As a relatively new form of accepted literary criticism, genre studies cannot help but incorporate aspects of multiple other forms of criticism. Gender criticism depends on the distinction, or lack thereof, between socially constructed dichotomies; It focuses on the perceived and intrinsic traits of sex and sexuality and why these differences are revealing of the society that produces them. In summary, gender criticism is based on nature, a biological set of traits or values, versus nurture, a social set of traits or values. Two forms of pre-existing criticisms favor each side of this debate. Feminist criticism focuses on the social roles that gender conforms to in society and examines the differences produced in literature by gender differences. Psychoanalytic criticism incorporates the innate desires and traits present in all humanity, regardless of social roles and assumptions. In Frankenstein, the interplay between these three lenses can be examined by considering three integral plot factors: the monster, the role of men, and the role of the mother. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The Monster, especially when viewed in the context of his relationship with Victor, reveals myriad assumptions about human society and human nature. Through a psychoanalytic lens, the terror of their relationship is explored, through Victor's inability to escape his own undesirable self-image and through his failure to fulfill his Lacanian desire to replace his mother's role. Through a feminist lens, the terror of their relationship could be explained by the gender roles present, or more specifically the lack of female influence in a process so similar to birth; the monster reveals the necessity of the female role in society. Gender criticism in some ways incorporates and in some ways diverges from these two perspectives, arguing that Victor's relationship with his monster can be explained in terms of homosexuality and that "Frankenstein's creature can also be read as the embodiment of lesbian panic" and is exploratory of social terror. that lesbianism arouses. Male desire also invites three similar but divergent perspectives. In psychoanalytic criticism, desire is defined more broadly as the dissatisfaction present after departure from the womb, ultimately resolved only at the moment of sexual intercourse, or with death. Psychoanalytic criticism can explain the destruction and quest for domination that occur as Victor's way of dealing with failure to fulfill his desire. Feminist criticism, in contrast, can define male desire “as a complex construct that produces and reproduces a constellation of behaviors and goals, many of them destructive.” The tragedy that occurs in Frankenstein is therefore explained by the lack of a predominant female influence. Gender criticism takes these concepts of male desire and male destruction and presents the idea that men are conditioned to exhibit destructive behavior and that Victor's social expectation to conform to a traditionally heterosexual role is the cause of the tragedy. Please note: this is just a sample. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Finally, the presence of a maternal role is an integral part of these lenses when analyzing Frankenstein. In psychoanalysis, the maternal role is a vehicle of desire, the way Victor attempts to find satisfaction, both by bringing his mother back from the dead and.