Orientalism is a major theme in chapters 13-14 of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. The entrance of Safie as a Christian Turk from the Middle East, embodies this theme. Shelley suggests Safie's exotic nature upon her arrival, describing how the character came "on horseback... dressed in a dark suit and covered with a thick black veil"(Shelley 101). The monster, who narrated this part of the story, described her looks as "angelic" in beauty, her hair was "shining raven black and curiously braided"(Shelley 101). Many parts of Safie's description would render her exotic and mysterious to Western readers, enthralled with the way she was wearing a suit instead of a common Western dress, with a thick black veil over her head. Before Orientalism struck England, the dominant form of beauty in the Western world was a fair girl, with curly blond locks, blue eyes, and white skin with no blemishes or freckles. It is interesting that, in the book, even though Agatha is described as being fair and pretty, her prettiness does not surpass the exotic beauty of the 'Arabian', Safie. This point suggests the effect that Orientalism had on the Western world at this time. the Western world became deeply attracted with Orientalism around the time that the Industrial Revolution struck Europe. Romanticism also captivated Europe at this time, because the coldness of the machines bred through the Industrial Revolution, and the science that was introduced into the world at this time, gave the idea that nature was like a machine, that could be controlled, fixed, and calculated by man. The love for nature emphasized in Romantic literature was a product of a people trying to break away from the new societal values offered up by the Industrial Revolution. Orientalism became increasingly appealing through its subjects perceived closeness to nature. The 'orientals' were deemed as natural, hedonistic, romantic, and mystical beings, which appealed to the Romantics. Safie's musical skills demonstrated the closeness to nature and mysteriousness evident in Orientalism, when she played old De Lacey's guitar. Her playing style was described by the monster, the narrator in chapters 13 and 14, as so hauntingly beautiful that they resemble the song of a Nightingale.
Europe, of course, did not fully embrace Orientalism. It's hedonistic and strange depiction of what life was like in the Middle East shocked many Western viewers. Orientalism insighted an outward portrayal of scandal for it's onlookers, even though on the inside, they might have secretly revelled in the strange exoticness of what they were looking at. In Frankenstein, it appears that Mary Shelley was careful in not going too far with the Orientalism in regards to Safie's character and physical description, probably because she wanted the reader to embrace Safie rather than revile her for being 'too oriental'. Readers needed to relate to Safie on a certain level; they needed to know that even though Safie had the exoticness and mysterious beauty of the oriental, that she still had a distinctly Western character and relatability. For example, even though Safie had raven black hair and wore a veil, her complexion was still 'wondrously fair', and her cheeks were still "tinged with a lovely pink". Her eyes, even though dark, "were gentle". This point may suggest that dark eyes, at least by European standards, represented an intensity not desirable in women. But, Shelley described Safie's eyes as being different, having a gentle quality that suited Western ideals of beauty. The suggestion of her skin being wondrously fair for her background emphasizes Shelley's plight to make Safie oriental, yet Western. Even though Safie is from the Middle East, her character is still distinctly Western, because according to Shelley's story, Safie was raised by her Western Christian mother, who taught her the 'superior' ideals of a Christian character. So, while Safie is entrancingly oriental, again, she is incredibly Western.
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