Mary Shelley (Sort of) Speaks

This blog is a revision of Journal #7: Orientalism:
 http://2013jamesa.blogspot.com/2012/10/journal-7-revision-orientalism.html



              As Frankenstein's monster continues to limn its secluded life, Orientalism begins to surface. European artists and authors are well known for amplifying the exoticism of Middle Eastern culture, and through the monster's eyes,  Mary Shelley expresses her own Orientalism views.

            One instance of this is the Turk's underlying plan to keep Safie from marrying Felix. The Turk goes along with the engagement only to appear as a man that is true to his word. Shelley also uses words such as "tyrannical" in context to the Turk. Shelley's usage of the Turk demonstrates the negative ideas that European cultures had of the Turks during the 19th century.

                    As the Turk represents the negativity, Safie represents the opposite. She is exotic to the monster, and the monster seems to show no disfavor towards her. Although she is very pleasantly mentioned, there are some implications towards her abilities that could negatively reflect the ideas that Europeans had of Oriental women. Safie's voice is described like music; there are no words and no dialogue from her in the passage. She is doted for her beauty, but she is slower in learning than the monster, which has only been alive for little over a year. The combination of exotic beauty and lack in intelligence implies that Shelley believed the women of the Middle East to be admired more as accessories than companions and contributors in their society.

             So what does all of this mean? This may just be a conjecture, but I believe that Shelley's usage of Safie and the Turk expresses gratefulness for the fact that she wasn't born in the Middle East.