Francesc Oromí Soldevila

NIU: 1563059
Academic Year: 2022-23
UoE: Advanced Writing
Bibliography activity

Annotated Bibliography
Source used:

Haggerty, G. “What is Queer about Frankenstein?”. In Andrew Smith, The Cambridge

Companion to Frankenstein. Cambridge: Cambridge University, 2016. 158-171.

Summary of the article:

This article tackles the theme of queerness present in Frankenstein. What is interesting,
though, is that it manages to do so from multiple perspectives, allowing the reader to fully
grasp why this novel is so inherently queer. For instance, several moments in the story are
analysed which hint at the deviance regarding family structure and domesticity: the whole
fact of Victor giving birth to a being can be seen as a mockery towards maternity. The latter
deviance is made even more evident when compared to the heteronormative-structured
De Lacey family; which, interestingly enough, end up in flames. Two other important
notions, which are worth mentioning, are discussed in this paper. Firstly, there is the
concept of “No Future”, used to argue that it is in fact the monster’s queerness the factor
that leads him to his demise. In addition, the former is tied to “the masculine privilege”
which is showcased in the novel via the obsessive relationships Frankenstein has with his
male friends (Clerval and Walton) and the wretch; with whom he seems to be more
attached than his wife Lavenza.

Why it is useful:

The relevance of this volume of issues lies in its versatility. While it is true that it will mostly
be used for its article on queerness, one must not underestimate the other fifteen essays
as they can provide very useful information regarding historical background or alternative
readings. Having said that, the article in question will prove itself very valuable since it
gives an account of many other scholars who have also discussed the element of
queerness present in Frankenstein. This alone will allow me to grasp the different
instances in which the latter theme is evidenced and therefore, be able to carry out a
thorough analysis of it.