Mother Your Monsters

Abstract Reproductive labor, the work that people put into raising children and keeping households, is one of the most under-appreciated forms of labor. Monster stories, specifically Frankenstein and Dracula, provide a clear representation of the danger of life without reproductive labor and reveal how incredibly important this work really is. By engaging with other scholars who have examined the text in similar ways and using evidence from the novel, I will set up Frankenstein as the framework for how a gothic novel understands reproductive labor. Then, I will demonstrate how Dracula allows for the same understanding, despite rarely being analyzed in this way. In conclusion, I will examine how Frankenstein and Dracula, despite having been written 200 years ago, provide a depiction of reproductive labor that must be recognized. They demonstrate how vital it is to society, families, and humanity itself. Without reproductive labor, people become monstrous, and society falls apart. These texts depict reproductive labor's importance and reveal how we as a society must start giving the people who undertake that labor their due respect.