Phoebe WuMs. MonsonAP Lit Period January 113, 2014A Lack of Femininity Is "Not So Romantic" In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, Elizabeth Lavenza is characterized as replaceable, passive, and serving a pragmatic function. Placed to provide nothing more than a conduit for action for the male characters in the novel, Elizabeth's presence is usually intended to teach a male character a lesson or stir up some emotion in him. Through Shelley's emphasis on romance and disruption of the novel's chronological order with the use of flashbacks, Elizabeth is portrayed as a submissive woman with a demeaning characterization. As Victor Frankenstein's fiancée, Elizabeth is seen as a passive character whose empathy for her fiancé leaves her vulnerable to the manipulative actions of Frankenstein and his monster. Frankenstein's exclusive goal is to regard "Elizabeth as mine – mine to protect, to love, and to cherish." All the praise that was bestowed on her I received as a possession that was mine” (Shelley 31) illustrates passivity through his authority over her as a young child. Before their marriage, he wrote: “I will confide this story of misery and terror to you the day after our marriage; because, my sweet cousin, there must be perfect trust between us. But until then, I implore you, do not speak of it, do not allude to it. I urge you, and I know you will comply” (187) to express his continued control over her. Thanks to Victor's power over Elizabeth, she also becomes an object that Frankenstein's monster can manipulate. The monster, driven to madness by parental neglect, murders Elizabeth in an attempt to devastate its creator. When such events occurred, Frankenstein vitalized, above all,...... middle of paper...... declaring his love for him and his hopes for equal affection. “I could not help supposing that you might regret our affair and believe yourself bound by honor to grant the wishes of your parents, although they opposed your inclinations. But this is false reasoning. I confess to you, my friend, that I love you” (186) allows us to intuit her vulnerability without a man. The introduction, preface, and letters throughout the novel show Elizabeth's docile approaches. Elizabeth's function as a communication tool in Shelley's Frankenstein is a direct reflection of the Romantic period and her own experiences within it. Through its gothic elements and extensive use of flashbacks, Elizabeth is portrayed as a submissive woman, unimportant unless she channels her actions and acts as the physical embodiment of love or revenge for the men of the novel..