The significance, for readers in the twenty-first century, of the character of Safie in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

Abstract

This paper presents a critical look at one of the characters in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Safie, through the lenses of a female African scholar in the twenty-first century. A close look at the narrative structure leads to the gradual peeling off of the first two layers, to the core of the narration. The paper looks keenly at a minor character in this core, in the light of feminist literary criticism and against the concept of globalisation. The analysis of the character of Safie, carried out in full consciousness of the fact that Frankenstein was written two hundred years ago, involves a look at the words used to describe her; comparison between her and other characters, particularly other female characters; as well as a general overview of her circumstances and how she reacts in response to them.