Psychological Study of the Novel "Frankenstein"

Psychological Study of the Novel “Frankenstein: The Modern Prometheus” by Marry Shelley

Name: Riddhi Jani

Roll No: 25

Paper: 5, The Romantic Literature

Submitted to: Department of English

M. K. Bhavnagar University

• Psychological Study of the Novel:

Psychology is very wide and vast branch. But literature is more vast and wider than it. So in literature we can find reflection of most of the branches like philosophy, sociology, science, astrology, astronomy, anatomy, psychology etc. And every work of literature has not only story or moral, but apart from it, it accommodates many lives, many pearls, many beautiful shells and numerous billows, waves and ripples. So, it becomes like an ocean.

Freud’s theory and complexes can be applied here. There are three parts of mind ‘id’, ‘ego’ and ‘super ego’. Here Victor is a protagonist, and he cannot make balance between his ‘id’ & ‘ego’. So, his fall happens. In the character of Frankenstein we find narcissism. He is too much obsessed by his knowledge and success. He almost lost himself in quest of his creation. Because of his enlarged ego he becomes like an isolated soul. He almost loses himself by allowing “passion and transitory desire to disturb (his) tranquility” In this quest he goes far and far from his friends and family and falls dipper and dipper into his passionate consumption. He becomes slave of his power of the ‘ego’.

Freud’s theory on the conscience is applicable here. Freud’s ‘id’ is shown through primitive actions of certain characters. We have here ‘Monster’ for id. Basic decisions & thought that are taken without the influence of conscience. Here we can see Victor’s some kind of behavior with other characters like Monster and Elizabeth is the result of his ‘Ego’. And the ‘Super ego’ is the conscious thoughts. They are often defined by guilt or other feelings that are come as a result of ‘id and ‘ego’. At some point, in this novel, Victor goes or reaches at the level of this super ego. These three consciences Freud are inter-connected with each other.

The novel reveals many aspects of conscious and unconscious mind. The character of Victor is shown with struggle between these both. His conscious behavior is clouded by his unconscious repressed desires. He lost his mother from his childhood. So may be this thing led him towards creation of life.

Now, I am applying the ‘id’, ‘ego’ and ‘super ego’ on the characters. ‘Id’ comes in a person from birth. It includes primitive and instinctive behavior. At this level of conscience, a person has no awareness of risk and fear. The ‘id’ is the source of all physical energy. The main task of ‘id’ is instant satisfaction. And the action done in id is the result of whim or unrealistic thoughts.

When Victor decides to create a life and he creates, that is the result of his id. Though he makes it after wide research, experiments and hard work, it is his unrealistic decision. Because while creating Monster, he never thought about the result or consequences of it. He just, in thoughtless condition creates Monster. At the level of id, a person thinks himself able to do everything.

“Beware; for I am fearless, and therefor powerful.” 

          

No matter whose words are these in the novel, but they shows the level of id. There is no fear so there is power. But it may become dangerous also. As for Victor Monster is the consequence of his id. Before creating it, he was not aware about reality or its danger. So, in id person doesn’t know even about his/her own self. And Victor passes through this level of mind.

And then, Monster also passes through this level as he is just born. As a new comer in this world, he is like a child. So, id is primitive in him. He also does action without thinking. The murder of William is an example of his id. And the quote that I wrote above can be applicable to the id of both Victor and Monster. But there is different between both ‘id’. Victor is the grown up person. He very soon knows about disaster, while the id of Monster takes longer time to go.

Then comes ego. It is a consciousness about reality and circumstances. It is a component of personality that is responsible for dealing with reality. It is an organized part of one’s mind and thought. We can see this component also in characters of “Frankenstein”.

After creating Monster, Victor realizes what he has done. After seeing him he frightens first. This fear is his ‘ego, his acceptance or rather knowledge about his work. He runs away from Monster and he abandons him. These are the parts of his ego.

“…I was unable to tingle with the access of sensitiveness…I was unable to remain for a single instant in the same place; I jumped over the chairs, clapped my hands, and laughed aloud”.

These words show the component of ego. When one works under the power of id, then he/she realizes reality…his/her ego gives such a response to that work. And Monster’s demand for a female partner is also the result of ego. There we can see Monster’s mental development. Because while demanding for a partner he was quite aware from its result, and he seems ready for it.

