Title: Preserving the Integrity of the Feminine Mystique
Author: Christine Morgan
Date of First Publication: 2015
Place of Publication: Daughters of Frankenstein: Lesbian Mad Scientists
Type: Short Story
Characters: No Character
Themes: MAD SCIENTIST/MONSTER; QUEER FRANKENSTEIN; RETRO SF; WOMEN WRITING MONSTERS
Critical Summary: This quirky tale takes the reader on a journey into the life of Miss Lavinia Wilmott who is a an incredibly talented scientist posing as a man by the name of Clive Chapman. It begins as she visits her cousin Reggie and begs for him to help her with a mysterious situation that deals with The Four-Counties Science Fair and Exposition. He agrees to help without fully understanding the situation at hand; he is drawn to the fact that the wedding of one of his past lovers will be held at the same time as the fair. This woman is Miss Josephine Huntley and happens to be a close friend to Lavinia as well. As the fair takes place, it becomes obvious that “Clive Chapman” is an incredibly well known scientist whom everyone is thrilled to see for the first time and when he wins first place, no one can contain their excitement to see him give his speech. Lavinia, with great nervousness, accepts the prize and sends everyone in the audience to a state of hysteria. Once everything is fact checked and confirmed, she is rightfully given her first place prize and they head over to the wedding. Surprisingly, there is no groom to be found because Josephine has decided that she did not want to marry him and instead decides that she would like to marry Lavinia. They get married and it is then revealed that this was their plan all along.
Although this story does not follow a clear link to Frankenstein, as many others do, there are details that showcase its inspiration. One of the way it relates to the classic novel is the fact that science plays a large role in this piece and in the very beginning is inferred that Lavinia has created a robot butler for her cousin. It is a small part of the story; however, it shows how much she is capable of and how far she could take her scientific explorations. The robot may have a minor role in the story, but it is a nod to the original because she has created “life” through artificial means.
The big twist at the end is that Lavina and Josephine are in love and ultimately get married which showcases the queer undertones of the original Victor Frankenstein in a more obvious way. Shelley alluded to Frankenstein having an unusual relationship with his monster. More evidently, this story seems to be celebrating the nature of Frankenstein in a more aesthetic way with its “steampunk” vibes. Although there is no mention of the time period for the setting, there are context clues that lead the reader to believe that this is taking place in Victorian science fiction setting as an allusion to the classic novel.
Christina Morgan follows Shelley’s footprints simply by being a woman writing in a male dominated world. Although she is not necessarily writing about monsters, Morgan’s lead character is treated as an outcast when she reveals that she is the famous Clive Chapman. Sadly, for those moments, she becomes a metaphorical monster because everyone is outraged that a woman could be so brilliant.
Administrative Notes: Rebeca Serna, CSUF; Matthew Vu (editing)