Feminist literary criticism often interrogates texts for their representation of gender roles, power dynamics, and the societal constraints placed upon women. Examining Mary Shelley's Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus (1818) and Charlotte Perkins Gilman's "The Yellow Wallpaper" (1892) through a feminist lens reveals striking parallels in their critique of patriarchal structures, even across different historical periods and narrative forms. While Shelley's novel focuses on the ambition and abdication of a male creator and the subsequent suffering of his female creations and companions, Gilman's short story offers an intensely personal account of a woman's descent into madness under the oppressive gaze of her physician husband. Both works, in distinct ways, highlight the destructive consequences of male authority and the stifled agency of women within nineteenth-century society.
In Frankenstein, the titular creator, Victor Frankenstein, embodies an unchecked masculine ambition that prioritizes scientific pursuit over ethical responsibility and social connection. His act of creation is a solitary, hubristic endeavor, undertaken without regard for the consequences or the nature of the being he brings into existence. This act of creation is inherently patriarchal; Victor assumes the role of a god-like father, but he utterly fails in his paternal duties. The Creature, an innocent being abandoned by its creator, becomes a victim of societal prejudice, largely fueled by its monstrous appearance—a reflection, perhaps, of the unnaturalness of its conception and abandonment. The women in Victor's life, Elizabeth Lavenza and Justine Moritz, are largely passive figures, victims of circumstance and the Creature's vengeance, rather than active agents in their own destinies. Elizabeth, intended to be Victor's wife and a source of comfort, is murdered on their wedding night, a symbolic destruction of domestic peace and feminine purity at the hands of Victor's creation. Justine is wrongly accused and executed for William's murder, her fate sealed by the societal assumptions that condemn her, highlighting the vulnerability of women to false accusation and the lack of due process when social order is disrupted. The novel, therefore, can be read as a critique of a male-dominated scientific and social order that neglects its responsibilities and perpetuates suffering, particularly for those who are marginalized or perceived as "other."
"The Yellow Wallpaper" offers a more intimate and claustrophobic examination of patriarchal control. The unnamed narrator, a woman suffering from what her physician husband, John, diagnoses as a "temporary nervous depression—a slight hysterical tendency," is prescribed a "rest cure." This cure involves complete inactivity, isolation, and the prohibition of intellectual or creative pursuits—precisely the things that might have offered her solace and a means of expression. John, representing the medical and patriarchal authority of the time, infantilizes his wife, dismissing her concerns and controlling her environment. He dictates her activities, her thoughts, and ultimately, her reality. The wallpaper itself becomes a potent symbol of her confinement and the oppressive societal structures that trap her. Initially a source of irritation, it transforms into a complex, fascinating pattern that she obsessively studies. As her mental state deteriorates, she begins to see a woman trapped behind the pattern, struggling to escape. This "woman in the wallpaper" is a projection of the narrator's own suppressed self, her yearning for liberation from her domestic prison and her husband's control. Her eventual tearing down of the wallpaper, a violent act of defiance, signifies a complete break from her prescribed role, albeit one that results in her perceived madness. Yet, in her final descent, she claims ownership of the space and the "freedom" she has achieved, a chilling testament to the extremity of her situation.
Both texts, despite their temporal and stylistic differences, underscore how patriarchal systems can stifle female potential and lead to profound suffering. Victor Frankenstein's scientific ambition leads to the destruction of his personal life and the lives of those around him, demonstrating the dangers of unchecked male ego. John, in "The Yellow Wallpaper," wields a more insidious form of patriarchal power, using his medical authority to control and ultimately break his wife's spirit under the guise of care. The women in both narratives are ultimately victims of male decisions and societal expectations that limit their autonomy and expression. While Victor's creation is a physical manifestation of his irresponsibility, the narrator's madness is a psychological manifestation of her enforced passivity. Feminist readings of these works highlight the enduring power of literature to expose societal ills and serve as a warning against the dehumanizing effects of unchecked authority and the suppression of female voices.