Frankenstein: The Subjectivity Of The Character "Safie"
Even though she is only mentioned in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein for a
relatively brief period, the character, Safie, is very interesting as she is
unique from the other characters in that her subjectivity is more clearly
dependent on her religion and the culture of her nation. Contrasts can be made
between the Orient and the European society which attempts to interpret it.
Often, this creates stereotypes such as western feminists that have viewed
"third-world" women as "ignorant, poor, uneducated, tradition-bound, religious,
domesticated, family oriented, (and) victimized"(Mohanty 290). Of course, some
of these things could also have said of European women of the time period,
although ...
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her fulfillment of European domestic
ideology.
Many theorists, such as Benveniste who said, "Consciousness of self [or
subjectivity] is only possible if it is experienced by contrast," argue that
one's subjectivity can only exist in their relation to the Other(85). The
subject's relation this "Other" depends on which aspect is being examined. For
example, when dealing with gender, it would be the relationship between Man and
Woman and when dealing with nationality it would be the relationship between
Native and Foreigner. Thus, the character of Safie was defined in terms of her
relationship to those around her. In the Turkish society, her role would have
been to fulfill positions of lesser rank, such as a daughter to her father or a
woman in relation to the dominant men, and when in Europe, as a foreign Turk in
relation to native Europeans. These relationships, however, were significantly
affected by the teachings her Christian Arab mother instilled in her. Her mother
"taught ...
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submissive women in her culture versus the Christian woman, inspired
by the freedom she experienced before being seized by the Turks, that her mother
was. Safie's affinity for the Christian religion is best shown in her revulsion
at the prospect of returning to the Turkish land and her desire to marry a
Christian and remain in Europe.
In addition to the her unique religious point of view, Safie was also
influenced by her Arabian culture but, however, Shelley does not go into much
depth this aspect of Safie and stops at only a superficial, prejudiced
description of the Turks. In fact, there are Eurocentric biases against the
Turks throughout the portion of the book dealing ...
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"Frankenstein: The Subjectivity Of The Character "Safie"." Essayworld.com. July 15, 2007. Accessed December 23, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Frankenstein-The-Subjectivity-Of-Character-Safie/68067.
"Frankenstein: The Subjectivity Of The Character "Safie"." Essayworld.com. July 15, 2007. Accessed December 23, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Frankenstein-The-Subjectivity-Of-Character-Safie/68067.
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