In the first part of the article (it is rather long so I will focus on this portion) “Sibling Revelry in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein” by Leila Silvana May, the author argues that the monster in Frankenstein represents the feminine desire, specifically that of a sister. May points out that the sister in Frankenstein is seen as an object that her brother loves, desires, and wants to protect. However, the sister is seen in a passive way, eliciting a mirror effect for the brother to reflect upon and show himself through her, as she displays the qualities of those around her. If the sister breaks this passive attitude, she therefore becomes not ideal, monstrous, as May puts it. May argues that Victor tried to create the monster as a portrayal of the passiveness of his sister, however when the monster actually becomes alive, he becomes dangerous and terrifying to Victor.

May incorporates Mary Poovey’s statement that the creature is “the victim of both the symbolic and the literal . . . it is doubly (and vehicle for) someone else’s desire, yet exposed (and excited) as the deadly essence of passion itself.” May uses this perspective to support her argument that the monster represents the sororal desire. I think this article is interesting, however I do not want to pursue exactly the same topic as Leila Silvana May. I think the portrayal of women as passive and “ideal” nineteenth century women is interesting, so I would like to further explore the way they are objectified through the novel. I do not necessarily agree with May’s argument, but I do think she raises and interesting point about the way that women are seen as unattractive once they break out of the passive and caretaking role, so this is something I would potentially like to explore for my research paper.

http://www.jstor.org/stable/450759?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents