Infantilization: The Monster and Media

The infantilization of the monster in Frakenstein seems to be a striking theme throughout the novel. Stepping into world without his creator–a paternal figure–he seems to wander like a baby through the wilderness. Amazed at the physical sights and sounds of nature. While we might consider the monster to be a “male”, one might compare the infantilization of women today (via magazines, television, movies, or music) with his. The monster, who is seen as secondary to human beings–which women used to be–or in a more modern sense, are seen as less capable than men. Modern day interpretations make the monster a speechless creature, parallel to the lack of voice women had before the suffragist movement. The monster also exhibits a lack of rational behavior. Although fueled by his emotions–which might be seen as masculine–we see another similarity between the stereotypical emotionally driven female, and the monster as a second class citizen. In magazines such as Cosmopolitan, (or maybe even Miley Cyrus’s recent scandalous performance at the MTV Video Music Awards), we see the inherent infantilization and deprecation of women. Media portrayals of actresses and models with fingers in mouths, clotheless, standing on one foot, and with a male figure protectively holding them, increase our views of women as child-like. While Frankenstein’s monster and media portrayals of females may seem like opposing subjects, but in reality, the concept of infantilizing so called “inferior” beings has remained the same throughout the ages.