, irresponsible adult, too, or rather stays an impulsive, vulnerable child. I will trace aspects of motherhood and responsibility both in nineteenth-century Europe and in the novel. I state that motherhood is constituted of a creative (birth) and a nurturing act, and I will compare and confront the Romantic ideals of motherhood and the way Mary Shelley describes it in the novel. There are diferent aspects of nurturing and I will examine Victor’s and the creature’s childhood in view of the three irreducable needs of children established by modern developmental psychology, that is play, tears and relationship. I will also look at responsibility and its components, such as recognition of cause and efect and compassion, and examine it as it manifests itself in the case of Frankenstein. The reason of Frankenstein's lack of responsibility can be found both in the current Romantic ideas, and thus can be interpreted as Mary Shelley's criticism of it, but also in his childhood. It brings us to my last concept: Mary Shelley's family politics and how it fts into my view on Frankenstein's and the monster's childhood development and their lack of responsibility. I will look at the interaction between society and the Creature, and argue that Mary Shelley draws attention to society’s responsibility.

Institution

Szegedi Tudományegyetem

Faculty

Faculty of Arts

Department

Angol Tanszék

Discipline

Humanities

Institute

Angol-Amerikai Intézet

Specialization

angol

Supervisor(s)

Item Type:	Thesis (Masters)
Subjects:	06. Humanities
Depositing User:	szerkesztő BTK
Date Deposited:	2019. May. 02. 10:28
Last Modified:	2019. May. 03. 06:45
URI:	https://diploma.bibl.u-szeged.hu/id/eprint/74795

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