           

“I am alone and miserable. Only someone as ugly as I and could love me”.

           

          And then comes super ego. It can be seen as guilt feeling that is a result of ‘id’ and ‘ego’. It plays critical and moralizing role. Super ego prevents a person from doing what his/her id may want to do. Super ego gives moral standards, by which ego operates. It is ethical component of mind.

          

          We can see mental development of all the characters throughout this novel. And in this novel we can also see that the development of Victor’s consciousness is higher than Monster. So, where Monster’s ego works, Victor’s super ego works. And because of it conflict takes place between both. For example, when Monster demands a lady partner, it is a demand from his ego. But there Victor’s super ego prevents him. Because he is now in situation to know about the consequences of the work priory. So he denies first but Monster’s ‘ego’ component cannot accept it.

“Hateful day when I received life! Accursed creator! Why did you form a monster so hideous that even you turned from me in disgust. God, in pity, made man beautiful and alluring, after his own image; but my form is filthy type of yours, more horrid even from the very resemblance.” 

           

          This is Monster’s level of ‘ego’. He is in reality now. He can understand what is going on with him. But yet he can’t take decision rationally and morally. So in such agony he demands partner as grotesque as him. But Victor is now at the level of ‘super ego’. So, his mind stops him. Yet he has to do because of fear. And his agony comes out:

“Learn from me, if not by my percepts, at least by my example, how dangerous is the acquirement of knowledge, and how much happier that man is who believe his native town to be his world, than he who aspires to become greater than his nature will allow.”

It is Victor’s super ego.

          

           And Monster reaches at the level of super ego, when victor dies. Means at the end of the novel, we become able to see the super ego component in Monster. When he himself gives fire to Victor’s dead body, when he starts to think him as his father…These show his super ego, his feeling of guilt. It seems that if again such situation will come, then his super ego will surely remind him, prevent him.

           

           As “Frankenstein” is too worthy novel, too many branches find their place into it. So, apart from Freudian theory here another psychological term can also be applied.

• ·       Androgyny and Bifurcation in “Frankenstein”:

This type of study of “Frankenstein” is done by William Veeder, in his work named “The Book, The Monster and Human Reality” Veeder’s discourse is that all of Mary’s novels…

“…reflect her lifelong concern with the psychological ideal of androgyny and its opposite, bifurcation- the harmonious balance of traits traditionally considered masculine and feminine, and the desolating polarization of these traits.”

If we see simple meaning of androgyny, that is: “the combination of masculine and feminine characteristics. And the meaning of bifurcation is “forking into two branches.” I am interpreting  and applying these two terms in my own way, in brief.

See, Indian belief says that in every man and woman there are both aspects ‘masculine and ‘feminine’. But in men masculine aspect is powerful, while in women feminine aspect is powerful. But when both aspects remain equally powerful in a person, then he/she can be called ‘androgynous’. Their biology is having both female and male characteristics. And if a person is not totally androgynous, then at some point of life the characteristic of opposite sex becomes powerful. That is done with our literary characters also.

In “Frankenstein”, at some extent the character of Victor is portrayed like ‘androgynous”. Though he is male the desire to give birth to a life is in him. This is his androgenic aspect. But after creating a life his masculine aspects comes back. So, he left Monster. If he would be a female, then he will never do this. Because a female can love her child whole heartedly, without leaving it. And Elizabeth’s masculine aspect comes when she all alone manages the family when William is killed.

And other thing about Victor’s feminine aspect is that, in a female. There is unconscious or conscious desire for a boy child, similarly in a male for a girl child. But here Victor creates first male as a Monster. It is too much discussed issue in literary world, that why first male is created? So one interpretation goes towards this androgyny of Victor. His feminine aspect play main role in creating Monster (and can it be possible that later in creating female Monster Mary’s masculine aspect works?). So, androgyny can be applied in this way in the novel.

And ‘bifurcation’ means splitting of a main body into two parts or forking of a thing or body into two branches. Here we can say Victor is divided. This interpretation also I found from Veeder. That he is lover of Elizabeth at the same time Elizabeth is his enemy also. Because Elizabeth is a root cause for growing desire for partner in Monster.

And thus, the psychology of characters works in this novel. And James Rieger says about “Frankenstein”:

“When the dust has settled, neither the Shelleys, nor this novel will ever look quite the same.”