Comparative Essay Plans
,Key Comparative Themes
Male Ambition
Female Domesticity
Prejudice
Rebellion
Main Characters in Frankenstein
Victor Frankenstein
Robert Walton
The Creature
Mr De Lacey
Elizabeth Lavenza
Minor Characters in Frankenstein
Henry Clerval
Alphonse Frankenstein
Justine Moritz
Felix De Lacey
Agatha De Lacy
Safie
Beaufort
Caroline Beaufort
Margaret Saville
William Frankstein
Ernest Frankenstein
Professor Krempe
Professor Waldman
Mr Kirwin
Main Characters in HMT
Offred
The Commander
Serena Joy
Minor Characters in HMT
Nick
Aunt Lydia
Ofglen
Janine (Ofwarren)
Rita and Cora
Moira
Luke
Offred’s Mother
Professor Pieixoto
Professor Crescent Moon
, General Essay Plans
Gender Roles
Men are portrayed as tragically ambitious
- Shelley explores pursuit of dangerous knowledge through Victor's Promethean overreaching as archetypal
Gothic protagonist in Chapter 1-4
- Victor’s creation in Chapter 4-5
- Ernest and Clerval as foils and Beaufort as a double to Victor which highlights his tragic overreaching which
highlights his tragic overreaching
- Robert Walton embodies Romantic trope of individual ventures into the unknown in Letter 1-4
V
- Atwood explores flaws of unchecked male ambition through extent of institutionalised oppression under Sons
of Jacob Think Tanks
- Use of language as a means of control reveals oppression caused by unchecked male ambition
- Dichotomous relationship b/w Offred and Commanders shows flaws of male ambition
- Parallels b/w Luke and Commander reveal prevalence of men infantalising women
Women are portrayed as subjugated
- Descriptions of Elizabeth Lavenza in Chapter 1
- Walton’s 2nd Letter shows women are passive recipients of male communication
V
- Gilead reduces women to reproductive handmaids due to fertility crisis
- Atwood shows how visual control (over clothing) enables ideological control
- Bookends of novel reveal silencing of female voice
- Passivity of Offwaren
- Women rebel against each other as a means of survival, ironically reinforcing prejudices they are subject to
Women are portrayed as courageous to critique extent of fortitude necessitated by hostile patriarchy
- Alphonse’s relationship w/ Caroline Beaufort in Chapter 1 and 3
- Trial of Justine Moritz in Chapter 7-8
- Female submission subverted by Safie in Volume 2 Chapter 6
V
- Offred’s narrative provides silent discourse of resistance to Gilead’s regime
- Moira exemplifies female rebellion
- Offred’s mum’s displays female activism
- Ofglen displays rebellion as member of Mayday
,Key Comparative Themes
Male Ambition
Female Domesticity
Prejudice
Rebellion
Main Characters in Frankenstein
Victor Frankenstein
Robert Walton
The Creature
Mr De Lacey
Elizabeth Lavenza
Minor Characters in Frankenstein
Henry Clerval
Alphonse Frankenstein
Justine Moritz
Felix De Lacey
Agatha De Lacy
Safie
Beaufort
Caroline Beaufort
Margaret Saville
William Frankstein
Ernest Frankenstein
Professor Krempe
Professor Waldman
Mr Kirwin
Main Characters in HMT
Offred
The Commander
Serena Joy
Minor Characters in HMT
Nick
Aunt Lydia
Ofglen
Janine (Ofwarren)
Rita and Cora
Moira
Luke
Offred’s Mother
Professor Pieixoto
Professor Crescent Moon
, General Essay Plans
Gender Roles
Men are portrayed as tragically ambitious
- Shelley explores pursuit of dangerous knowledge through Victor's Promethean overreaching as archetypal
Gothic protagonist in Chapter 1-4
- Victor’s creation in Chapter 4-5
- Ernest and Clerval as foils and Beaufort as a double to Victor which highlights his tragic overreaching which
highlights his tragic overreaching
- Robert Walton embodies Romantic trope of individual ventures into the unknown in Letter 1-4
V
- Atwood explores flaws of unchecked male ambition through extent of institutionalised oppression under Sons
of Jacob Think Tanks
- Use of language as a means of control reveals oppression caused by unchecked male ambition
- Dichotomous relationship b/w Offred and Commanders shows flaws of male ambition
- Parallels b/w Luke and Commander reveal prevalence of men infantalising women
Women are portrayed as subjugated
- Descriptions of Elizabeth Lavenza in Chapter 1
- Walton’s 2nd Letter shows women are passive recipients of male communication
V
- Gilead reduces women to reproductive handmaids due to fertility crisis
- Atwood shows how visual control (over clothing) enables ideological control
- Bookends of novel reveal silencing of female voice
- Passivity of Offwaren
- Women rebel against each other as a means of survival, ironically reinforcing prejudices they are subject to
Women are portrayed as courageous to critique extent of fortitude necessitated by hostile patriarchy
- Alphonse’s relationship w/ Caroline Beaufort in Chapter 1 and 3
- Trial of Justine Moritz in Chapter 7-8
- Female submission subverted by Safie in Volume 2 Chapter 6
V
- Offred’s narrative provides silent discourse of resistance to Gilead’s regime
- Moira exemplifies female rebellion
- Offred’s mum’s displays female activism
- Ofglen displays rebellion as member of Mayday
