Topic > Freudianism in "Frankenstein": An Analysis of Human Nature

In her novel Frankenstein, Mary Shelley skillfully weaves a chilling horror story with social commentary to create an exploration of human nature that unfolds alongside history. The novel opens with Robert Walton and Victor Frankenstein's mad quest for scientific glory. Both of these men are determined to achieve glory in the field of science. Both of these men are slaves to basic human curiosity, particularly the Id, which is the darkest part of the human psyche. The id represents the long list of primordial needs of the human being and requires immediate satisfaction. For Victor, his curiosity results in the creation of the monster, the literal embodiment of his Id. The second aspect of this theme in Frankenstein is that there will always be a conflict between the creator and the created. In terms of Freudian psychology, there will always be a conflict between the ego and the id. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay The monster represents the purest form of the Id, and Victor, the creator, is responsible for imparting a sense of consciousness, or Ego, to his creation. However, Freud describes the deep-rooted conflict between the Ego and the Id, and the monster ultimately repels Victor's Ego to the point that he cannot bear the sight of his own creation. Third, Human Nature is the driving force behind the destructive behavior of all human beings. The most basic part is that human nature fails both the creator and the creation, because the Id is the downfall of both. The Id is the driving force behind Victor's death due to his mad quest to create a new species. He indulges that desire to the fullest and the product of this desire ruins his life and kills his closest friends and family. The Monster is just an unfortunate product of one man's mad drive for glory. The creature has no conscience, because it is not possible to possess it. Frankenstein tries and tries again, however, he falls back into the position he was born into, the embodiment of the Id. Within the fundamental Ego of Man, the Id is destined to be reviled for its concrete existence. The discussion of human nature in Frankenstein is well connected to the idea of ​​the human mind that Freud presents in his theories of psychology. The three topics presented correspond to the beginning, middle and end of the novel, and to the plot developments that occur at various points. Freud's first point, which corresponds directly to the beginning of Frankenstein, is that there is a basic curiosity about human nature that is exclusively devoted to the id, and that that curiosity, if satisfied excessively, will unleash misfortune upon the person in question. Secondly, Freud believes that there will always be a conflict between the ego and the id, which is in line with the plot in the central part of the novel. Thirdly and finally, the essences of human nature will eventually lead to the progressive disappearance of the species, as happens at the end of the novel. Curiosity, a natural part of human desire, pushes us to explore the furthest reaches of our universe, open new doors, make extraordinary new discoveries, and in turn enter new realms of knowledge. This curiosity goes hand in hand with the desire for glory. The desire for glory is present in Victor's arrogant desire to have “a new species to bless him as its creator and source” (Shelley 48). This supreme pride that enveloped that thought is almost Shakespearean in the way it exposes the sordid pride of a tragic character. In this statement, Victor expresses his purpose and predicts his downfall. He had to create a new species of being so “many happy and excellent natures would have theirexistence to [him]" (Shelley, 48). This statement is ironic. He hopes that his new race will have the most lovable qualities. However, he manages to create an atrocity that is the fabrication of what humanity should have reviled, the Id. According to Freud, the desire that arises from the id is destined to give birth to the being of the id. First of all, the id is the “dark, inaccessible part of the human personality, which tends to provide satisfaction”. Victor for the forbidden knowledge of animation bestowed is firmly ingrained in him. He does not realize that there could be negative effects if an imperfect man wields the powers of a perfect God. The being that comes from these forbidden powers is the Monster Ridden by 'Id. The monster is indeed unfortunate because it is "born", or "zapped" into life, and as Freud describes all newborns, completely dominated by the Ed. However, the monster cannot develop an Ego 'I who will side with the Id against the Super Ego, which represents the desires and rules of society at large. What the monster doesn't have is a firm connection to the Super Ego, and that's the problem. Any connection the monster may have had to the Super Ego, and therefore to humanity at large, is destroyed when the De Lacey family rejects him. This shocks his psyche. The sheer horror he sees in the faces of the people he loved and considered his “protectors” is too much for him to bear. His psyche snaps and all traces of the developing ego disappear. He vows to “seek that justice which he attempted in vain to obtain from any other being who wore the human form” (Shelley 124). The Monster wants revenge on Victor, which is why he lives on Earth. From this desire, the monster begins to form a death instinct, an idea that Freud began to develop late in his psychological career. "The death instinct would therefore seem to express itself as an instinct of destruction directed against the external world and other organisms." The idea that there is an instinct based on hatred towards other beings living in the Id is a perfect explanation for the Monster's behavior in the conflict between Victor and his creation. The second Freudian point that emerges halfway through the novel is that there will always be a conflict between the creator and the created. The Monster is like Victor's abandoned son. Victor's repulsion and eventual abandonment of the Monster are predictable. He had hoped that the "new species" he would create would be a good species, superior to humanity, and what he got was a wretch made with severed limbs and electrically charged. Victor's abandonment causes the monster to seek revenge against his creator, telling him, "Remember that I am your creature, I should be your Adam, but rather I am the fallen angel" (Shelley 89). The monster is comparing himself to Adam. to emphasize that God created Adam, and even through his indiscretions, God did not completely abandon Adam, as Victor left the Monster to his own devices. The Monster is telling Victor that he has turned him into the Devil, "whom you (Victor) cast out with joy without any wrongdoing." (Shelley 89). Victor chases the Monster away for the simple fact that he is incredibly horrible. He deduced that the monster would be a beast born into brutality, just from its appearance, which, technically, was Victor's fault. This made the Monster bitter and hateful towards the entire human species. He says: “What hope can I gather from your fellow men, who owe me nothing? They despise me and hate me. (Shelley 89). He has realized that he will not find any sympathy from humanity, so he decides to destroy the man who trapped him. He promises to defeat him: “Not only [Victor] and [his] family, but thousands of others, will be swallowed up in the whirlpools of my rage” (Shelley 90). Victor's fundamental nature is.