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English EE advice- Female characters in gothic novels


Myisha99

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Hi! I'm doing my EE on the female characters in Dracula and Frankenstein- currently, the question I'm going with is "How and why are female gothic characters destined to have tragic ends? An analysis of female characters in Dracula by Bram Stoker and Frankenstein by Mary Shelley"

Let me explain.

In my research, I noticed that most female characters in gothic novels and short stories end up either dying, portrayed as victims, portrayed as predators who had to be killed etc. Obviously, this isn't too surprising considering the time period. In terms of Stoker's Dracula, he does skim the surface of the idea of the "New Woman" and make Mina quite a dynamic character, but in the end, the concept of the "New Woman" was treated like a joke and Mina ended up as the supportive wife who had been 'cleansed of sin' and lived for her husband. In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (who is, arguably, a feminist) all of her female characters, whose stories are only told through the eyes of men, are killed off, including, one could add, the unnamed female monster. However, my take on it is that she wanted to show women that if they behaved as these women did- passively, damsels in distress- they would end up the way they did. And using the female monster, I think that that actually shows the power of women- the power Frankenstein was so afraid. In any case, she couldn't say all of this out in the open considering, after all, that she was a female author (who even used a pseudonym) in a pretty patriarchal society who wanted to have her books sold.

What I want to do is show how whatever the intentions or gender of the authors, due to the influence of society, women in gothic novels are destined to have a downfall. The 'how' will focus on the techniques, the 'why' a little more of context. My idea's been approved, but I'm unsure whether it's completely appropriate or even focused enough. Also, I'm not too sure how to proceed at all- do I treat the novels separately? Will my point be clear enough, and if not, how can I explain what I want to teach my audience? How much context do I need to put in? I really enjoyed the novels, and I'd love to stick in this area, so any advice would be appreciated.

Edited by Myisha99
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